Episode #186: Salespeople Should Start Preparing For V-J Day

What does “normal” look like after a major disruption, and when does it return?

“Normal” doesn’t snap back overnight—it reappears in stages. After a shock like Covid-19, businesses won’t know the turning point until they’re already past it, but the turning point does come. In Tokyo (東京 — Tokyo), when infection numbers trend downward and restrictions ease, companies begin moving again—first cautiously, then with growing confidence.

For sales leaders, the practical takeaway is simple: if the environment is shifting from freeze to thaw, your buyers are shifting too. Waiting for perfect clarity means arriving late to the rebound.

Mini-summary: Normality returns in phases, not in a single moment. Sales teams that act early are best positioned to capture recovery demand.

Salespeople shouldn’t wait for a ceremonial green light. Recovery is already underway the moment clients start lifting their heads and scanning the horizon. Many buyers are emerging from uncertainty asking, “How do we restart?” That’s exactly when sales professionals should be present—providing direction, structure, and confidence.

This is where Dale Carnegie’s approach to 営業研修 (sales training) matters: you don’t just “check in,” you lead a value-based conversation that helps buyers define next steps. Your job isn’t to pressure—it’s to clarify.

Mini-summary: Don’t wait for certainty. Begin outreach now with purpose: help clients interpret their new reality and plan forward.

In a recovery cycle, demand splits into three buckets:

1. Pent-up demand — postponed decisions now restarting.

2. Fresh demand — brand-new needs created by changed conditions.

3. No demand (yet) — still stabilizing or restructuring.

The only way to know which bucket a client is in is to talk with them. Sales teams should run deliberate “pulse-check” conversations to surface timing, priorities, and constraints.

This is especially true across 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies in Japan), where decision cadence and risk tolerance may differ.

Mini-summary: Demand varies widely post-crisis. Frequent, thoughtful buyer conversations reveal who is ready—and how to help them move.

What happens to competitors during a downturn, and why does it matter?

A broad commercial downturn reshuffles the competitive field. Some competitors disappear. Others survive but weaken. The remaining firms gain an advantage—but only if they show up decisively and reliably.

Clients remember who stayed steady under pressure. In Japan, where trust and dependability shape long-term relationships, surviving the storm strengthens your authority—especially if you engage clients with professionalism and care.

Mini-summary: Downturns eliminate weaker competitors. Survivors become preferred partners—if they actively support clients through recovery.

How should we mobilize our sales team for a recovery push?

Now is the moment to energize the entire team around a structured outreach campaign. That means:

• Calling dormant clients to re-open dialogue

• Running recovery-stage assessments

• Offering relevant solutions aligned to new conditions

• Tracking “early, middle, late” recovery adopters

Think of it as a coordinated re-entry, not random activity. Effective リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training) ensures managers keep morale and discipline high while teams rebuild pipelines.

Mini-summary: Recovery requires a full-team, disciplined outreach surge. Coordinate efforts and lead with clarity to win the re-opening race.

Sales teams may carry their own scars: lost commissions, stress, pressure, and burnout. If that emotional residue leaks into client conversations, you risk sounding frantic, aggressive, or tone-deaf.

Many buyers are re-emerging carefully, even gracefully. If salespeople rush them, they’ll retreat. The key is to combine energy with empathy—showing you’re ready when they are, not forcing your timetable onto theirs.

This is why エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching) and resilience-based development matter: they reset confidence and re-center professionalism.

Mini-summary: Your mindset shows up in your voice and timing. Recovery success depends on confident, empathetic outreach—not desperation.

Why is planning so important for Japanese companies during recovery?

Japanese organizations often lean heavily on planning before acting. During a downturn, that planning muscle goes quiet. But as the economy re-awakens, planners return fast—building scenarios for a U-shaped recovery and beyond.

Salespeople who become partners in planning gain influence early in the decision cycle. This is where プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) helps: your proposals must support their internal consensus process, not just push features.

Mini-summary: Planning is central in Japan’s recovery playbook. Help clients plan, and you become part of their solution architecture.

What if the “new normal” changes the rules of the game?

Many industries won’t return to the exact past. Some old options are gone. New ones, once unthinkable, become viable. The sales advantage goes to those who uncover what has changed first:

• What clients now see as possible

• What they see as risky

• What they are re-prioritizing

• What they want to experiment with

If you’re not learning this directly from buyers, competitors will.

Mini-summary: Recovery reshapes markets. The winners are the ones who discover clients’ new rules before everyone else.

• Recovery in Tokyo (東京 — Tokyo) is phased; proactive outreach wins earlier share.

• Post-crisis demand splits into pent-up, fresh, and dormant—only conversations reveal which is which.

• Competitors weaken or vanish in downturns; survivors earn client loyalty by showing up first.

• Japanese clients value trust and planning (日本企業 — Japanese companies); support their recovery roadmap to become indispensable.

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 (DEI研修 — Diversity, Equity & Inclusion training). Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.