Ep 188 - Handling Objections & Difficult Questions

Aug 11, 2025

Practical strategies for staying composed when ideas meet pushback. Stories about first big presentations and why questions trigger defensiveness. A breakdown of four common challenging question types and how they behave in meetings. A step-by-step B.R.I.D.G.E. approach to buy time, reframe, inform, defer, ground and engage. Ready-to-use phrases and mindset shifts to turn objections into opportunities.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Board Meeting That Exposed Defensive Reactions

Carla Miller's first board meeting derailed when she felt defensive presenting a fundraising strategy that differed from expectations.
Her inner critic made responses high-pitched and rushed, teaching her the value of switching to respond rather than react.

INSIGHT

Why Objections Trigger Us Physically And Mentally

Objections rattle us because we interpret them as judgments about our competence, triggering imposter feelings and a cortisol response.
That physiological reaction drives reactive behaviour in meetings, not rational responses.

ADVICE

Reframe Questions As Engagement Not Attack

Reframe questions as the other person seeking information in a format that works for them instead of personal attacks.
Treat questions as engagement that shows interest, and adjust how you communicate so the message lands differently.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Ever been in a meeting where you’re sharing an idea and suddenly someone pushes back? Maybe they say, “I don’t see how that would work,” or hit you with a question you weren’t expecting.

Your heart skips a beat. You’re thinking, “Uh… how do I respond without sounding defensive or totally thrown?”

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In this episode, I’m sharing practical strategies for handling objections and challenging questions in meetings with confidence, clarity, and composure. You’ll learn how to stay grounded in the moment, turn objections into opportunities, and even use these situations to boost your credibility.

In This Episode:

My story of presenting my first strategy to a board - and what I learned the hard way about handling challenging questions
Why objections trigger us (hello, imposter feelings and fear of being wrong!)
How to reframe objections as engagement—not personal attacks
4 common types of challenging questions—and how to handle each
The B.R.I.D.G.E. Framework for structured, confident responses
Language you can use in the moment, even when caught off guard
Mindset shifts to help you stay calm and in control under pressure

This is Influence & Impact for Leaders, the podcast that helps leaders like you increase your impact and build a happy and high performing team. Each episode delivers focused, actionable insights you can implement immediately, to be better at your job without working harder.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Impactful Teams Scorecard – Discover how your team measures up and how you can grow your team’s impact.
1:1 Leadership Coaching with Carla – Define your unique leadership brand and thrive outside the mould. Book a discovery call

📢 If This Resonated…

Please share this episode with a fellow leader who needs to hear it.

Leave a review to support the show or reach out to me directly — I’d love to hear what landed most for you.

Mentioned in this episode:

https://carlamiller.co.uk/newsletter/