Win Over a Resistant Stakeholder: Buy-In Script

Someone with a say is digging their heels in. This builds a guide for that one-to-one: it works through their stated objections, the concerns they're not saying out loud, and how to open so they don't feel cornered. The aim is honest, not slippery, getting them from blocking you to at least not.

I need to get buy-in from {STAKEHOLDER_NAME}, a {STAKEHOLDER_ROLE} who is resistant to {PROPOSAL}. Their stated objections are: {STATED_OBJECTIONS}. I suspect their underlying concerns may be: {SUSPECTED_CONCERNS}. My goal is {DESIRED_OUTCOME} by {DEADLINE}.

Draft a structured conversation guide I can use in a 1-to-1 meeting to move them from resistant to at least neutral or supportive. The guide should: open with genuine curiosity about their perspective, use reflective listening to surface unstated concerns, reframe the proposal in terms of their priorities, offer a low-risk way for them to say yes (e.g., a pilot, a review checkpoint), and close with a clear ask. Include specific example phrases I can adapt.