Episode 188

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Published on:

11th Aug 2025

Ep 188 - Handling Objections & Difficult Questions

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. 

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About the Podcast

Influence & Impact for Leaders
with Carla Miller
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.

Ready to be more impactful? Let’s get started!

Find out more at: https://www.carlamiller.co.uk

About your host

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Carla Miller

Carla Miller has 16 years of leadership coaching experience, a background in CEO roles in the charity and commercial sector and is an established expert in women’s leadership. She is the creator of the Influence & Impact program which has helped hundreds of women from companies including GSK, BT, Google, Channel 4, Muller and Deloitte to become influential leaders and secure promotions to senior leadership and C suite roles. She is the host of the global top 2% Influence & Impact podcast and has over 220,000 downloads. Her book ‘Closing the Influence Gap: A practical guide for women leaders who want to be heard’ is an Amazon bestseller for leadership and was named by Management Today as one of the books every leader should read in 2022.