Episode #182: Managing Client Expectations In Lockdown

Why is selling from home harder for sales teams today?

Working from home (リモートワーク rimōto wāku / remote work) has made selling feel less human and more uncertain. Sales is naturally a “human-to-human, face-to-face” craft, and the shift to screen-based communication reduces connection, trust, and speed of understanding. Yet commerce must continue because, as the old truth says, “nothing happens until there is a sale.”

Mini-summary: Remote selling is harder because it weakens human connection, but sales remains essential to keeping business moving.

In normal times, sales teams sometimes overcommit delivery capacity: discounts appear too quickly, unrealistic timelines are promised, and service corners get shaved. The difference now is that supply chains are fragile and internal resources are stretched. The organization may no longer be able to rescue promises that should not have been made in the first place.

Mini-summary: Overpromising is always risky, but now it can break deals and damage credibility because delivery systems are less flexible.

How do coordination gaps between sales and back office teams damage trust?

With many employees at home or offices running on skeleton staffing, coordination slows down. Problems that once got fixed quickly now take longer and require more careful cross-team communication. Salespeople sometimes undervalue cost-center colleagues, but back office teams (バックオフィス bakku ofisu / back office) often perform “miracles” to fulfill client expectations. In many industries, logistics and operations are not optional — they are vital to keeping client promises real.

Mini-summary: Remote work exposes how essential back-office and logistics teams are to fulfilling sales promises.

When revenue dries up, it’s tempting to accept any deal, make any commitment, and chase short-term commissions. But trading reputation for one deal is a slippery slope. Clients will remember how they were treated when the crisis ends, and they will judge salespeople by the same standards of reliability they always have — not by “lockdown excuses.”

Mini-summary: Short-term desperation can create long-term reputation loss that outlasts the crisis.

Even face-to-face, understanding a new client’s true needs is tricky. On screen, it becomes harder still: audio is imperfect, video is limited, and gallery views shrink expressions into tiny squares. When you’re presenting, you may miss subtle signals from decision-makers, especially when multiple stakeholders are involved.

Mini-summary: Virtual calls reduce your ability to read client signals, so misalignment becomes more likely.

You may think you fully “got” the client’s needs and rush to craft a proposal. Then they respond negatively because they involved internal stakeholders you never met, and those hidden voices reshape priorities. What feels like a clear agreement to you may not match their internal consensus.

Mini-summary: Proposals fail when unseen stakeholders and internal consensus shift the client’s real expectations.

How should you respond when a new client rejects your proposal?

First, find out why — and expect a surprising gap between your understanding and theirs. Keep calm and don’t take rejection personally. They are rejecting the offer, not you. Some feedback may feel harsh, but professionalism means staying focused on facts, not ego (自尊心 jisonshin / ego or self-esteem).

Mini-summary: Treat rejection as data, not a personal attack, and calmly investigate the true objections.

Why is “no” rarely the final answer in sales?

In sales, “no” usually means “no to this version, right now.” It may be shaped by budget timing, internal politics, scope, or structure. Your job is to explore the differences openly and reshape the offer until the client can say “yes.”

Mini-summary: “No” is often a temporary or conditional response — your task is to uncover what must change.

Selling under the Covid-19 cloud is exhausting and slow. But reputations are permanent, and one bad deal can undo years of trust. Commit to integrity, align carefully with delivery teams, and keep emotional control under pressure. This crisis will pass, and clients will remember who stayed reliable.

Mini-summary: Long-term reputation matters more than short-term wins — disciplined selling protects future business.

• Remote selling (リモートセールス rimōto sērusu / remote sales) requires extra care in reading needs, managing expectations, and verifying alignment.

• Overpromising is more dangerous now because supply chains and back-office capacity are fragile.

• Protecting your professional reputation is a strategic asset that outlives any single deal.

• “No” is negotiable when you stay calm, ask why, and redesign value together.

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 (日本企業 nihon kigyō / Japanese companies) and multinational (外資系企業 gaishikei kigyō / foreign-affiliated companies) corporate clients ever since.