Overcoming Objections - How to Approach Opposition to Your Goals
You have a career goal, dream, or decision.
You either discovered this goal when you were a kid or later in life after a meaningful experience.
But you know one thing for sure: In your heart, mind, and body, you feel that this goal is meant for you.
But it can be difficult to share this dream with those around you, right?
Especially if you have held onto this goal like your deepest, darkest secret.
One reason why it is scary is because of the objections those people bring up.
What is an objection?
An objection is a statement that points out a reason why a solution or idea might not work.
Objections can come in the form of a blunt statement, like:
“That’s too complicated.”
“No, that won’t work because of X, Y, and Z.”
“I don’t understand how you will accomplish this goal.”
Other times, an objection can come up in the form of a question.
These objections are more polite, but they are still objections nonetheless:
“Have you thought of something more stable, safe, etc.?”
“But what is wrong with your current situation?”
“Why do that when there are easier ways to be successful?”
And when you hear these, all you want to say back is:
BUT THIS IS MY DREAM!!!
Trust me, I feel you!
When I was first starting my coaching journey, while I got a lot of support & encouragement, I definitely received my share of objections.
And every time I got an objection-in-the-form-of-a-question, all I wanted to do was pretend I didn’t hear it and just get going on making my dreams a reality.
Well, the beauty about objections is that there is a ton of value you can get from how you address them.
So in this article, I outline 5 ways that you can think about objections to not just address them, but to even get excited about them!
1. Objections can reflect other people’s fears
The first thought I have on objections is that sometimes, the objection is not even about you - it is about the objector.
For example, let’s look at the objection: “Why don’t you pursue something more stable?”
This can reveal a couple of different things about the person objecting.
It can say that they:
(1) value stability,
(2) think that you are looking for stability,
(3) and, of course, assume that what you are pursuing is not stable,
among other things.
These thoughts can ultimately lead to their underlying assumptions that a job should be a stable source of income AND that your dream does not fit that requirement.
This is just an example that some objections are reflections of what other people think a successful job, career, or life should look like.
That might be your idea of success too.
But if it is not, then don’t let the objection shake you. Set that boundary for yourself to let those objections go in one ear and out the other.
If you are up for it, it could also lead to an interesting conversation with the objector about what success looks like for each of you.
But that is up to you!
2. Objections are just roadblocks that you have already addressed yourself
Yes, you do have goals and dreams.
But even the most appealing dream will have its roadblocks.
When you decided that your dream was worth pursuing, you wrestled with your own personal objections.
So when others bring their objections to you, know that a subset of those objections are ones that you have already thought about yourself.
To ease their concern, you can share with them how you have addressed these objections, whether it was in theory, in practice, or by learning from role models.
3. Objections are obstacles that may come up in your journey, but you have not thought about yet
No matter how insensitively phrased, people who are bringing up objections are looking at the path between where you are today and your dream, and voicing concerns about what they see in front of you.
Yes, you have thought of a few already, but there is no way you can imagine every possible obstacle that may come your way.
And while you will not encounter every conceivable obstacle, you will surely hit a good handful.
This is where objections come in!
Someone else with a different perspective or life experience can bring up an obstacle that they foresee in the form of an objection.
These objections may sound like:
“What will you do if your supervisor does not approve?”
“How will you start getting experience in an industry you have no experience in yet?”
“What will you do if you run out of money or leads?”
You may not have a way to address the objection right there and then, but these objections will give you time to think through how you would overcome that obstacle before it happens.
But, just because you do not have a solution right away does not mean that your dreams are no longer valid.
It is all just part of the journey.
This leads to the next section….
4. Objections are an opportunity for you to tweak your vision
When you are so set on a specific dream, it can be easy to get tunnel vision and not see anything else as valid.
The problem is that there are so many opportunities to edit your initial idea into something that is more sophisticated, interesting, and unique.
For example:
Entrepreneurship is a popular dream, even cliche.
But to become a proper entrepreneur, you need to have a clear mission, at least one offer, an audience who is willing to buy, and stakeholders who believe in the goal.
In this case, receiving objections is like getting constructive feedback on your venture.
And this is the case for any goal, dream, or decision.
The honest truth is that you will not fulfill your dreams in the exact way you have imagined (we have already talked all about roadblocks and obstacles!).
As long as you have your eye on the prize, you can use any input, whether it comes in the form of an objection or not, to develop a more solid roadmap of where you are going.
5. Objections are not meant to be personal
Every now and then you will get objections like:
“How will you be able to make that happen?”
“Don’t you need such-and-such degree or years of experience?”
Usually, these objections are not accusatory.
They either mean the general “you,” as in, “someone.”
(For example: “How do you make a website?” or “How do you bake snickerdoodles?”)
Or they are asking about your qualifications, skills, or general thoughts on the matter.
If the objection does sound personal, then the question is: Is that objection based on fact or feeling?
If the objection is based on the fact that you do not have a skill that you need to achieve your dream, well, maybe it is time to invest in yourself.
For example, you probably need to know some French if you are going to transfer to your company’s office in Paris to live out your dream of living in France.
But, if the objection is based more on feeling, then it is less about you accomplishing your goal and more about how that person feels about you personally.
So what do you do about that?
Surround yourself with people who do believe in you!
Entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said that, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
If even one of those five people are making personal objections to your career goals, that can impact your own belief in yourself.
So take some time to assess who you are surrounding yourself with, and if they are lifting you up, or tearing you down.
At the end of the day, I believe that anyone can be successful with any goal, dream, or decision.
And with hard work, it is all possible!
Yes, along the way you will get objections.
The good news is that it is up to you how you use those objections to move forward instead of letting them hold you back.
How have you approached objections in the past? Let me know in the comments below.
