Episode #386: Controlling Our Hour For The Sales Meeting In Japan

Are you getting only 30 minutes with a buyer—and feeling pressure to “pitch everything” at once?

In Japan, sellers are often granted a full hour for a first meeting. But with some Western buyers, that time may shrink to 30 minutes—making it harder to build momentum. The good news: if you capture genuine interest early, 30 minutes can “magically” stretch into much longer. The real goal isn’t to cram everything into one meeting—it’s to earn the next one.

Mini-summary: The first meeting isn’t about saying everything. It’s about winning time, trust, and a second conversation.

That first hour (or half hour) should be concentrated on building rapport and trust immediately. Most buyers don’t know you yet, and you’re asking them to share sensitive corporate realities with a stranger. As the old warning goes: “don’t talk to strangers.”

Your credibility must come first. If your communication feels clumsy or disorganized, buyers naturally assume incompetence, unreliability, and risk.

Mini-summary: Before solutions matter, trust matters. Clear, professional communication is your first proof of value.

Many Japanese buyers are trained to listen to a pitch and then tear it apart. It’s a defense mechanism to avoid making a bad decision. Pitching too early—without context—invites that destruction.

Instead, your priority is to gain permission to ask questions. If you don’t understand what they need, how can you pitch the right thing? If they want A and you keep selling B, you lose.

Mini-summary: Don’t pitch into the void. Ask questions first to avoid triggering reflexive rejection.

Use a simple four-part flow to establish relevance without overclaiming:

1. Who we are

2. What we do

3. Who we’ve done it for—and what happened

4. Suggest we could possibly do it for them too

That word “possibly” matters. You still don’t know enough to claim a perfect fit. A better move is:

“I’m not sure yet if we’re a match. If I can ask some questions, I’ll know whether we can help.”

This avoids sounding arrogant and keeps you aligned with Japanese business expectations.
Mini-summary: Introduce clearly, show proof, and stay humble until you understand their situation.

Why do aggressive Western sales styles fail in Japan?

Western techniques often push enthusiastic certainty:
“We can solve everything! We’re amazing! We’ll fix all your problems!”

In Japan, that comes across as boasting, empty “sales hot air,” and something to avoid. Modesty and evidence matter more than hype.
Mini-summary: Confidence without understanding sounds like bragging in Japan. Evidence and humility win trust.

What questions should you prioritize once you get permission?

Start with either:

• Where they are now, or

• Where they want to be

The order doesn’t matter. But you need both to measure the gap.

If a client thinks they’re close to solving the problem internally, they may believe they don’t need you. Your job is to test that assumption. If you can’t change it, exit fast and find someone you truly can help.
Mini-summary: You’re mapping distance between today and desired future—and checking whether they really need outside support.

How do you uncover the real blocker—and why isn’t that enough?

Once you understand where they want to be, ask what’s preventing them from getting there. Ideally, that blocker positions you as the missing capability they can’t generate internally.

But there’s a bigger risk: lack of urgency. Many deals die because buyers don’t connect speed with value.
So you must explore:

• Timing

• Importance of speed

• Opportunity cost of no action

Buyers often assume no action has no cost. Your questioning must challenge that quietly but firmly.
Mini-summary: Identifying the blocker is only step one. You also need to reveal urgency and cost of delay.

When do you explain your solution—and how should you frame it?

Not in the first meeting.

First meeting = deep discovery of requirements, motivations, fears, and concerns.
Second meeting = show how your solution addresses what they told you.

In that next session, don’t just explain mechanics. Connect:

1. How it works

2. Benefits they gain

3. What those benefits will look like inside their organization

4. Proof from similar clients

Skepticism is normal, so your evidence must be specific and relevant.
Mini-summary: Discovery first, solution second—always tied to benefits and proof.

How do you close softly in Japan without “hard selling”?

Use a mild but deadly check-in question:

“How does that sound so far?”

Then stop talking. Let silence do its job.
If they object, don’t defend. Ask gently:

“Why do you say that?”

Then be quiet again. Their explanation gives you what you need to respond.

If you can resolve the objection, ask again:

“How does that sound?”

Closing in Japan is quiet, low-pressure, and trust-based. Hard sell doesn’t work here.
Mini-summary: Soft closing means asking, listening, and letting the buyer talk themselves into clarity.

Because there will almost always be more than one meeting.
When you reach that point, open your diary and schedule it while you’re together. If you walk out without locking it in, competitors or internal priorities will crush your chance to get their time again.

Mini-summary: Don’t leave the second meeting to chance—secure it face-to-face.

• The first meeting is about trust, discovery, and earning the next meeting—not pitching everything.

• Gain permission to ask questions before presenting solutions.

• Measure the gap between “now” and “wanted future,” and uncover both blocker and urgency.

• Close softly in Japan using quiet questions, silence, and proof—not pressure.

At Dale Carnegie Tokyo, we support both 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) across 東京 (Tokyo) with programs in 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)—all grounded in trust-based communication and culturally effective selling.