Tell me about a time you had to influence a stakeholder to support a product decision that you believed in. What strategies did you use to win them over, and what was the outcome?

In a previous role, I was tasked with proposing a new user onboarding feature that would streamline the registration process. One of the key stakeholders, a senior VP of marketing, was skeptical about the costs involved and concerned about potential impacts on existing workflows. To influence her, I scheduled a one-on-one meeting where I presented user research indicating high drop-off rates during onboarding. Using data-driven storytelling, I highlighted how improved onboarding could increase the conversion rates significantly and draw in more users over time. I employed the CIRCLES framework to communicate my proposal effectively. I comprehended the challenges of user onboarding, identified the target customers, and reported their needs explicitly. I summarized the expected benefits using projected ROI, ensuring I addressed her concerns regarding costs while showing the long-term gains. After a thorough discussion, she agreed to support the feature, leading to a successful implementation and a 20% increase in new user registrations.