Episode #390: Sales Can Be Depressing In Japan

Why does a “bad run” in sales feel so brutal, especially in Tokyo?

When you’re doing everything right—networking constantly, chasing website leads, following up with care—and still getting stalled or ghosted, it hits more than your pipeline. It hits your identity. Sales is emotional work. In Japan and global markets alike, you can be doing the right actions and still get a “no decision” because budgets freeze, headquarters intervene, or priorities shift.

Here’s the tough truth: rejection clusters happen. When they land back-to-back, they can distort your thinking and make you question your ability. That’s exactly why resilience and mindset are not “nice to have.” They are core sales skills.

Mini-summary: A bad run isn’t proof you’re failing—it’s a normal sales phase that requires resilience skills to outlast.

Follow-up is not pestering; it’s professional persistence. Most prospects don’t say “no”—they drift. Your job is to stay visible and helpful without becoming background noise.

A practical frame:

• Your follow-up is a service. If their company expects its salespeople to follow up for growth, it’s reasonable that you do too.

• Consistency beats intensity. Repeated, respectful check-ins win more business than one big push.

• Silence is not rejection. It’s usually overload, timing, or internal politics.

If anyone ever criticizes your follow-up, a calm, values-based response works:

“Yes, you’re right—I do follow up. Your organization has salespeople too, and you’d expect them to follow up for your company’s growth. That’s what we do. And we help sales teams improve follow-up so they win more business—something your organization would value.”

Mini-summary: Great follow-up is steady, value-driven, and aligned with how every healthy business grows.

This is happening across 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies). Common reasons include:

• Global HQ freezes on hiring/training

• Cost-control cycles in uncertain markets

• Internal decision bottlenecks

• “Wait and see” leadership behavior

Your move is to keep the relationship warm without pressure:

1. Acknowledge the pause. “Understood—thanks for being clear.”

2. Lock in a future touchpoint. “Would it be okay if I check back in March?”

3. Offer a small, useful resource. A short insight, case, or relevant example.

4. Stay close to decision-makers. Even if timing is bad now, trust compounds.

This is precisely where strong consultative selling and relationship management make the difference—and where 営業研修 (sales training) becomes a strategic advantage for clients.

Mini-summary: Budget freezes are rarely personal. Stay relevant, set gentle follow-ups, and keep building trust.

Because sales is a meaning-making machine. When wins slow down, your brain tries to explain why—and often lands on the most punishing story: “Maybe I’m not good enough.”

That mental slide is dangerous. What you focus on shapes what you do next. If you dwell on defeat, your behavior tightens: fewer calls, weaker energy, less creativity. The spiral becomes self-fulfilling.

The fix isn’t fake positivity. It’s evidence-based confidence:

• You’ve succeeded before.

• Your actions are correct.

• The market is cycling, not ending.

Mini-summary: Rejection doesn’t destroy performance—your interpretation of it does.

What’s the fastest way to reset your confidence this week?

Call past clients—especially satisfied ones.

Why it works:

• They will take your call, because trust already exists.

• You remind them you’re there (a lot of sales are lost to silence after delivery).

• There’s a real chance they have a new need.

• Even if they don’t, the conversation lifts your emotional state back toward momentum.

In Dale Carnegie Tokyo’s work across 東京 (Tokyo) and Japan, we consistently see that relationship revival is one of the most reliable ways to restart stalled sales cycles.

Mini-summary: Past clients are your fastest confidence reset and your most underused pipeline lever.

What mindset keeps top salespeople in the game long-term?

The Japanese saying 七転び八起き (nana korobi, ya oki — “fall down seven times, get up eight”) captures it perfectly. Top sellers don’t avoid falling. They recover faster.

Think like the cowboy advice: get back in the saddle immediately. Because the longer you sit with defeat, the more your mind talks you out of action.

Sales success psychology is built on self-belief. When that wall cracks, people drop out. When it holds, they outlast the downturn and win on the other side.

Mini-summary: The best salespeople aren’t unshakable—they’re quick to stand up again.

We train salespeople and leaders to sell with confidence, structure, and resilience—especially when the market is tight.

Our programs in 営業研修 (sales training), リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), and プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) help professionals:

• Build consistent follow-up and pipeline habits

• Lead consultative sales conversations with senior stakeholders

• Stay mentally strong through rejection cycles

• Present value clearly to HQ and local decision-makers

• Convert long-cycle relationships into active deals

With 100+ years of global expertise and 60+ years in Tokyo, Dale Carnegie supports performance across both 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies), including executive support through エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching) and inclusive growth skills via DEI研修 (DEI training).

Mini-summary: We turn follow-up grit and selling skill into repeatable results—even in slow markets.

• Rejection clusters are normal; resilience is a core sales skill.

• Professional follow-up is service, not pressure—and wins trust over time.

• Budget freezes mean “not now,” not “never”; stay relevant and consistent.

• Calling past happy clients is the quickest way to rebuild momentum.

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.