Episode #23: Sales Understanding

Why Do Salespeople in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational firms) Struggle With Price Discussions?

Many sales professionals instinctively drop their price because it feels like the quickest way to win business. A price increase triggers resistance, and discounting feels easier than defending value. But this mindset puts the salesperson’s fears—commission pressure, boss expectations, personal finances—at the center instead of the client.

When salespeople focus on themselves, they lose the ability to understand what the buyer truly needs.

Mini-Summary: The real issue is not price—it's misplaced attention. Sales success begins by shifting mental focus from internal stress to the client’s business outcomes.

Great salespeople align with the buyer’s goals, aspirations, and business challenges. Instead of arguing over numbers, they connect their offering to the growth, efficiency, and results the buyer hopes to achieve.

A crucial mindset shift is recognizing that the client isn’t paying from today’s budget—they are paying from tomorrow’s gains.
Your product or service becomes “free” because it is funded by the future improvements you help generate.

This shift transforms the tone of the conversation and leads to deeper, repeat-order relationships rather than single transactions.

Mini-Summary: When you link your solution to the client’s future business success, the conversation becomes collaborative, not adversarial.

How Can Salespeople in Tokyo Build Long-Term Trust Instead of Transactional Deals?

Japan’s business culture values durability, credibility, and sincerity. Trust is the foundation of all relationships, especially in high-context environments like 東京 (Tokyo). Salespeople must actively build trust by focusing on lifetime client value, brand reputation, and long-term partnership—not just this month's target.

The challenge?
Without a clear sales philosophy, sales teams often create their own self-focused habits. These undermine trust and reduce long-term profitability.

Sales professionals must reinforce a customer-centric philosophy continuously, not occasionally—embedding it into mindset and behavior.

Mini-Summary: Trust grows when salespeople consistently demonstrate a long-term, client-first philosophy that aligns with Japanese business expectations.

How Do Buyers Perceive Value, and Why Does It Matter More Than Price?

Pricing is always tied to the buyer’s perception of value, not the salesperson’s logic. If the buyer sees sufficient value, price becomes acceptable. But intangible services or long-term outcomes are hard to prove upfront.

Simply telling stories about past clients rarely convinces anyone—buyers may dismiss them as irrelevant.
They want proof through the lens of their own company’s reality.

This is why tests, samples, or small trial steps work so well. Even if full results take time, the buyer gains confidence through firsthand experience and practical confirmation.

Mini-Summary: Value is defined by the buyer, not the seller. Real experiences and concrete demonstrations build the perception required to justify premium pricing.

In the absence of a shared sales philosophy, individuals fall into unproductive approaches: fear-driven selling, price dependency, and transactional thinking.
High-performing teams develop a unified mindset anchored in:

• Long-term client value

• Brand reputation

• Consistent trust-building

• Internal motivation and inspiration

Salespeople must remind themselves daily—sometimes hourly—that the long game matters. Self-motivation leads to employee engagement, which leads to inspired performance.

And inspired people grow the business.

Mini-Summary: A strong, unified sales philosophy drives engagement, inspiration, and sustainable growth for individuals and the company.

• Price is not the problem—lack of client-centered focus is.

• Buyers pay from future gains, not current budgets.

• Trust-driven, long-term relationships outperform short-term discounts, especially in Japan.

• Buyer perception of value—not your explanation—determines acceptable pricing.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and organizations worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI development. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has helped both 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational firms) strengthen their people and performance through globally proven training solutions.