140. Best of: How to Handle a Skeptical Audience | Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Preparing to speak in front of a skeptical audience is more than thinking about objections beforehand – there are specific techniques you can use to respond to these challenging situations without sounding defensive, evasive, or dismissive. Here, we offer a few key tips for how to handle skepticism with aplomb.

In this podcast, host Matt Abrahams and Stanford GSB lecturer Burt Alper share how to prepare for these challenges from your audience and discuss the importance of tactics like acknowledging audience input, reframing responses, and how to remain cool, collected, and credible.

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(00:00:00) Introduction

Host Matt Abrahams introduces the episode and guest Burt Alper, a fellow strategic communication lecturer at Stanford GSB

(00:00:55) Handling Direct Objections

Confronting direct objections during presentations, particularly in professional settings like executive meetings or at the GSB.

(00:02:37) Preparation for Objections

The importance of preparation when anticipating objections and strategies for foreseeing potential pushbacks.

(00:03:50) Emotional vs. Logical Objections

Distinctions between emotional and logical objections and how these types of objections manifest in conversations.

(00:06:09) The Power of Reframing

The technique of reframing in objection handling and altering the context of a conversation to address concerns without conceding.

(00:08:17) The Role of Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing as a critical skill for clarifying and addressing objections, with the benefits of accurately restating concerns to ensure mutual understanding.

(00:12:11) The Final Three Questions

Burt Alper shares the best communication advice he’s received, a communicator he admires, and his ingredients for successful communication.

(00:14:55) Conclusion

[amieezhong]

Lots of great insights there. If I know I am going to a difficult conversation, preparation can go a long way. But if I was confronted with an objection all of a sudden, to train myself to be more open to criticism is a very important first step.

[mintaowei]

Really thoughtful and inspirational insights! I like one of the ingredients "personality" - sounds like something I have been missing for a long time