Episode #266: Building Our Credibility Statement

Why do buyers distrust salespeople, and why does that matter in Japan (日本企業 nihon kigyō / “Japanese companies” and 外資系企業 gaishikei kigyō / “multinational companies”)?

Buyers everywhere worry about two things: buying something they don’t need and paying too much for what they do buy. That anxiety creates a quiet but powerful baseline of doubt toward salespeople. In Japan—especially in Tokyo (東京 Tōkyō / “Tokyo”)—this distrust can be even stronger because long-term relationships and credibility often matter as much as the product itself.

If a salesperson lacks a structured sales process, they tend to rush into explaining features too early. That’s like running off a cliff before checking if the buyer even wants to go in that direction. A Credibility Statement prevents that mistake by establishing trust first, so your questions and recommendations land well.

Mini-summary: Buyers start skeptical; in Japan’s relationship-driven market, trust must come before features.

A Credibility Statement is a short, deliberate introduction that signals who you are, what you do, and why the buyer should feel safe continuing the conversation. You use it at first contact—whether in person, by email, phone, or Zoom.

It’s sometimes called an Elevator Pitch because it must be concise, clear, and attractive. But its real job isn’t to impress—it’s to lower buyer anxiety and earn permission to ask questions.

Mini-summary: A Credibility Statement is a trust-first intro used at first contact to open the door to real discovery.

A simple, repeatable structure keeps you from “winging it” and reduces stress during sales calls. Here’s a practical flow:

1. Who you are + who you represent

2. What your company does (in one sentence)

3. A hook tied to a real buyer pain

4. Relevant proof from similar clients

5. Permission bridge to ask questions

6. Clear next step (appointment with choices)

This sequence creates an atmosphere of trust and momentum—without sounding scripted.

Mini-summary: Use a clear 6-part flow to make your intro trustworthy, relevant, and easy to follow.

Here’s the example from the text, kept intact because it demonstrates the full structure:

Credibility opener:
“Hi my name is Greg Story. I am the President of Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo. We are global soft skills training experts and masters of delivery and sustainment. Do you have a moment to talk.”

This tells the client:

• who you are,

• what you do,

• and sets a respectful tone that asks permission to continue.

Hook:
“We have heard from our clients that salespeople are really struggling with virtual selling and getting through to their buyers. Have you found the same thing?”

The hook works because it points to a current, common pain and invites agreement.

Proof:
“Recently, we worked with a large service provider like yourself… They reported that their appointment rate went up by 25% after the training and their closing rate tripled.”

Numbers matter, but only if they’re real and provable. Fake stats destroy trust instantly.

Permission bridge:
“Maybe, we can do the same for you. I am not sure, but if you will allow me to ask a few questions, I will know if we are in a position to help you or not?”

This is the turning point: you’re asking to explore, not to push.

Next-step close:
“Shall we get together? Is this week fine or how about next week? … Wednesday or Friday? … 10.00am? Great…”

Offering alternatives makes it easy to say yes.

Mini-summary: A great Credibility Statement combines identity, relevance, proof, permission, and a low-friction next step.

Without permission, your questions can feel intrusive—like a stranger interrogating someone’s business. Humans don’t share problems with strangers unless they feel safe.

By explicitly asking to explore first, you reposition yourself from “salesperson” to “potential problem-solver.” This sets up the questioning stage and prevents premature feature-dumping.

Mini-summary: Permission transforms questioning from intrusive to collaborative, enabling real needs discovery.

If you jump straight into features, you force the buyer to evaluate you while still skeptical. That makes everything harder:

• more objections,

• less openness,

• weaker relationships,

• slower deals.

Salespeople who skip this step create unnecessary resistance for themselves. It’s simple, repeatable, and powerful—and it’s the gateway to a professional sales process like 営業研修 (eigyō kenshū / “sales training”) reinforces.

Mini-summary: Skipping credibility invites resistance; using it makes discovery and closing far easier.

• A Credibility Statement builds trust early, before questions or solutions.

• Buyers are anxious about value and price; your intro must reduce that fear.

• Use real, relevant proof—especially from similar clients.

• Always ask permission to explore needs, then offer a clear next step.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership (リーダーシップ研修 rīdāshippu kenshū / “leadership training”), sales (営業研修 eigyō kenshū / “sales training”), presentation (プレゼンテーション研修 purezentēshon kenshū / “presentation training”), executive coaching (エグゼクティブ・コーチング eguzekutibu kōchingu / “executive coaching”), and DEI training (DEI研修 DEI kenshū / “DEI training”). Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.