Episode #438: Justin Zappulla

According to Justin Zappulla, 90% of objections fall into three categories:

1. The customer doesn’t see the value in what you’re proposing as it relates to the price you’re charging.
2. They don’t think you can help (or they don’t trust that you can) and believe there’s a better alternative.
3. They don’t have a need for your product or service (maybe you haven’t quantified their pain point and identified their need to establish urgency).

Most objections come up because salespeople don’t handle the sales process properly. Justin believes that the better you handle the process, the fewer objections you’ll get. But you have to qualify opportunities correctly. Learn more in this episode of Sales Reinvented. 

Outline of This Episode

• [0:54] Common types of objections salespeople face
• [3:33] The biggest mistakes salespeople make
• [5:46] Justin’s process to respond to objections 
• [8:18] The role of empathy in handling objections
• [10:24] How to handle objections with confidence
• [12:43] Justin’s top objection-handling dos and don’ts
• [16:23] Don’t address the wrong objection

The biggest mistakes salespeople make

You can’t answer an objection before fully understanding it, yes salespeople continue to do it. Why is this problematic?

• You probably don’t understand the real concern; the language they’ve used may not indicate the true concern that lies beneath. 
• If you handle objections immediately, it increases the defensiveness of the customer and lowers their trust in you. 

You have to keep the conversation moving forward. You have to change your mindset about objections. It’s not about convincing the customer to buy—it’s about finding out why they’re not. After you understand the concern, you can address it and tailor a solution to the customer’s needs. 

The role of empathy in objection-handling

Empathy ensures that the prospect feels heard and that you’re not steering them. Empathy shows them that you’re on their side. It lowers their defensiveness and gets them to open up. Empathy doesn’t equal agreement. It shows that you can understand their point of view. 

If someone says your price is too high, you can say “I understand that price is an important factor in the purchasing decision.” You’re not agreeing that your price is high but are empathizing with them. 

Justin’s top objection-handling dos and don’ts

Justin drops some great dos and don’ts: 

• Demonstrate empathy: This is the gate to handling objections properly.
• Understand the objection: Ask questions to fully understand the objection before you address the concern.
• Listen carefully: Tune in to precisely what the customer is saying. The words they use matter. Pick up on the nuance to understand what’s driving the objection.
• Don’t rush: This isn’t about meeting your quota. Take your time to build trust and keep the dialogue going. 
• Don’t get combative: You just don’t understand why the customer doesn’t see it your way and if you could “just explain it” the customer would understand. That’s not how this works. Stay neutral. 
• Don’t avoid objections: Don’t avoid objections and move on to something else, hoping that they address the objection and that it won’t come back up again. You can’t sweep them under the rug.

Remember, the hardest customers to sell are the ones who won’t tell you anything. If they aren’t opening up about the internal workings and decision-making process, it makes them incredibly hard to navigate. 

Don’t address the wrong objection

Early in Justin’s career, he was handling an objection about timing. He put so much work into figuring out how to move the timing up. He finally figured out how to make it happen. He brought his manager on the call with them and was confident about the deal.

But when he got on the call, the customer pushed back on everything he was offering. Justin’s manager stepped in and started asking questions, listening, and having a dialogue. They learned that the objection wasn’t actually about timing. It had to do with the implementation plan. 

Once they learned what the objection was actually about, they realigned the plan to the customer’s needs and resources. It wasn’t a hard thing to overcome and the customer moved forward.

Resources & People Mentioned

• Critical Selling: How Top Performers Accelerate the Sales Process and Close More Deals

Connect with Justin Zappula

• Connect on LinkedIn
• Follow on Twitter

Connect With Paul Watts

• LinkedIn
• Twitter

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Learn More About Justin Zappulla

What was a pivotal moment or experience in your career that fundamentally changed the way you handle objections, and how did it shift your approach?

A pivotal moment in my career occurred early on when I faced a significant objection from a key prospect. I initially believed the issue was related to timing, so I invested countless hours coordinating with project resources, negotiating timelines, and finding efficiencies to speed up the process. I was excited, confident that I had solved the problem. However, when I presented my solution on the call, I was met with unexpected resistance.

It wasn’t until my manager stepped in, asked the right questions, and truly listened that we uncovered the real objection—it had nothing to do with timing. The core concern was actually about implementation. Once we addressed that, the client agreed, and the deal moved forward.

 This experience taught me a critical lesson: always identify the true objection before attempting to resolve it. It’s a principle I’ve carried with me ever since.

Can you share a specific technique or framework you’ve used to successfully overcome a tough objection? Please provide a brief example or case study where it worked effectively.

When handling objections, I use a 4-step framework: Empathy, Understand, Address, and Confirm.

The first two steps—Empathy and Understand—are crucial because they don’t directly tackle the objection but instead focus on reducing the customer’s defensiveness, building trust and getting prepared. These steps allow you to fully grasp the root of the objection. In my experience, these are the keys to successfully navigating objections. Once you truly understand the customer’s concerns, you’re in the best position to address the objection and then confirm that it has been fully resolved.

For example, in reference to the case I mentioned earlier, when the customer first objected, we initially thought the issue was timing. However, through active listening and asking the right questions, we discovered the real concern was about implementation. That shift in understanding was pivotal. Once we identified the true objection, we had a great solution for adjusting the implementation, which allowed us to move the deal forward.

This approach highlights how understanding the true objection puts you in a much stronger position to address it effectively.

Objections can sometimes feel like dead ends in conversations. Can you share a particularly challenging objection you faced and the steps you took to turn it into a win?

Objections can indeed feel like dead ends, and it can be incredibly frustrating when you feel like you’re making no progress. However, I’ve learned that by adjusting your approach, you can turn even the toughest objections into opportunities.

A great example is the situation I mentioned earlier, where the objection initially appeared to be about timing but was later revealed to be an implementation concern. Instead of offering endless solutions to what I thought was the issue, I took the time to ask deeper questions and listen carefully to the customer’s real concerns. Had I kept pushing solutions for the timing problem, the deal would never have moved forward. But by uncovering the true issue and addressing it properly, we turned a challenging objection into a successful outcome.

The most important lesson I took from that experience is this: take the time to truly understand the objection before attempting to address it.

 What are the top three tools, resources, or training programs you recommend for sales professionals who want to improve their objection-handling skills?

 For sales professionals looking to improve their objection-handling skills, I suggest starting with our Sales Performance Insights Resource Center. It’s a free resource center offering a wealth of sales performance content, including articles, white papers, research reports, tools, and case studies. The insights provided are designed to help sellers tackle challenges like handling objections and much more! You can check everything out online at https://www.janek.com/insights/ 

Additionally, I highly recommend our Critical Selling® Skills sales training program. This course teaches not only how to overcome objections but also a wide range of modern sales skills. You can find more details and sign up for a workshop at https://www.janek.com/attend-a-workshop/

With evolving buyer behaviors and advancements in AI and technology, how do you see objection handling changing in the coming years, and what advice would you give to salespeople to stay ahead?

I believe AI will significantly impact how sellers handle objections in the coming years, especially in two key areas. First, AI will enhance preparation. By analyzing buyer data and signals, AI will help salespeople anticipate potential objections, allowing them to better prepare for conversations ahead of time.

Second, AI will play a major role in training and practice. Sellers will be able to interact with AI in simulated, real-world scenarios, practicing objection handling in a dynamic, controlled environment. This type of training will help build the necessary “muscle memory” and confidence to handle objections effectively in live situations.

To stay ahead, I advise salespeople to embrace these advancements, continuously refine their skills, and leverage AI tools as part of their preparation and training routines. Developing both the human touch and the ability to utilize technology will be crucial for future success.