Episode #177: Selling To Clients In These Covid-19 Times

Why might COVID-19 actually create sales opportunities instead of only risk?

COVID-19 has disrupted traditional face-to-face selling, but it also removes many of the habits that hurt sales performance. When in-person meetings drop, salespeople are forced to communicate more clearly and purposefully through phone and video calls. This “reset” can improve how we qualify needs, ask questions, and provide value.

In Japan, remote work is still new for many organizations (日本企業 Japanese companies). Many buyers now have fewer internal meetings, more unstructured time, and less workplace interruption, making them easier to reach and more open to conversation.

Mini-summary: COVID-19 reduces inefficient in-person sales routines and makes buyers in Japan more reachable through remote channels.

One of the biggest barriers in Japanese B2B sales is reaching the true decision-maker. Under normal conditions, calls are screened by gatekeepers—often efficient administrators who block cold outreach.

With more people working from home, that barrier weakens. The decision-maker may now be answering their own phone from home, or at least be far less protected by the usual office “defenses.” This creates a rare window to establish direct contact, learn who makes the choices, and start a real business conversation.

Mini-summary: Work-from-home lowers gatekeeper barriers, increasing your odds of reaching decision-makers directly.

Why can cold calling make a comeback right now?

Cold calling becomes more effective when:

• buyers are available,

• gatekeepers are missing or distracted,

• and salespeople offer something relevant to current pain.

COVID-19 creates all three conditions. Companies you’ve struggled to break into may now be accessible. The “drawbridge is lowered,” so to speak, and the right outreach can finally get through.

Mini-summary: COVID-19 reshapes buyer availability, making cold calls more likely to connect and convert when done well.

A cold call without value is easy to dismiss. During uncertain times, you need to lead with a concrete offer that helps the buyer now. Examples include:

• online industry training for their team

• joint promotions or co-marketing

• limited free services or assessments

• practical resources that reduce stress or improve productivity

Because you may be calling the company’s main number without the decision-maker’s direct line—or even their name—the first person who answers needs a strong reason to transfer you or share your contact.

Mini-summary: Lead with a relevant, practical offer so gatekeepers feel justified connecting you to the buyer.

What if the decision-maker can’t act immediately?

Even if the buyer is frozen in the short term, a successful call still achieves something critical: contact. At minimum, you may secure:

• the decision-maker’s name

• their email

• a mobile number

• agreement to a follow-up or a small pilot activity

That’s a win. The goal is to build a channel for future engagement while trust is forming.

Mini-summary: Immediate deals may pause, but direct contact and permission to follow up are valuable long-term wins.

How should you approach existing customers during COVID-19?

Existing clients face a new productivity risk: many teams aren’t yet skilled at working from home. Offering live online product training (or skill training) helps them:

• use time at home constructively

• strengthen capability for post-COVID execution

• feel supported rather than abandoned

This is also a loyalty play: if you don’t help them now, your competitors will.

Mini-summary: For current clients, training is both a productivity solution and a customer-retention advantage.

Even in disruption, many firms remain product buyers. Use this period to:

1. Ask strong diagnostic questions first.

2. Uncover what they need now and after COVID-19.

3. Present solutions only after needs are clear.

Don’t dump an online catalogue on them. That behavior was ineffective face-to-face and is even worse online. Smart questioning reduces overwhelm and positions you as a consultative partner.

Also, future-focused questions help buyers shift out of anxiety and into planning. Remote work can feel isolating, so a thoughtful conversation may be welcomed more than you expect.

Mini-summary: Lead with questions, not a catalogue—consultative remote selling works better now and builds future demand.

What free support is Dale Carnegie Tokyo offering right now?

To support clients and the wider community, Dale Carnegie Tokyo is offering Free Live Online Stress Management Sessions on these dates:

• March 19 — English

• March 24 — Japanese

• April 16 — Japanese

• April 17 — English

These sessions are available as:

• public online programs (free to all attendees)

• in-house live online programs for both existing and prospective clients

Registration is available through our website on the dedicated page provided in the original notice.

Mini-summary: We’re providing free public and in-house Live Online Stress Management sessions to help organizations stay resilient through COVID-19.

• COVID-19 can improve selling by forcing clearer, more disciplined remote communication.

• Remote work in Japan reduces gatekeeper barriers and increases decision-maker access.

• Cold calling is more powerful now—if you lead with relevant, real value.

• Offering online training and stress-management support strengthens relationships and future sales.

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.