Episode #172: Expectations Of Newly Hired Salespeople

Why do new sales hires in Japan take longer to produce results?

New salespeople—especially those who are new to sales or new to your company—almost always need a ramp-up period before they deliver consistent revenue. Many sales leaders still expect immediate results, but that’s only realistic when the hire already knows the industry, product/service area, and has an existing client base.

In Japan today, however, hiring sales talent is unusually difficult. Companies often compromise on profiles because qualified candidates are scarce. On top of that, recruitment fees commonly reach about 40% of a new hire’s first-year base salary, raising the pressure for quick performance. The result is a painful imbalance: costs surge immediately, while revenue arrives slowly. This pressure is even heavier when hiring English-speaking sales professionals, whose base salaries—and therefore hiring costs—tend to be higher.

Mini-summary: In Japan’s tight talent market, ramp-up delays are normal, but cost pressure makes them feel unacceptable unless expectations are reset.

A common failure pattern is giving newcomers only superficial training. Many firms assume, “They already know how to sell—so just teach product knowledge.” Then they add a handful of client visits alongside a sales manager as informal coaching.

This approach creates multiple problems:

• It assumes skill that often isn’t there.

• It teaches “how we do it here” without explaining why it works.

• It forces the new hire to learn through trial-and-error, wasting time and confidence.

Mini-summary: Relying on minimal product training and quick shadowing sets new hires up for slow growth and shaky performance.

Very few Japanese salespeople have ever been formally trained in selling. Many join companies, receive a tiny amount of OJT (On The Job Training), and are expected to figure the rest out alone. That’s usually the talent pool you’re hiring from.

Sending new hires to structured sales training accelerates performance dramatically. They learn:

• How to gain permission to ask deeper questions

• How to design high-value qualifying questions

• How to recommend solutions effectively

• How to handle objections confidently

• How to close with clarity and professionalism

Because most Japanese salespeople don’t ask qualifying questions at all, a trained newcomer quickly becomes exceptional. Instead of pitching randomly from catalogs or flyers, they focus on the client’s real needs and use meeting time efficiently.

Mini-summary: Formal sales training turns average hires into high-precision sellers, especially in Japan where qualification skills are rare.

How should leaders set realistic first-year targets?

First-year targets are often fantasy numbers. A sales leader guesses a quota, then pushes the new person to hit it—regardless of whether it’s achievable. This discourages the hire and increases early turnover risk.

A more scientific approach is to track actual ramp-up performance by cohort. For example:

• List all salespeople by start date.

• Track quarterly revenue performance from day one onward.

• Calculate average output quarter-by-quarter.

• Translate those averages into realistic year-one, year-two benchmarks.

This lets leaders set targets based on evidence rather than hope.

Mini-summary: Data-based ramp-up benchmarks replace quota guesswork and protect new hires from impossible early-stage pressure.

The “recruit” challenge in Japan is only half the battle. The other half is “retain.” If leaders overload new hires with unrealistic targets and pressure early, salespeople often conclude they can’t succeed—and quit.

When that happens, the company loses:

• Recruitment investment

• Training costs

• Early product knowledge growth

• Emerging client relationships

• Market credibility (instability worries buyers)

Supportive onboarding, realistic expectations, proper training, and positive encouragement prevent this. It ensures the valuable “package” you hired doesn’t walk out the door just as it begins to mature.

Mini-summary: Smart onboarding reduces early turnover and protects your investment, reputation, and future revenue pipeline.

• New sales hires need a natural ramp-up period—especially in Japan’s tight talent market.

• Superficial onboarding fails because many hires lack formal selling skills.

• Structured sales training creates immediate competitive advantage through better qualification.

• Evidence-based first-year targets improve performance and retention.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.