Communicating and Influencing HEO Example — 250-Word Statement
At HEO, assessors want real persuasion: you built a case with evidence, framed it around the other side's interests, and handled objections without damaging the relationship. Routine updates no longer cut it. Show a situation where someone needed convincing and your communication made the difference.
Example statement
SAs a stock controller for a regional furniture retailer, I managed the account with our largest supplier. Their fortnightly deliveries kept slipping, leaving us out of stock on our best-selling lines at weekends.
TI was tasked with persuading the supplier to move to weekly deliveries with guaranteed days, without increasing our costs.
AI gathered twelve weeks of delivery data and costed the delays at around £3,000 a month in lost sales, so I could argue from evidence, not frustration. At the review meeting I opened by recognising their constraints: their lorry returned empty twice a week, and I showed a weekly run on that route would cut their mileage, not add to it. When their account manager resisted, claiming weekly deliveries meant weekly paperwork, I proposed consolidated invoicing and offered to move our order cut-off to suit his warehouse shifts. I put the proposal in writing the same day: one page, benefits to both businesses side by side, and asked for a three-month trial rather than a permanent change, lowering the risk of saying yes. To keep momentum I agreed weekly short calls for the first month and a shared delivery log. When the first month showed two late deliveries, I raised them with the log open, and fixed the loading order together rather than trading blame.
RThe supplier agreed weekly deliveries after the trial. On-time delivery rose from 78 to 96 percent, weekend stockouts on top lines ended, and the arrangement saved them £400 a month in fuel.
Use this as a model, not a script. This is an original example written for this site. Adapt the structure to your own experience — copying it word for word risks plagiarism and will not reflect your evidence.
Why this scores well
- Classic HEO influencing: builds an evidence-based case (£3,000 a month) and frames it around the other side's interests, not just your own.
- Shows pushback handled constructively, with concessions offered and risk reduced through a three-month trial.
- Win-win result with numbers for both parties (96 percent on-time, £400 monthly saving) demonstrates negotiation, not just instruction.
What HEO level requires
| Grade | What assessors expect |
|---|---|
| EO | At EO level, Communicating and Influencing means tailoring your message to different audiences, choosing sensible channels, and starting to persuade with evidence rather than just passing on information. |
| HEO ← this page | At HEO level, Communicating and Influencing means communicating with impact across teams and external contacts, building an evidence-based case, and handling challenge constructively to win people over. |
| SEO | At SEO level, Communicating and Influencing means winning support across teams and stakeholders without line authority, shaping messages for senior audiences, and turning sceptics into supporters. |
Common mistakes at this level
- Describing persuasion as telling: listing what you said without showing how you understood the other side's position first.
- Choosing an example with no resistance, so there was nothing to influence and the behaviour never gets tested.
- Claiming you 'built strong relationships' without one concrete moment of negotiation, challenge or pushback handled.
Frequently asked questions
At EO you adapt messages to audiences; at HEO you change minds. Assessors expect a situation involving disagreement or competing interests where you built an evidence-based case, anticipated objections and reached an outcome. Think supplier negotiations, winning over a sceptical team, or turning around a complex complaint, rather than clear routine updates.
Yes, a complex complaint is strong HEO material because it tests both communication and influence: listening properly, explaining honestly, managing expectations and rebuilding trust. Show how you structured the response, handled emotion, were honest about fault, and what the outcome was, such as an escalation withdrawn or a relationship repaired.
That is exactly what HEO assessors look for. Show the levers you used instead of authority: evidence, understanding their constraints, framing benefits in their terms, offering low-risk next steps like a trial, and persistent follow-up. Persuading sideways, a supplier, another team, a partner, scores better than instructing your own staff.
Next step
Get the free HEO statement template pack — the same STAR structure used in this example.
Download the template pack