Episode #251: Getting New Clients During Covid’s Long Tail

COVID has not ended with a clear signal, and waiting for a perfect “all-clear” moment is costing companies opportunities. While uncertainty continues to ebb and flow, the real question for leaders is this: do we stay inside our existing customer base and hope things return, or do we step forward now and restart growth?

In Japan (日本 Nihon, “Japan”), decision makers often become even harder to reach during disruption. But the companies that re-open conversations early—online and in person—position themselves to win when budgets loosen again.

Mini-summary: COVID’s timeline is unclear, so growth must restart before conditions feel “normal.”

There will be no bell announcing “COVID is done.” Business conditions will improve unevenly over years, not weeks. If we wait for certainty, we risk being invisible when clients restart spending.

A better approach is to begin moving now—not recklessly, but deliberately—by re-engaging old conversations and exploring new needs created by the pandemic.

Mini-summary: Don’t wait for certainty; re-enter the market in a focused, intentional way now.

New business has slowed for two main reasons:

1. Budget fear: Many companies are holding cash tightly, worried about economic damage from COVID.

2. Access barriers: Even in good times, decision makers were shielded behind layers of gatekeepers. Now, buyers may be remote or unreachable altogether.

In Japan, this wall can be especially strong in traditional Japanese companies (日本企業 Nihon kigyō, “Japanese companies”), where caution and hierarchy increase filtering.

Mini-summary: Reduced budgets and thicker access barriers—especially in 日本企業 (Japanese companies)—are slowing new client acquisition.

How do we restart discussions that were interrupted by COVID?

Before COVID hit, many of us were already mid-conversation with clients. The first move is simple: restart those threads. But don’t assume the client’s world is unchanged.

COVID has created new problems, risks, and strategic questions. Your reopening message should recognize this, then shift into discovery.

Two strong starter questions are:

1. “What are your strategic plans for a post-COVID business world?”

2. “What are your most immediate problems of concern right now?”

These are broad by design. Tailor them to your industry, but keep their purpose: one opens the future, the other reveals urgent pain.

Mini-summary: Resume old conversations, but re-enter with discovery questions shaped by the client’s new reality.

Why is the “post-COVID strategy” question so powerful?

Many leaders haven’t had bandwidth to think beyond survival. By asking about post-COVID strategy, you help them look forward—and position your company as a partner in that future.

In manufacturing, the “design-in” phase matters: once your part is inside the future design, you become a fixed supplier. The same principle applies in services. If you can shape the client’s future thinking now, you become harder to replace later.

Mini-summary: Asking about future strategy places you inside the client’s “design-in” phase for what comes next.

Future opportunities are important, but companies can’t survive on future income alone. The second question targets today’s real budget:

• COVID exposed weaknesses in operations, leadership, sales, communication, and morale.

• Those weaknesses create immediate problems.

• Immediate problems carry immediate budget—even if small today, they grow as recovery begins.

Your goal is to be top-of-mind when spending restarts, and that happens only through consistent contact now, even if meetings are online.

Mini-summary: Immediate problems = immediate budgets; staying visible now makes you first choice later.

How can we reach new decision makers in Japan if we don’t know their names?

This challenge never goes away. Only knowing a title creates distance. And in Japan, companies often make it deliberately hard to contact buyers.

A practical tactic is the “package technique.” Instead of a flat sales document, send a physical, substantial package addressed to the role. In many Japanese companies, underlings will place it unopened on the boss’s desk rather than risk opening it themselves.

Inside the package, include something that genuinely sparks curiosity—something strong enough that the decision maker contacts you. It may take experimentation, but it beats having zero chance through phone screening systems.

Mini-summary: Use creative physical outreach; in Japan, a well-designed package often reaches the boss untouched.

What mindset shift is needed for selling in Japan right now?

A networking contrast explains the gap well:

• In Japan, people often prefer meeting only those they already know.

• In more open business cultures, people meet to explore possibilities quickly.

That means persistence matters more here. The “door closed” mentality doesn’t mean “no,” it means “not yet, and not without trust.” Your outreach must be patient, consistent, and value-first.

Mini-summary: Japan’s “door-closed” culture requires longer trust-building, not less outreach.

• COVID won’t end with a clear signal, so growth must restart before conditions feel stable.

• Re-open pre-COVID client conversations using future-focused and problem-focused discovery questions.

• Immediate pain points hold today’s budgets; consistent contact now secures tomorrow’s wins.

• In Japan (日本 Nihon, “Japan”), creative physical outreach like the “package technique” can bypass gatekeeping.

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.