Handle Stakeholders Who Disagree on the Technology Problem
Use disagreement to discover the facts before the group settles on a shared narrative.
The buyer moment
Operations sees a workflow problem, while IT says the current system is adequate.
When operations and IT describe the problem differently, summarize both views before proposing a product. Operations may experience manual work while IT sees a system meeting its technical requirements. Ask the group to choose one workflow observation or data review that both sides consider fair. The result can show whether the issue is capability, adoption, handoff design, or a different priority. Neutral facilitation keeps the seller from becoming an advocate for one department and helps the group create shared evidence for its decision.
A useful way to open
“I am hearing two valid views. Can we separate the system’s capability from the daily experience people are having?”
Move the decision forward
Disagreement often means different roles see different evidence. The seller should make both views visible and ask what decision the group actually needs to make.
Coach reps to summarize neutrally, avoid picking a side, and propose a shared step to find the facts.
Practice before the next call
Roleplay an operations leader and IT leader who contradict each other. The rep must reflect both positions before asking a next question.
Next step
Agree on one workflow observation or data review that both groups accept as a fair test.
Practice these next
Create an escalation path when a pilot has activity but no person accountable for a decision.
Use comparison requests to uncover the decision criteria behind the checklist.
Expand stakeholder access while keeping the champion informed and helpful.
Reframe the conversation around the new leader’s priorities without erasing prior work.
Keep a roadmap conversation useful while respecting what is approved and committed.
Help a buyer organize its own evidence with documented sources and assumptions.