Episode #337: What to do About Losing Track Of Buyers

Why do we suddenly lose track of buyers in Japan?

It often starts with a simple change: the trusted person inside the client company—your champion—gets transferred, promoted, or leaves. In Japan, these moves are common and can instantly break a strong relationship. The new person may want to “reset” suppliers, bring in familiar partners, or simply doesn’t know you. If the role is filled from outside, the gap can last months, and momentum quietly evaporates.

Mini-summary: Buyer relationships feel stable—until your internal ally changes roles or exits. In Japan, that shift can erase access overnight.

A replacement often wants to prove themselves. They may:

• Introduce their own preferred vendors

• Favor an existing competing relationship

• View your solution as “not their choice”

• Freeze decisions while they settle in

Even if you know the client history, the new person may see you as a cold call. You’re restarting trust and relevance from zero.

Mini-summary: A leadership change rewrites the buying map. Your past success doesn’t automatically carry over.

Japan has an unusually strong gatekeeping culture. If you don’t know the exact name of the person, getting connected is extremely difficult. Receptionists may say they’ll “take a message,” but callbacks rarely happen. The junior staff member often believes their job is to protect the company from unknown outsiders—so they share nothing, including names.

Mini-summary: Without the buyer’s name, the phone system becomes an iron wall. Gatekeepers are trained to block, not route.

What lessons do real cases teach us?

A painful example: after a president change at an international luxury firm, repeated attempts to reach the new president failed simply because the name wasn’t known. Every call was blocked. No introduction, no access, no relationship—despite strong prior results.

Mini-summary: In Japan, not knowing the name of the new leader can permanently cut you off from the account.

What should we do before transfers happen (especially in April)?

Most internal transfers happen in April, the start of Japan’s financial year. That means you can predict and prepare.

Proactive steps:

1. Ask your champion early if a transfer is likely.

2. Add a yearly calendar check for staff movement risk.

3. Never assume stability, even if the relationship is strong.

Mini-summary: April transfers are predictable. The best defense is asking early and planning yearly.

If your champion is moving internally, request a warm handover. Being introduced by your champion creates a powerful social obligation for the successor to respect existing vendors. It also reduces the chance they bring in a competitor.

When you meet the successor, re-start relationship building:

• What’s their personality style?

• Are they analytical, fast-paced, relational, or big-picture?

• What communication style do they prefer?

• How do they define success in their new role?

Mini-summary: A champion-led introduction protects continuity and gives you a head start on rebuilding trust.

What if the replacement comes from outside the company?

This is harder because your champion is gone and can’t influence the new hire. You may not even know when the role is filled.

Possible tactics:

• Ask your former champion to nominate a colleague who will take your call and share updates.

• Try to enlist the receptionist to help you track hiring progress (unlikely, but worth a careful attempt).

• Maintain light, periodic check-ins so you’re top-of-mind when the new person arrives.

Mini-summary: External hires create a visibility blackout. You need alternate insiders and gentle persistence.

Sometimes your champion is the company president. That sounds secure—but corporate life is brutal:

• Mergers can replace leadership instantly.

• Executives may resign without warning.

• Strategic shifts can remove your sponsor overnight.

If your champion disappears, your access can vanish with them.

Mini-summary: Executive sponsors are valuable but fragile. No presidency guarantees continuity.

How do we stay organized enough to survive these shifts?

Sales continuity requires discipline:

• Track champion risk before April.

• Act immediately when transfers are flagged.

• Keep regular contact with senior champions.

• Monitor signals like mergers, restructuring, or LinkedIn changes.

This doesn’t guarantee retention—but it’s far better than trying to smash through Japan’s gatekeeping after you’ve already lost the relationship.

Mini-summary: Organization turns surprise breakups into managed transitions.

Japan-specific context for sales leaders

Japan adds a unique layer of difficulty:

• Gatekeeping is intense.

• Names and introductions are essential.

• Internal transfers are culturally routine.

• Relationship continuity must be actively protected.

For both 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) operating in 東京 (Tokyo), buyer tracking is a real strategic skill—not a nice-to-have.

Mini-summary: Japan’s business culture rewards proactive relationship management and punishes passive selling.

• Champion turnover is the #1 hidden cause of lost buyers—especially around April transfers.

• Warm introductions preserve trust and block competitors.

• Without a buyer’s name, Japan’s gatekeeping makes reconnection extremely hard.

• Strong sales teams stay agile, monitor sponsors, and rebuild trust fast.

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.