Relationships

Whether you are pitching a market expansion, proposing a strategic acquisition, or advocating for a major technology investment, you often face objections. The stakeholders might say the timing is wrong, the risk is too high, or the resources should be allocated elsewhere. Whenever you must bring someone over to your point of view, you are likely to get pushback and objections. Learning to deal with objections is a key negotiation skill and one that every business owner or executive must master.

While objections might raise different concerns, they generally take one of three forms:

“Yes, but…,” such as “Yes, but we already have a strategy that works fine.” 
“What if… ?” as in “What if we adopt this strategy and it doesn’t work?”  
“Why should we… ?” For example, “Why should we make this change now, just as people are recovering from recent layoffs?” “Why should we restructure our leadership reporting now, just as we’re stabilizing after the recent acquisition?” 

To bring your reader or listener over to your side, you must be prepared to deal with these objections—and any others that come your way.
Put yourself in the other person’s position

Imagine you were opposing your own proposal. What objections would you have? Consider what you know about your audience: What are their likely concerns? What are their questions? What form are their objections likely to take? The following responses that can help.

1. Acknowledge the person’s objection

You might say, “I hear that you’re concerned about the regulatory requirements of this proposal and how this might affect our relationship with investors.” Then, restate the objection to be sure you truly grasp their meaning.

You could say, “Let me be sure I understand. You’re saying that moving forward with this proposal could trigger regulatory scrutiny that might complicate our other priorities and potentially concern our key investors. Is that correct?” or “If I understand you, you’re worried this could create compliance risks that outweigh the strategic benefits. Did I get that right?”

If the prospect says no, ask for clarification before moving on. This step reassures the other person that you are genuinely listening and that you respect their perspective.

2. Respond to the objections thoughtfully

Respond effectively by demonstrating the benefits of your proposal and describing the costs of not acting. For example, in the board of directors’ case, you could point out that your current strategy does not consider the impact of artificial intelligence on your operations, while the proposed strategy seamlessly integrates AI into the organization. You might also point out that other organizations have successfully implemented similar strategies.

Your description of costs and benefits should focus more on the value of your proposal than the cost. When you clearly convey value, cost becomes less significant.

3. Collaborate to find a solution that feels manageable and worthwhile for everyone

Rather than pushing your position, invite others to share their ideas for addressing the issue. Work together toward an approach that satisfies both sides.

For example, you might establish a phased implementation with designated oversight checkpoints or form a steering committee to oversee the rollout. You could provide data-backed risk assessments, detail contingency plans, and show how the proposal aligns with long-term vision and goals.

For organizational changes, you can offer to hold company-wide meetings where you explain how the prospective change aligns with the company vision, enabling everyone to voice their concerns. Whatever solution you arrive at should feel like a win-win. You should feel heard, and the other party should become an active collaborator in solving the problem.

When you follow these three steps—acknowledge, respond, and collaborate—you will find it easier to respond empathetically and confidently to even the thorniest objections, especially in times when resources are tight, and decisions carry more weight. Please try this method and let me know how it works for you. You can reach me at [email protected] if you’d like to share any examples or have questions.

I have a really bad habit of getting into relationships with people ,who are nice at first then just stop caring . I listen to peoples feelings and am a very honest and open person . I know when to stop speaking and for some reason I don't know why I could work and also cook the next days meals the night before on my workdays and clean the mess I made while still cleaning my partners mess when I get home and it would never be enough . on my days off I dont have a pleasing people issue I just like lots of tasks it makes me happy and I still always have time for myself and my partner of course. I give my partner space and listen to their feelings as well as just being there for them . What am I doing wrong? I always just say if you need something or want something to be different just tell me and I can make it work if my partner says they want tondo something like helo cook or work or anything else I'm cool with it . I'm an easy to please respectful person I hold doors and have manners. I don't know I guess I just want some advice on what I should do after I heal from my breakup? I just am gonna take some time to myself and reflect and do some self improvement . Thanks,

How do you know when it's just a rough patch vs time to end a romantic relationship? I know it's quite personal and varies by relationship, so I'm more interested in folks' experiences than in a general rule or standard. (Although if you do have a rule of thumb to share, would love to hear it too.)

Note: I'm not speaking of abusive situations, but of relationships with ordinary troubles.

Today is my 5-year anniversary with my husband, we were planning on going on a camping trip to celebrate. He asked today if it was ok to cancel because a bad tooth had been causing him pain all last night. After talking about their refund policy, I told him it was ok to cancel if he was worried about it. We have a dentist appointment scheduled for him, but we couldn't get in before the trip.

He wants to make it up to me by taking me out to dinner at our favorite restaurant this weekend, and I feel bad for feeling a little disappointed. Its a nice restaurant, don't get me wrong, but I wanted to do something special or new for our 5-year. I want to ask to do something this weekend, but don't know what to ask for so last minute. So now I'm here asking if anyone has any ideas on what to do to celebrate, or if I should just keep my disappointment to myself? What would you do?

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-attraction-doctor/201308/can-insult-make-you-fall-in-love

longer couples waited to make that first serious commitment - moving in, the better their chances for marital success.

Post age 23 much better odds of success