Episode #364: Do We Really Understand Client's Needs In Sales?

Why do many sales conversations fail before they start?

Because too many salespeople still lead with a product monologue instead of curiosity. They show up, explain their “widget” in microscopic detail, and hope the client buys once they’ve heard enough facts. That approach sometimes works for highly analytical buyers — but overall it’s a hit-or-miss style with a low success rate.

If we don’t first understand what matters to the buyer, how can we know our solution will resonate?

Mini-summary: Sales fails early when sellers talk first and learn later. Insight must come before explanation.

I once heard a President give a presentation and asked him to send someone to explain a solution I was interested in. The firm’s Sales Manager visited me. He didn’t ask a single question. Instead, he launched into a prepared slide deck of about 60 slides.

He wasn’t a rookie — likely in his forties — and had probably used this approach for 20 years. The problem? Only two slides were relevant to what I needed. The other 58 were a waste of time because he never asked what I wanted.

If he had known my priorities, he could have focused on those two slides and we could have discussed how they would help me grow my business. Instead, the meeting ended with no progress, and he left empty-handed.
Mini-summary: “Spray and pray” creates long presentations, short attention, and zero value for the buyer.

What is the salesperson’s real job in the first meeting?

A professional salesperson’s first task is to reach an early conclusion:

1. Do we have what the buyer needs?

   • If not, we shouldn’t waste their time or ours.

2. If yes, what exact help do they need from us?

   • Then we dig into detail.

That means asking structured questions about:

• Their current situation

• Their desired future state

• The gap between the two

• The urgency and timeline

Mini-summary: The first meeting is for diagnosis, not performance. Decide early whether you can truly help.

Which questions uncover real needs — not just surface answers?

A useful needs analysis follows a simple logic:

1) Where are they now?

Ask about the present reality to understand their baseline.

2) Where do they need to be?

Define the target clearly, then measure the gap.

3) How fast must they get there?

If the gap is small, clients may believe they can solve it alone. Timeline questions reveal urgency and competitive pressure. Markets and rivals move quickly; they must too.

4) Why aren’t they there already?

This exposes constraints, obstacles, and root causes — where your solution may fit.

5) What does success mean personally?

When you present your solution, you want to connect benefits to their personal wins — status, relief, growth, credibility, promotion, etc.

Mini-summary: Great sales questions move from “where you are” to “what blocks you” to “why it matters.”

Why do deals stall in Japanese companies even when the buyer says “yes”?

Because the visible buyer isn’t the whole buying system. In many Japanese companies (日本企業 / Japanese companies) decisions must pass through groups you’ll never meet. If you don’t anticipate internal resistance, you risk a silent failure later.

I once worked with a small company President who loved our solution. The deal was perfect. Yet nothing happened. Follow-ups produced only excuses.

Later I realized the CFO came from the parent company. The President didn’t have real power — but couldn’t admit it because it was embarrassing.

In Japan, firms often protect internal politics and avoid exposing conflict. Secrecy (秘密主義 / secrecy-first culture) can mean you receive a very thin slice of the real story. This is especially true when someone internally might block change.

Mini-summary: In Japan, “yes” from your contact may hide a “no” from unseen stakeholders.

How can salespeople uncover hidden resistance early?

You can’t see behind closed doors — but you can ask in a way that helps your champion prepare. Try:

“Inside your firm, I’m sure this decision will interest other key groups. Thinking ahead to addressing concerns early, where might there be pockets of resistance to this idea?”

This does three things:

1. Signals respect for their internal process

2. Helps surface the real blockers

3. Lets you equip your champion with the right evidence and messaging

Without this, you may hit a brick wall late in the cycle and lose a deal that “should have closed.”

Mini-summary: Ask about internal resistance directly — respectfully — so you can support the buyer’s internal selling.

• Presentations don’t create demand; questions do.

• Needs analysis should map current state → desired state → gap → urgency → obstacles → personal meaning.

• In Japan (日本 / Japan), internal decision makers you never meet often determine outcomes.

• Ask early about hidden resistance so your champion can win internally.

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.