『The Sales Japan Series』のカバーアート

The Sales Japan Series

The Sales Japan Series

著者： Dale Carnegie Japan
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The vast majority of salespeople are just pitching the features of their solutions and doing it the hard way. They are throwing mud up against the wall and hoping it will stick. Hope by the way is not much of a strategy. They do it this way because they are untrained. Even if their company won't invest in training for them, this podcast provides hundreds of episodes with information, insights and techniques all based on solid real world experience selling in Japan. Trying to work it out by yourself is possible but why take the slow and difficult route to sales success? Tap into the structure, methodologies, tips and techniques needed to be successful in sales in Japan. In addition to the podcast the best selling book Japan Sales Mastery and its Japanese translation Za Eigyo are also available as well.Copyright 2022 マネジメント マネジメント・リーダーシップ 経済学
エピソード
  • Controlling Your Public Image As a Salesperson

    Controlling Your Public Image As a Salesperson
    2026/07/21
    Once upon a time, salespeople could live several different lives. There was the polished professional who met clients during the day. Then there was the private version who could enjoy a heroic night out, behave like a complete goose and assume nobody important would ever hear about it. Those days are gone. Today, buyers can search your name before you meet. They can inspect your LinkedIn profile, read your comments, watch your videos, examine your photographs and decide whether you look credible—or dangerous—from the comfort of their office. You are already being judged. The only question is whether you are helping to shape the verdict. Why Does a Salesperson's Public Image Matter? Your public image matters because buyers are deciding whether they trust you before you have even shaken hands. In the old days, a potential client might know your company name, your job title and whatever gossip was circulating within a fairly small business circle. Your family life, weekend behaviour and questionable karaoke performances usually remained safely separated from your professional reputation. Social media blew that arrangement to pieces. Now buyers can discover professional articles, recommendations and client advice. They can also discover angry political rants, embarrassing photographs, customer complaints and evidence that you occasionally lose all adult supervision after 10:00 p.m. That online material becomes part of your sales presentation whether you intended it to or not. A strong public image creates familiarity and confidence. A careless one can kill the deal before the meeting invitation is even sent. Do now: Search your own name as though you were a suspicious buyer with a large budget and a low tolerance for nonsense. Do Buyers Really Research Salespeople Before Meeting Them? Of course they do. Buyers investigate us in exactly the same way we investigate them. Before meeting a prospect, salespeople check LinkedIn, company websites, press releases and industry news. We want to know who we are meeting, what they care about and whether there is any useful common ground. Buyers are not sitting around waiting helplessly for us to arrive. They are doing their own research. They look at our employment history, qualifications, recommendations, connections, articles and public comments. They want reassurance that we are credible. They are also hunting for red flags. I have seen candidates listen to executive interviews before attending job interviews. Potential employees research the leaders they may work for. Prospective clients consume podcasts, videos and articles before contacting a training provider or professional adviser. The first sales conversation may therefore begin long before you enter the room—and you may not even be present. Do now: Assume every prospect has already inspected your LinkedIn profile and prepare it accordingly. What Should Buyers Find When They Search for You? They should find useful proof that you know what you are talking about—not a digital graveyard or an endless stream of self-congratulation. A polished profile is helpful, but anybody can write that they are "passionate," "dynamic" and "results-driven." LinkedIn is bursting with passionate, dynamic, results-driven people. Evidence is much more persuasive. Publish original ideas. Explain a customer problem. Share a useful framework. Record a short video. Write an article. Join a podcast. Analyse a trend in your industry. You do not need six podcasts, three television shows and thousands of articles. That level of content production is clearly the behaviour of someone who needs a hobby. You do, however, need enough current, relevant material to show buyers that you understand their world. Your content should help them conclude, "This person knows something useful," rather than, "This person appears to enjoy posting motivational quotations over photographs of mountains." Do now: Select one client problem and publish one practical, original response to it this month. What Online Content Can Damage a Salesperson's Reputation? Anything that makes buyers question your judgement can damage your reputation faster than you can say, "That photograph was taken out of context." Photographs of you completely smashed at the local boozer may be hilarious to your mates. They are less amusing to a risk-conscious buyer considering a major contract. The same applies to abusive comments, offensive humour, public arguments and extreme opinions. You are entitled to have personal views, but you are not entitled to control how every client reacts to them. Politics and religion are especially effective ways to divide an audience. Unless either subject is central to your professional work, entering those battles publicly may deliver plenty of emotional excitement and absolutely no revenue. Other people make this more complicated. You can control what you upload, but you cannot completely control what your colleagues post. If everyone in ...
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    13 分
  • You Have Three Seconds For An Effective First Impression

    You Have Three Seconds For An Effective First Impression
    2026/07/14
    People form an initial impression of you remarkably quickly. Whether the precise time is three seconds, seven seconds or slightly longer, the practical lesson for salespeople, executives and client-facing professionals is the same: your first impression begins before you start explaining your credentials, company or solution. In Japan, where professionalism, preparation and attention to detail carry considerable weight, leaving that impression to chance is risky. Your appearance, facial expression, eye contact, voice and opening question all influence whether a buyer initially sees you as credible, trustworthy and worth listening to. Here is how to intentionally engineer a strong first impression when meeting a client. How quickly do clients form a first impression? Clients begin evaluating you almost immediately, often before either person has spoken. Your appearance, posture, facial expression and general composure provide the first available evidence about your professionalism. The exact number of seconds will vary according to the person, situation and research method. However, buyers do make rapid judgements when meeting a salesperson, consultant or executive for the first time. They are subconsciously asking: Does this person look prepared? Are they confident? Can I trust them? Will meeting them be a good use of my time? This matters in both Japanese and international business. A buyer in Tokyo may pay particular attention to formality, punctuality and courtesy, while a buyer in Sydney or New York may respond more strongly to energy and directness. In every market, inconsistency creates doubt. If you claim to offer precision but appear disorganised, the buyer notices the contradiction. Do now: Decide what three qualities you want the client to recognise immediately, and make sure your appearance and behaviour communicate them before the meeting begins. How should a salesperson dress for a first client meeting? Dress so that nothing about your appearance distracts the buyer from your message. Cleanliness, fit, coordination and attention to detail are more important than wearing expensive clothing. Scuffed shoes, food stains, poorly fitting clothes, untidy hair or a worn belt may seem like minor matters. Unfortunately, buyers can interpret these signals as evidence of carelessness. It is difficult to promote a high-quality solution while looking as though quality control does not apply to you. For men wearing business attire, the belt should normally coordinate with the shoes, the tie knot should sit neatly against the collar and the jacket and trousers should fit properly. Women and men should both consider whether their clothing is suitable for the client, industry and level of formality. A technology startup may accept a more relaxed style than a Japanese bank, insurance company or government organisation. The goal is not flamboyance. The goal is visual credibility. Do now: Before leaving for the meeting, check your shoes, clothing, hair, accessories, bag and business materials from the buyer's point of view. Should you smile and bow when meeting a Japanese client? Yes. A natural smile followed by an appropriate bow communicates confidence, warmth and respect before the business conversation begins. Some salespeople become so focused on being formal that their expression becomes severe. Others rush through the greeting because they are nervous or worried about what to say next. A calm smile helps remove tension and tells the client that you are pleased to meet them. In Japan, the bow remains an important part of professional etiquette. The depth and duration will depend on the situation, but a controlled, respectful bow is generally more effective than an exaggerated performance. When exchanging business cards, handle the card carefully, look at it and avoid immediately stuffing it into a pocket. International professionals should adapt without becoming artificial. Japanese buyers do not expect every visitor to behave exactly like a Japanese executive, but they do notice sincere preparation and respect for local business customs. Do now: Practise a simple sequence: make eye contact, smile naturally, greet the person clearly and bow without rushing. How much eye contact is appropriate in Japanese business? Make clear initial eye contact to establish confidence, but avoid staring continuously. In Japan, balanced eye contact is usually more comfortable and culturally appropriate than an unbroken gaze. Eye contact tells the buyer that you are present, composed and interested. At the beginning of the meeting, several seconds of direct eye contact can help establish a connection. After that, allow your gaze to move naturally rather than trying to maintain constant visual contact. Cultural expectations differ. Western sales training often emphasises strong eye contact, while Japanese communication may involve more intermittent eye contact, particularly when showing respect to someone senior. ...
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    12 分
  • When Is Too Much, Too Much In Sales

    When Is Too Much, Too Much In Sales
    2026/07/07
    Salespeople in Japan often face a delicate balancing act. Push too little and they become passive farmers who protect the client but fail to grow the business. Push too hard and they risk looking aggressive, annoying, or culturally tone-deaf. The real answer sits in the middle: become a trusted partner who helps the buyer succeed while still representing your own company's commercial interests. In Japan, professional selling is not about being timid. It is about being appropriately persistent, value-focused, and visibly committed to helping the client improve. When is sales persistence too much in Japan? Sales persistence becomes too much in Japan when the buyer feels pressured, disrespected, or treated like a target rather than a partner. The goal is not to copy an American-style hard sell; the goal is to build trust while still moving the business forward. Japanese buyers often value patience, relationship continuity, risk reduction, and internal consensus. That does not mean salespeople should collapse at the first sign of hesitation. It means they need to read the room, ask better questions, and keep the conversation focused on value. In B2B sales, professional services, training, technology, and recruitment, the best salesperson is not passive and not pushy. They are persistent with purpose. Do now: Push for clarity, not pressure. Keep advancing the conversation, but make every follow-up useful to the buyer. Why are some Japanese sales teams too passive? Many Japanese sales teams become too passive because they prioritise keeping the buyer happy over creating value for both sides. They are good farmers, but weak hunters. Clients often tell sales leaders that their teams bend over backwards for customers and behave almost as if they work for the buyer. That sounds noble, but it can damage revenue, margins, account growth, and new business development. Farming existing accounts matters, but hunting for new buyers and expanding current relationships matter too. Post-pandemic Japan has made prospecting harder, with fewer spontaneous networking opportunities and more digital gatekeeping. Passive salespeople cannot simply wait for the phone to ring. Do now: Train salespeople to protect relationships while still asking for introductions, proposing next steps, and expanding the account. Why is discounting dangerous in Japanese sales? Discounting is dangerous in Japanese sales because a low opening price often becomes the ceiling, not the floor.Once buyers secure a discount, they may expect that price as the new baseline. Weak salespeople discount because they cannot explain value. They would rather win the client at a painful price than risk losing the deal and having to find a new buyer. The problem is that Japan's B2B buyers, procurement teams, and corporate decision-makers remember concessions. A "special one-time price" may not be treated as special next time. It becomes the anchor for future negotiations. Australian, American, and European suppliers entering Japan often make this mistake by offering their "best price" too early and then spending the rest of the negotiation defending it. Do now: Sell value before price. Explain outcomes, risk reduction, implementation support, and long-term impact before discussing concessions. How should salespeople network without damaging their reputation? Salespeople should network with energy and discipline, but never with desperation, deception, or disrespect. In Japan's close business community, especially among foreign executives in Tokyo, reputation travels fast. Networking at chambers of commerce, industry associations, embassy events, trade groups, and professional gatherings can produce valuable leads. It can also produce bruising moments. Some people reject business cards, complain about follow-up emails, or accuse active networkers of being too visible. Salespeople need thick skin. Most critics are not responsible for finding new clients and may not understand how difficult prospecting really is. Still, there is a line. Integrity, relevance, and respect must guide every approach. Do now: Network consistently, but make it buyer-centred. Follow up with relevance, not spam. Be memorable for value, not volume. Should sales leaders personally prospect? Sales leaders should personally prospect because they cannot credibly demand hunting behaviour from their team if they refuse to do it themselves. Leading from the front builds trust, accountability, and standards. A sales leader who attends events, starts conversations, asks for meetings, follows up, and handles rejection demonstrates the behaviour expected from the team. This matters in Japan, where hierarchy and role modelling influence organisational behaviour. If the boss hides behind dashboards and only lectures the sales team about pipeline, credibility collapses. When the leader shows grit, the team has fewer excuses. Prospecting is hard. Rejection stings. But nothing happens until someone sells...
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    14 分
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