You can apply this technique in cases when you have a STRONG POSITION on a discussed idea.

What’s the technique?
1️⃣ Brainstorm on your own for every possible objection the other person may have
2️⃣ Think in advance how you’ll handle the objections
Hey, if you can’t figure out how to counter the objections – rethink your position 😉
3️⃣ Share your idea with the other person
4️⃣ Present their possible objections
Let them know that you understand what they may think!
5️⃣ Empathize and respect their opinion
6️⃣ Handle the objections by presenting the solutions from step 2.

⭐️ Bonus hint: You might find it helpful to see the Iceberg Model from our Conflict Resolution pill. According to the model, the shared needs people have lie at “the bottom of the iceberg” but people rarely discover those needs. If you understand what’s at the bottom of the other person’s iceberg, it will be easier for you to overcome their objections.

If you have a strong position and you’ve done preparation – persuasion becomes as easy as a child’s play! The other person will be “disarmed” because you’ve broken the barrier of their rejection in the first place.

Let’s see the technique in action, shall we?
Imagine your team will have a retro in a day and you’ll discuss what’s working well and what’s not.
 You have a strong opinion that the daily stand-ups you do are a waste of time and you should ditch them!

💭 First, you should prepare.

What are the possible objections your teammates might have to not having a daily stand-up meeting? → 1️⃣ Brainstorm on your own for every possible objection
‣ “We are supposed to follow the Scrum process! Daily stand-ups are one of the core Agile ceremonies.”
‣ “Daily stand-ups are the way we synchronize and see who needs help throughout the day!”
‣ “If we don’t do stand-ups we’ll not see each other at all and we’ll not feel as part of one team.”

Now, let’s think why these objections are not a problem for you. Let’s pick one to illustrate things. → 2️⃣ Think in advance how you’ll handle the objections
‣ Objection: “Daily stand-ups is the way we synchronize and see who needs help throughout the day!”
‣ Your argument: “We’ve built a habit to share important info in Slack and everyone is doing it. Moreover, whenever someone has a problem – they ask for help and someone responds quickly. We have matured as a team and we do all the things we have to do in a daily stand-up, just in a different way, which works well for us.”

🎬 Let’s fast forward to the retro meeting and see the rest of the steps in action!

“Hey guys, I think that we have to stop doing the daily stand-ups.” → 3️⃣ Share your idea with the other person

“I see a few objections to this idea and one is that we use daily stand-ups to synchronize and see who needs help throughout the day.” → 4️⃣ Present their possible objections

“It’s a valid point that we should have the means to synchronize and help each other when needed.” → 5️⃣ Empathize and respect their opinion

“At the same time, I think that we’ve matured as a team and we do all the things we have to do in a daily stand-up, just in a different way. And it works well for us. We’ve built a habit to share important info in Slack and everyone is doing it. Moreover, whenever someone has a problem – they ask for help and someone responds quickly.” → 6️⃣ Handle objections

How do you benefit from this technique?
✅ It saves you time and energy from long negotiations and persuasions.
✅ You become more empathetic because the technique puts you in the other person’s shoes.
✅ You become more confident and convincing.

So, next time you have a strong opinion on something and want to quickly convince the others:

Anticipate the objections
👇
Present the objections
👇
Respect the other person
👇
Handle the objections!