There are some things I do that are automatic now. My experience means that they’re intrinsic to me and don’t notice them. One example is overcoming objections. I often hear from people asking how to manage the perceived conflicts that come from trying new approaches in learning.

One process I’ve used for years is AQBC. It’s a derivative of a sales technique and works just as well when confronting challenges.

A is for Acknowledgment. This is vital – acknowledging the person has a genuine concern about the approach, platform, offer, content, etc is essential. It’s not just a glib ‘I get that’, but a full throated acceptance of someone’s valid concerns.

Q is for Question. When you’ve acknowledged the specific concern that has been raised, ask why it’s so important to the individual and what they’d expect. This is not a space to ask a leading question presenting your solution or proposal. It’s to fundamentally find out why they have concern.

B is for Benefit. Explain the business (not training or learning) benefit in approaching it this way. Explain the specifics of what they’ll get from doing it your way. Don’t oversell, don’t list features, don’t blind them with science. They may likely have further challenges – follow the AQB cycle until their challenges are met.

C is for Close. Close the conversation with a commitment. That means asking ‘are we OK to start on the 15th’, or ‘when will you inform the teams we’re doing this’, etc. It’s an assumptive close that shouldn’t be attempted until you’ve covered all the concerns and objections they have.

It’s very important you don’t miss any steps out. If you do you’ll encounter bigger problems than the initial objection.