Episode #204: Virtual Selling - We Need A New Questioning Approach (Part Three)

Why do so many salespeople struggle, especially online?

Many salespeople operate without a clear, repeatable method. They “wing it,” then copy-paste that same weak approach into digital selling and wonder why results don’t improve. In Japan (日本 / Japan), where buyers expect preparation and professionalism, this gap becomes even more visible.

Mini-summary: Without a consistent sales method, performance stays random. Online selling exposes that randomness faster.

“Kata” (型 / structured practice) is a Japanese concept describing a set way of doing something to a high standard. In Karate (空手 / karate), students learn kata precisely the same way every time to build mastery.

Sales also has kata: proven best-practice sequences for discovery, trust building, and value creation. But few salespeople learn them deeply, let alone refine them. Digital selling adds a second layer of kata on top of the first. You can’t succeed online until you’ve mastered the fundamentals offline.

Mini-summary: Kata builds mastery through consistent best practice. Online sales requires new kata built on old kata.

A minority of salespeople do ask what the client needs. That’s a good start—but many stop there. They gather needs, then spend the rest of the meeting pushing slides and trying to convince the buyer to purchase.

This creates a transactional relationship. You become a vendor who is easy to compare—and easy to replace.

Mini-summary: Needs-only selling is better than pitching, but still makes you replaceable.

To grow sustainably, sales teams should invest about 80% in farming—deepening existing client relationships—and only 20% in hunting new deals.

Here’s the key shift: you aren’t looking for a sale; you’re looking for a resale. Even loyal clients drop out over time, so some hunting is necessary. But in Japan, strong hunters are rare, and online sales makes hunting even harder.

That’s why building a large base of “farmers” is safer and more scalable—especially for Japanese companies (日本企業 / Japanese companies) and multinational firms in Tokyo (外資系企業 / multinational companies).

Mini-summary: Repeat business drives stability. Hunting talent is limited in Japan, so farming must dominate.

Why does “filling needs” still keep you stuck?

If you only satisfy immediate needs, you become like a replaceable unit in a modern car: when something breaks, the buyer swaps the entire unit for a new one.

Needs-fulfillment alone turns you into a commodity chosen by price—not value. Competitors can switch you out anytime.

Mini-summary: Needs-only selling commoditizes you. Commodities compete on price and get replaced.

How do you become a trusted advisor instead of a commodity?

The solution is to become a trusted advisor by elevating your dialogue. Think of a ladder:

1. Wants & needs — basic, tactical, and easy to commoditize.

2. Challenges & goals — strategic conversations that shape decisions.

3. Strategy & market positioning — partnership-level thinking.

4. Industry leadership impact — the highest-value advisory zone.

When you move beyond needs into goals and barriers, you reach a “strategic partner zone.” In manufacturing, winning often happens at the design stage—getting your solution “designed in.” The same applies in consultative sales: influence the bigger picture, and you become essential.

Mini-summary: Trusted advisors sell at the strategy level, not the product level.

What does trusted-advisor questioning sound like?

Instead of transactional questions like:

• “If we can supply it in blue, can you decide today?”

Use higher-level questions such as:

• “If we solve this issue, how will it accelerate your strategy?”

• “If we solve this, how will it strengthen your market positioning?”

• “If we solve this, how will it help you remain an industry leader?”

These questions uncover strategic value and position you as a partner, not a vendor.

Mini-summary: Sophisticated questions shift the buyer conversation from features to future impact.

How does this apply to online sales in Tokyo?

Online selling magnifies skill gaps. Buyers have less patience for pitches and more options to compare. For leaders in Tokyo (東京 / Tokyo), the winning digital approach is:

• Master fundamentals first (discovery, trust, value articulation).

• Build new online kata: clearer pre-meeting prep, sharper questioning, and stronger follow-through.

• Prioritize farming through digital touchpoints that feel helpful, not salesy.

This is especially relevant for leadership training, sales training, and consultative communication programs in Japan, such as:

• Leadership training (リーダーシップ研修 / leadership training)

• Sales training (営業研修 / sales training)

• Presentation training (プレゼンテーション研修 / presentation training)

• Executive coaching (エグゼクティブ・コーチング / executive coaching)

• DEI training (DEI研修 / diversity, equity, inclusion training)

Mini-summary: Digital sales success in Japan requires mastering core kata and upgrading it for online trust-building.

• Sales mastery comes from kata (型 / structured practice), not improvisation.

• Needs-only selling makes you a commodity; strategic dialogue makes you a partner.

• Aim for 80% farming to drive resale and long-term growth in Japan.

• Elevate questions toward goals, strategy, and industry impact to become a trusted advisor.

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.