Episode #414: How to Promote Your Company When Presenting Without Sounding Like a Sales Pitch In Japan

Why Is It Hard to Talk About Your Company Without Sounding Like a Commercial?

When business leaders give public talks, they often want to promote their company. But if it sounds too much like advertising, the audience quickly loses interest. The challenge is to represent your brand without turning your presentation into propaganda.

Start with stories about your company — how it began, the challenges it faced, and the breakthroughs it achieved.
Example: A company that started with just three people and grew to become a global name through innovation. Talk about the struggles, mistakes, and turning points. People remember emotions and drama, not just facts.

Summary: Use stories with real challenges and emotions to make your company relatable and memorable.

Go beyond storytelling — give the audience something useful.
Share lessons, mistakes to avoid, and key takeaways they can apply to their own work. This shows leadership and positions you as an expert who gives value, not just a sales pitch.

Summary: Offer lessons and advice your listeners can use in their own business.

Use data carefully. Share results, trends, or percentages to make your story more believable.
Remember: “Stories need data, and data needs stories.” Facts make your presentation credible, while stories make it emotional.

Summary: Combine numbers with stories to create trust and impact.

Ask rhetorical questions — they make people think and refocus attention.
Example: “Have you ever faced a moment when your company had to completely change direction?” These questions pull listeners back in without requiring answers.

Summary: Questions wake up your audience and build connection.

Instead of saying your company is great, quote someone respected who says so.
For instance, Warren Buffett publicly said that the Dale Carnegie Course changed his life — a powerful endorsement. Find credible third-party voices who can validate your story.

Summary: Let trusted experts speak for your company’s excellence.

Always design your talk around how you want to be remembered.
Promote your company subtly — like a “ninja.” Avoid sounding self-centered. Most business speakers are average; this is your chance to stand out by being real, insightful, and engaging.

• Tell real, emotional stories about your company’s journey.

• Give useful insights and practical lessons.

• Support stories with meaningful data.

• Use questions to keep the audience involved.

• Quote trusted third parties for credibility.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has helped people and companies worldwide for over 100 years.
Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, supports both Japanese (日本企業) and multinational (外資系企業) firms in leadership, sales, presentation, and executive coaching (リーダーシップ研修, 営業研修, プレゼンテーション研修, エグゼクティブ・コーチング, DEI研修).