Sales Reframed | The CALM Framework: How To Handle Objections And Win Commitment

When deals fall apart at the last minute, it’s rarely because the value isn’t there.
More often, it happens the moment someone pushes back.

A hard question.
A skeptical look.
A quiet “I’m not sure”

In this episode of Sales Reframed, Eric Janssen shares a story from a pitch day: a student with a genuinely promising idea (an at-home test kit to help determine Lyme disease risk) gets pressed by one of the panelists in the room. 

The questions come fast.
The pressure rises.
And she shuts down.

Only after an awkward silence does the truth come out.

The panelist wasn’t trying to tear her down—he was seriously considering investing.

She mistook hard questions for rejection. And that misunderstanding is one of the most common reasons promising conversations stall before the finish line.

Why this matters:

Objections show up everywhere. In investor pitches, enterprise deals, retail partnerships, hiring conversations – any moment where commitment is on the line.

Objections often aren’t the moment a deal dies. They’re opportunities to reframe, negotiate, and collaboratively move toward real commitment. In many cases, they’re the moment the conversation actually gets interesting.

This episode introduces the CALM framework (Catch, Acknowledge, Loop, and Move forward), a simple, practical way to handle objections without losing trust, momentum, or the deal. With real-world insight from Mid-Day Squares co-founder Jake Karls and Ivey Business School Associate Professor, Fernando Olivera, the episode reframes closing and commitment not as a battle to win, but as a collaborative process to earn commitment that lasts.

Reframe Takeaway: 

After listening, you’ll understand that objections aren’t rejection. They’re information. When sellers stay calm, get curious, and respond collaboratively instead of defensively, objections become a pathway to clarity and commitment. Using the CALM framework helps you slow the moment down, understand, and move forward in a way that earns trust and leads to mutually beneficial agreements people actually want to follow through on.

Episode Guests:

• Jake Karls: Co-Founder and Chief Rainmaker at Mid-Day Squares.

• Fernando Olivera: Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the Ivey Business School; Faculty Director of Ivey’s EMBA and AMBA programs.

Top Episode Learnings:

1. Objections Often Signal Engagement
   When someone pushes back, it’s often a sign they’re engaged and thinking seriously about the decision. The real danger isn’t objection. It’s apathy. Learning to recognize this distinction helps sellers stay composed and see objections as valuable insight rather than rejection.
   
   

2. The CALM Framework Creates Clarity Under Pressure
   High-stakes conversations often trigger instinctive responses. The CALM framework provides a simple structure for slowing the moment down, making sense of objections, and responding in a way that preserves trust and moves the conversation forward productively.
   
   

3. Commitment Comes from Collaboration
   Closing isn’t about winning an argument or finding the ‘right’ words. It’s about building an agreement that each side wants to follow through on. When objections are handled collaboratively, they lead to clearer expectations, stronger relationships, and commitments that actually stick.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Case Example: Mid-Day Squares’ multi-year effort to secure retail distribution with Costco Canada.
  
  

• Handling of Prospective Customers’ Objections by Salespeople: A Double-Edged Sword? Article by Bruno Luissier, Haythem Guizani, and Jean Ouellet, Conference: National Conference in Sales Management (2015).
  
  

Foundations of Collaborative Negotiation and Commitment Formation
Insights drawn from Fernando Olivera’s research and teaching in organizational behaviour, negotiation strategy, and leadership at the Ivey Business School.

About Sales Reframed

Sales Reframed is a podcast that redefines sales as the ultimate life skill. Blending research, storytelling, and strategy, it explores how influence, resilience, and purpose drive success in every field. 

Developed by award-winning professor and entrepreneur Eric Janssen, and in partnership with Ivey Executive Education, the show makes sales human, practical, and accessible to everyone.