We’ve all been there. The speaker comes with a rockstar résumé, the room is full, the topic is compelling… and then their voice kicks in. Flat. Unchanging. Monotonous. A verbal drone that sounds like your refrigerator humming in the background. That’s the awesome power of the monotone—and not in a good way. It is the fastest way to suck the life out of a talk and guarantee that people leave remembering absolutely nothing.

In Japan, a monotone speaking style is common, shaped by the language’s natural cadence. That’s culturally understandable. But for foreign speakers? There is no excuse. When we deliver in a flat tone, we’re not neutral—we’re forgettable. Monotone speakers commit three deadly sins: no variation, no pauses, and no emphasis. This is what creates that soul-destroying experience we’ve all suffered through.

Let’s talk about variety. Audiences need vocal shifts to stay engaged. Faster, slower, louder, softer—modulation keeps us listening. Without it, the brain zones out. Then there’s the pause. The pause is your friend. It gives the audience time to catch up, process, digest and stay with you. Speakers who never stop talking bury every point under a growing mountain of incoming noise. Lastly, emphasis. Every word shouldn’t be equal. Key words must be highlighted with vocal punch so we guide the audience to what matters.

We’re not asking for Broadway-level theatrics here. But we are demanding that speakers become more self-aware. Record yourself. Listen back. Are you droning? Are you modulating? Are you interesting? If not, grab a mic and start fixing it.

This is not optional. In today’s attention-starved world, poor delivery kills your credibility—even when your content is absolute glittering gold. We don’t want to be bored. We want energy, rhythm, dynamics.

So let’s fix the delivery. Let’s use tone, pause, and vocal emphasis to keep people awake, engaged, and interested in what we have to say. Let’s make sure no one ever feels like they need a pillow the next time we’re behind a podium.

In sales, there are two players: the buyer and the seller. While the seller is eager to promote their product, the buyer’s primary concern is risk. This risk aversion is central to sales in Japan. Here, the buyer’s trust in a new salesperson is minimal, maybe even minus, as the culture values stability and continuity over bold risk-taking. In Japan, failure is not forgiven—it’s permanent. Once you lose face, you’re done. This creates in buyers a powerful aversion to new, untested suppliers.

As salespeople, we face this challenge daily. When we approach a buyer, we start at a disadvantage because we are untested. So, how can we overcome this? The key is to build trust, and we can do this slowly and strategically. Begin by offering referrals, starting with small demonstrations, and building a track record. You must show the buyer that you are a credible and safe choice. Offering small samples, trial periods, or limited orders reduces the perceived risk.

On the seller’s side, the mental game is about toughness, grit, stickability and confidence. However, in Japan, most salespeople are often reluctant to approach new clients, fearing rejection and the loss of face. Asking for the order is a tricky proposition—getting a “no” means the seller loses face. This hesitation to take the risk of rejection creates a culture of stagnation, where most salespeople are strong with existing customers, farming, but struggle with finding new ones, hunting.

The challenge in Japan is the clash of mental games—buyers are sceptical and risk-averse, while sellers are timid, fearing rejection and social consequences. To break this cycle, salespeople must receive the right training. They need to gain the confidence to push through the fear, ask the tough questions, and build relationships with new clients. This process involves giving permission to ask questions, offering trial offers, and understanding that a “no” is not a personal rejection, but a response to the current offer in this format, in this business cycle, considering this budgetary timing, the present market and the buyer’s situation.

By empowering Japanese salespeople to harden up, to overcome these mental barriers and training them in effective, low-risk selling strategies, we can open the door to much greater success and business growth.