Episode #27: Designing Your Sales Conversation Part Three

When executives in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) in 東京 (Tokyo) meet with solution providers, they don’t want a generic pitch. They want partners who understand their reality, clarify what success looks like, and ask sharp questions that justify taking action now, not “someday.”

This page explains a practical questioning framework used in Dale Carnegie’s リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), 営業研修 (sales training), プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), and エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching) to help leaders in Japan close the gap between where their business is today and where it must be.

Question executives ask:
“How do I get my people to stop selling features and start talking about real business outcomes?”

The starting point is not your product. It is the client’s vision.

We begin by asking where they want the business to be in the future — the “Should Be.” This question forces clarity on the ideal outcome in their mind: higher retention of key staff, faster innovation, stronger client relationships, or a more engaged culture. For 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) in Japan, this also reveals how they define success in their own internal language.

By helping the client articulate this mental picture, your sales conversation becomes about co-creating a future state, not just comparing training vendors.

Mini-summary: Start with the “Should Be” to anchor the conversation in the client’s ideal business outcome, not your product or program.

2. What is the “As Is” — and how do we reveal the real performance gap?

Question executives ask:
“Everyone says they can help us ‘improve engagement’ — how do I know if the problem is serious enough to act on?”

After the “Should Be,” we ask where they see the business right now — the “As Is.”

Now you have two clear points:

• As Is: Current situation, with all its risks and frustrations.

• Should Be: Desired future, where the problem is solved.

Your job in 営業研修 (sales training) and DEI研修 (DEI training) is to design questions that make the gap between these two points feel both huge and risky:

• If the gap feels small, there is no urgency to change.

• If the gap feels big, but they see no cost of doing nothing, they still will not act.

We need to help the client see that maintaining the status quo is itself a strategic risk.

Mini-summary: The “As Is vs. Should Be” contrast only drives action when the gap is clearly large and obviously dangerous to ignore.

3. What are Barrier Questions — and why do they unlock real opportunities?

Question executives ask:
“We already know what we ‘should’ do. Why aren’t we doing it?”

Most leadership teams already know the theory. They know they should:

• Coach managers more effectively

• Invest in リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training)

• Improve internal communication and trust

• Strengthen culture to retain high potentials

The real question is: “What is stopping you?”

We use Barrier Questions to uncover what is holding them back from closing the gap between the As Is and the Should Be:

• Skills gaps

• Misaligned incentives

• Overloaded managers

• Cultural hesitations (e.g., avoiding conflict, reluctance to give feedback)

• Lack of a structured approach or external support

These barriers point directly to where Dale Carnegie’s solution can help — whether via プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching), or targeted DEI研修 (DEI training).

Mini-summary: Barrier Questions move the conversation from theory (“We should…”) to reality (“Here’s why we haven’t — and what needs to change”).

4. How do we highlight the true cost of non-action without being pushy?

Question executives ask:
“I know this is a problem, but is it really urgent enough to prioritize this quarter?”

Simply proving there is a problem is not enough. We must quantify and dramatize the cost of not acting.

Example: A client is quietly losing key staff. People are not resigning all at once, but gradually. The organization is losing the very people it most wants to keep.

If we simply present a “great training solution to improve engagement,” the conversation may remain interesting but never urgent.

Instead, we may reference a similar client (anonymized and appropriate for 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies)):

• They did not address engagement early.

• Turnover continued.

• Market share declined.

• Cash flow tightened.

• Anxiety about stability spread through the company.

• More employees began looking for exits.

• Eventually, the company closed operations.

This is not fearmongering; it is a cause-and-effect story: when disengagement is left unresolved, it compounds into a business crisis.

Mini-summary: By illustrating the real-world consequences of inaction, we help executives see that “doing nothing” is often the riskiest decision of all.

5. How do we uncover the “What’s In It For Me” for Japanese decision-makers?

Question executives ask:
“In Japan, managers rarely talk about their personal motives. How do we still sell to them effectively?”

Once the implications of non-action are clear, we shift to the Payout:

“If we solve this problem successfully, what will it mean — especially for you?”

This is the “What’s In It For Me (WIIFM)” moment.

In many Japanese contexts, leaders will answer in terms of the team or organization, not themselves. They may say:

• “The team will be more stable.”

• “The organization will be more competitive.”

Even if they do not openly state their personal Dominant Buying Motive, the question itself prompts them to think about it:

• Less stress dealing with constant resignations

• Greater reputation internally and externally

• A stronger legacy as a leader

• More time to focus on strategy instead of firefighting

In 東京 (Tokyo), this subtle mental shift is often enough to move the decision from interest to commitment — especially in leadership, sales, and presentation-related initiatives.

Mini-summary: Even when Japanese leaders respond in team-oriented language, WIIFM questions help them internally connect the solution to their personal success and credibility.

Question executives ask:
“When is the right time to talk about our solution?”

After deep questioning, executives are often ready to ask, implicitly or explicitly:

“Can you actually help us with this?”

This is where we introduce a Capability Statement, not a full proposal.

A Capability Statement:

1. Confirms understanding:
   “Based on what you’ve shared about retention, engagement, and your concerns about market share…”

2. Links to their Primary Interest:
   For example, stabilizing key talent, strengthening mid-level leadership, or improving client-facing communication.

3. Signals relevant expertise:
   “We’ve helped similar 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) in Tokyo through our リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), 営業研修 (sales training), and プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) programs.”

4. Aligns with their Dominant Buying Motive (even if unspoken):
   Reduced risk, improved performance, personal credibility, or organizational sustainability.

At this stage, we are reassuring, not overwhelming. We are saying:

“We’ve listened carefully — and yes, we have the capability to solve this with you.”

Mini-summary: A strong Capability Statement bridges from discovery to solution, proving you understand their world before talking about your programs.

7. Why is solution provision often a second meeting in Japan?

Question executives ask:
“Why don’t Japanese clients decide in the first meeting?”

In Japan, especially with larger 日本企業 (Japanese companies), the first meeting is rarely where the full solution is presented and decided.

Typical flow:

1. First meeting

   • Establish relationship and credibility

   • Explore “As Is” and “Should Be”

   • Ask Barrier and implication questions

   • Share a high-level Capability Statement

2. Between meetings

   • We prepare a tailored, written proposal based on what we heard.

   • We align our リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), 営業研修 (sales training), プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching), or DEI研修 (DEI training) to their specific gaps and priorities.

3. Second meeting

   • Present the proposal

   • Discuss details, investment, and implementation timeline

   • Align on next steps and internal decision-making processes

This two-step approach respects Japanese decision-making culture, reduces perceived risk, and reassures both 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) that the solution is truly customized, not a “one-size-fits-all” package.

Mini-summary: In Japan, discovery and trust-building usually happen first; detailed solution provision follows later in a written, carefully tailored proposal.

• Start with vision, not product: Clarify the client’s “Should Be” before discussing any program, whether it’s leadership, sales, or presentation training.

• Make the gap undeniable: Use questions that reveal the size and danger of the gap between “As Is” and “Should Be,” and highlight the cost of non-action.

• Uncover real barriers and motives: Barrier Questions and WIIFM-focused dialogue help you find the real reasons change hasn’t happened yet — and why it must happen now.

• Bridge carefully to solution: Use a Capability Statement and a two-meeting approach to fit Japanese decision-making culture and build long-term trust.

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, delivering リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), 営業研修 (sales training), プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching), and DEI研修 (DEI training) tailored to the realities of doing business in Japan.