Episode #221: Selling Year In, Year Out (Part Two)

Why do sales fundamentals matter more this year than last year?

Sales success doesn’t come from repeating last year’s routines. The real question is whether your experience is growing or simply repeating. Many salespeople fall into a “groove,” and that’s fine only if it’s the right one. If not, the new year becomes a copy-paste of old mistakes—missed prospects, weak closing, and stalled careers.

To build a professional career, we have to decide to improve the basics: prospecting, closing, and the human skill underneath both—communication.

Mini-summary: If we don’t upgrade the basics this year, we’ll duplicate last year’s errors instead of compounding real experience.

Remote selling is now standard for many 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) alike. But online environments reduce impact: research shows we lose around 20% of our pep on screen. That means you must lift your energy just to reach the same level of presence you had in person.

Clients judge vitality fast. A lifeless, low-power salesperson on screen doesn’t look like someone who will fight for the client’s business. Buyers want a partner who feels committed, energetic, and proactive—even through a small screen.

Mini-summary: Remote selling doesn’t lower expectations—it increases them. Your energy and clarity must rise to compensate for the screen.

How do you create “know, like, trust” online?

The buyer mantra still rules sales: know, like, trust. But online, buyers have fewer emotional cues, so how you speak matters as much as what you say. Strong on-screen communication means:

• Higher visible energy

• Clear, confident voice

• Crisp structure

• Genuine curiosity about the client

If these aren’t present, trust collapses early. And without trust, no amount of pitching saves the sale.

Mini-summary: Online trust requires intentional energy, clarity, and curiosity—not just information.

Understanding clients should be the easiest sales basic, yet it’s unusually rare in Japan. The reason is cultural habit: communication tends to flow one way. The seller tries to “convince” the buyer by explaining everything upfront.

So what happens? Salespeople pull out the full catalogue and pitch in detail—before knowing what the buyer actually needs.

It’s like describing your blue widget in glorious detail when the buyer needs a pink one. Without questions, you’re pitching into darkness.

Mini-summary: Many Japanese sales conversations fail because sellers pitch first and learn later—when it’s already too late.

What is the hidden damage of the “no questions asked” approach?

Pitching without questioning wastes time and kills relevance. Buyers don’t buy products; they buy solutions to their specific context. If you don’t know that context, your pitch can’t land.

A real example: a Japanese salesperson once went through an entire slide deck without asking even one question. Twenty-five minutes vanished into irrelevant detail. The buyer wanted “pink,” but the salesperson kept selling “blue.” The sale was lost—not because the product was wrong, but because the conversation was.

Mini-summary: A pitch without questions is a gamble. Most of the time, it’s the wrong bet.

Why do Japanese buyers encourage pitching—and why is that a trap?

Japanese clients often expect a pitch because it lets them test risk. They listen carefully, then dismantle the proposal to confirm it’s safe. This “smash the walnut with a sledgehammer” method comes from strong risk aversion, which is understandable.

But for salespeople, it creates a trap:

• You pitch because they expect it

• They critique because that’s the system

• You lose time and relevance

• The buyer still doesn’t feel understood

Everyone plays the old game—even though it’s inefficient for both sides.

Mini-summary: Buyers and sellers in Japan often reinforce a pitching culture that feels safe but produces weak outcomes.

Whether online or in person, elite salespeople ask questions. In Japan, there’s one extra step that makes it smoother:

First, get permission to ask questions.

That simple mezzanine step respects the relationship and lowers resistance. Once permission is granted, you can explore needs, priorities, risks, and decision criteria—so your proposal becomes precise instead of generic.

Mini-summary: In Japan, asking questions works best after permission. That tiny step unlocks real dialogue.

What are the new basics for selling in 2026?

The core hasn’t changed, but the demands have:

1. Prospecting with focus and consistency

2. Closing with confidence and timing

3. On-screen communication mastery

4. Permission-based questioning

5. Client understanding before pitching

This is sales “blocking and tackling.” If we ignore it, another year of opportunity slips away.

Mini-summary: The “new basics” are old fundamentals plus modern communication and questioning skills.

• Remote selling requires higher energy and clearer communication to build trust.

• Pitching without questions leads to irrelevance and wasted time.

• In Japan, shift from pitching to questioning by asking permission first.

• Mastering these basics is how sales professionals grow—not repeat last year.

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.