Episode #289: Blocking, Tackling And Grinding In Sales

Sales leaders and business owners are asking a hard question right now: why do smart, talented salespeople still miss their numbers in tough markets like Japan? The answer is often simple and uncomfortable—because the basics aren’t being done consistently. In a crisis, strategy matters, but survival depends on execution.

Vince Lombardi famously emphasized that American football is won through fundamentals—blocking and tackling. Sales works the same way. Brilliant plays like a “whale” deal or a sudden breakthrough are great, but if daily prospecting, follow-ups, and relationship building aren’t happening, the business collapses.

Many salespeople dream of landing one huge client that will change everything. But experience shows that chasing only big wins often turns into years of waiting—and no revenue. The basics may feel boring, but they are what create momentum, pipeline health, and predictable income.

Mini-summary: Big deals don’t save weak fundamentals. Consistent basics create the pipeline that makes big deals possible.

Some highly intelligent, talented people believe fundamentals are for “lesser mortals.” They start at the top, chasing the largest targets first, assuming intelligence will shortcut the grind. Instead, intelligence becomes a trap: over-planning replaces action, and “game-changer” deals never arrive.

The result is familiar in many organizations—promised revenue that never appears, shrinking pipelines, and eventually turnover. In sales, hope without fundamentals is just a calendar full of excuses.

Mini-summary: Ignoring basics leads to empty forecasts, stalled deals, and disappearing salespeople.

How does mindset determine whether a struggling business survives?

A key revelation: the basics of sales are not exciting for anyone. But when a business is struggling, the person responsible for revenue must act anyway. Mindset can either support survival or sabotage it.

If we chase only “bright shiny objects” because they feel exciting, we avoid the hard work that actually feeds the company. Survival forces focus: when income is needed now, the basics stop being optional.

Mini-summary: Survival sharpens focus. The right mindset turns boring basics into business oxygen.

The pandemic has hammered most industries. It’s the toughest business environment many of us have ever faced—on a scale not seen since the Spanish Flu in 1918.

In Japan, clients working from home has created a new barrier: calling the office often leads to gatekeepers who refuse to share basic contact info. Cold calling has become unusually frustrating, and there is a cultural tendency to treat unknown callers as threats.

The problem is bigger than sales teams—it slows commerce itself. Nothing in business moves until a sale is made, yet reaching decision-makers has become harder than ever.

Mini-summary: Remote work and stronger gatekeeping in Japan have made traditional outreach far less effective.

If cold calling is failing, what should salespeople do instead?

Cold calling may be “in remission,” but blocking and tackling still must continue. The solution is not to stop prospecting—it’s to change the method.

1. Bring back tobikomi eigyo (飛び込み営業 / walk-in sales visits)

Dropping by the office in person is harder to reject than a call or email. Many companies are back in the office a few days a week, and buyers may not be seeing any other sellers because gatekeepers block them. Even if you don’t meet the buyer immediately, you can often secure a formal appointment.

Is it efficient? Compared to being blocked constantly, it’s better than nothing. Is it comfortable? Not really—but sales requires resilience.

Mini-summary: Tobikomi eigyo (飛び込み営業 / walk-in sales visits) creates real access when phones and email fail.

2. Send “lumpy” direct mail packages

Gatekeepers may block calls, but they will deliver mail. A small package that feels tangible and interesting earns attention. Make it slightly bulky so it doesn’t look like boring documents. And the contents must answer the buyer’s top need in two seconds—attention windows are tiny right now.

Mini-summary: Physical mail bypasses filters and creates a rare moment of attention.

If someone challenges your approach, acknowledge their perspective and reframe it professionally:

You can say:
“Yes, I understand your viewpoint. And I’m sure this is the same mindset you’d want from your own sales team when facing tough pandemic conditions.”

This confirms respect while reinforcing that proactive selling is a necessity, not aggression. Even if you’re blocked, you protect the relationship.

Mini-summary: Assertive selling can stay respectful when it’s framed as shared survival behavior.

What is the core lesson for sales teams right now?

Blocking, tackling, and grinding frustrate everyone. But the truth is simple: either deals close and money is banked, or they don’t. No narrative about future whales replaces real revenue. Fundamentals are how salespeople—and businesses—survive what the world is throwing at them.

For organizations in Japan—across nihon kigyo (日本企業 / Japanese companies) and gaishikei kigyo (外資系企業 / multinational companies)—the winners will be those who execute daily basics with discipline, even when conditions are hostile.

Mini-summary: Back-to-basics execution is the only reliable path through uncertainty.

• Sales fundamentals (“blocking and tackling”) drive pipeline stability and revenue predictability.

• Chasing only “whale deals” usually weakens results and destroys momentum.

• In Japan, pandemic-era gatekeeping makes reaching buyers harder—so methods must adapt.

• Tobikomi eigyo (飛び込み営業 / walk-in sales visits) and targeted direct mail can restore access and attention.

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.