Episode #219: Is That Light At The End Of The Sales Funnel I Can See

Why has Covid-19 weakened sales prospecting in Japan?

Covid-19 pushed many professionals into remote work, limiting face-to-face visits and shrinking chances to meet new customers. In Japan, where sales teams often rely heavily on existing relationships, this shift intensifies an already common reluctance toward proactive prospecting. The result: salespeople spend most of their time on current clients, while the top of the funnel dries up.

Mini-summary: Remote work and limited in-person access have amplified Japan’s already client-centric sales style, squeezing out new-business growth.

Even in normal times, many Japanese salespeople prefer nurturing trusted, long-term accounts over reaching out to unfamiliar companies. Cold calling can feel risky, uncomfortable, and culturally “too pushy.” With Covid-19 restrictions, sales teams have become even more anchored to existing clients, leaving little room to expand.

Mini-summary: A strong preference for relationship-based selling, combined with Covid constraints, makes cold outreach feel even harder and less natural.

Most organizations in Japan are choosing between four paths:

1. Wait for the vaccine and return to face-to-face selling.
   A “back to the future” strategy—but timing remains uncertain.

2. Rely only on existing clients and squeeze remaining demand.
   Short-term survival, but it weakens the future pipeline.

3. Shift the burden to marketing and drive inbound leads.
   Requires significant budget and brand power.

4. Push salespeople into cold calling immediately.
   A bold move—but dangerous without skill-building and structure.

Mini-summary: Companies can wait, squeeze current clients, invest heavily in inbound, or rebuild outbound prospecting—each with different risks and rewards.

Why is “waiting it out” a risky sales strategy?

Waiting for normal business conditions to return may feel safe, but it quietly creates a future crisis. When salespeople stop targeting new companies, the pipeline hollowing doesn’t show up immediately—it shows up months later as revenue decline. A vaccine-led recovery isn’t a sales strategy; it’s a hope.

Mini-summary: Waiting delays pain, but doesn’t prevent it—your pipeline collapses silently before revenue does.

After months of focusing only on existing clients, many salespeople now have time available. That time should be invested in structured prospecting preparation, including:

• Strengthening cold-calling skills.

• Building target-company lists based on ideal customer profiles.

• Creating call scripts and value explanations that feel confident and natural.

• Practicing realistic objection handling.

A well-prepared outbound approach reduces fear, builds confidence, and makes persistence sustainable.

Mini-summary: Use current downtime to train, target, and rehearse—so outbound prospecting becomes a skill, not a gamble.

What objections are salespeople hearing—and how should they respond?

Common gatekeeper pushbacks include:

• “We are not considering new suppliers now.”

• “We have no budget for anything new.”

• “The person is not at their desk.”

Salespeople need practical, calm, and credible responses that earn the right to speak to a decision maker. The goal isn’t to “win the argument”—it’s to keep the conversation alive and move forward strategically.

Mini-summary: Gatekeeper objections are normal; success depends on prepared responses that open doors to decision makers.

Why do sales calls fail to reach decision makers in Japan?

Even with strong rebuttals, gatekeepers rarely hand over direct access immediately. Two capabilities matter most:

1. A sharp initial explanation of value.
   Why should the decision maker care right now?

2. Professional persistence.
   Repeated follow-up calls until contact is made—or returned.

This is not about aggression. It’s about clarity, relevance, and respectful determination.

Mini-summary: Reaching decision makers requires a compelling “why now” message and disciplined follow-through.

Dale Carnegie Tokyo delivers sales training (営業研修 / sales training) specifically designed for relationship-driven markets like Japan. We help teams:

• Build confidence and structure for cold calling.

• Create persuasive, customer-focused value statements.

• Handle objections smoothly without losing trust.

• Sustain consistent prospecting habits.

• Rebuild a healthy pipeline—even under Covid-era constraints.

Our programs combine global best practices with local cultural fit for both Japanese companies (日本企業 / Japanese companies) and multinational firms (外資系企業 / multinational firms) operating in Tokyo (東京 / Tokyo) and across Japan.

Mini-summary: We blend Japan-specific selling realities with proven outbound skills so your team can prospect confidently and consistently.

• Covid-19 accelerated Japan’s dependence on existing clients, shrinking new-business pipelines.

• Waiting for normal conditions to return is risky; prospecting must be rebuilt now.

• Cold calling succeeds with preparation, objection handling, and professional persistence.

• Dale Carnegie Tokyo provides culturally aligned, high-impact sales training to restore growth.

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.