Episode #47: To Push Or Not to Push

When a promising opportunity suddenly goes silent after your proposal, your sales pipeline stalls, your forecast becomes unreliable, and your team’s confidence drops. Leaders in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies based in Japan) often ask: “How many times can we follow up before we damage the relationship?”

You meet a potential client, follow up, and secure a meeting.
You listen carefully, ask smart questions, and even share insights about risks and opportunities they had not considered. You tailor a solution, aiming not for a quick “sale”, but a long-term “re-sale” and partnership.

Then you invest serious time and internal resources:

• You review the full range of options.

• You design a logical, relevant, and compelling proposal.

• You present it in person if possible, or the client says “please email it”.

Once the proposal is sent, everything can go quiet.
Executives are overwhelmed by:

• Constant back-to-back meetings.

• Internal politics and decision-making.

• A flood of emails they never quite catch up with.

Sometimes the project priority has changed, your internal champion has lost power or left the company, or they simply don’t have time to respond. Silence does not always mean “no interest”; often it means “no time”.

Mini-summary: Deals often go silent not because your solution is weak, but because the client is busy, distracted, or facing internal changes. Understanding this prevents overreacting and protects the relationship.

In sales, we are taught: “Don’t say no for the other person.”
But we also do not want to be remembered as the annoying salesperson who keeps “chasing”.

A practical, respectful follow-up sequence:

1. Present in person whenever possible
   Avoid relying only on email to “sell” your proposal. In-person or live online presentation lets you clarify value, answer questions, and sense reactions in real time.

2. First follow-up (phone + email)

   • Wait about a week.

   • Try calling, understanding that busy executives are hard to catch.

   • If you do not connect, leave a short, professional voicemail.

   • Send a follow-up email asking about next steps, timing, and any questions.

3. Second follow-up (email thread + gentle “guilt” reminder)

   • Reply to an earlier email in the same chain to show the history.

   • This subtly signals: “We have been in contact, this is not out of nowhere.”

   • Ask simple, easy-to-answer questions: “Has a decision been made?” “Is your timeline still the same?”

4. Third follow-up (final attempt after about one more week)

   • Try calling again; if you fail to connect, leave another polite voicemail.

   • Send a final email stating that, since there has been no response, you will assume the timing is not right for now.

   • Clearly leave the door open: you remain ready to help when the issue becomes a priority again.

At this point, you have followed up multiple times, professionally and respectfully, without being aggressive. You have shown persistence, but also maturity in accepting silence as a signal.

Mini-summary: A structured sequence of 2–3 follow-ups (phone + email, then thread, then final closure email) balances persistence with respect and keeps your reputation intact.

In Tokyo (東京 / Tokyo) business culture, where relationships and reputation are critical, the line between “committed” and “pushy” can feel very thin.

Best practices for 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies based in Japan):

• Prioritize relationship over pressure
  Make it clear you are interested in helping them solve their problem, not just closing a deal this quarter.

• Use concise, high-respect communication
  Short, clear emails with well-structured points and an easy next step are more likely to get a response from busy executives.

• Time your calls strategically
  Calling around 8:00 a.m., before gatekeepers arrive, can slightly increase your chances of direct contact.

• Acknowledge their reality
  Recognize that they are busy and may not have had time to review your proposal yet. This shows empathy, not entitlement.

• Leave the relationship intact, even if there is no deal
  Your final email should confirm that you understand the timing may not be right and that you remain available. You are preserving future access, referrals, and reputation in the market.

Mini-summary: In Japan, respectful persistence, empathy for the client’s workload, and a clear “no hard feelings” close are essential to protect your brand while following up.

Many sales professionals fear being seen as “pushy”, but giving up too early can also be a disservice to the client. Their problem still exists; your solution can still help.

Key mindset shifts taught in Dale Carnegie 営業研修 (sales training):

• Aim for a “re-sale”, not a “one-off sale”
  Think in terms of a long-term relationship and lifetime value. The goal is for the client to feel so comfortable with you that they return again and again.

• Separate “no to this offer” from “no to me”
  The client is saying “no” (or “not now”) to this proposal, at this price, in this timing and internal context. They are not rejecting you personally.

• Protect your reputation in the marketplace
  When prospects talk about you to others, you want them to say: “Professional, respectful, helpful — we would consider working with them in the future.”

• Play the long game
  Market leaders in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies based in Japan) know that timing, internal politics, and budgets change. When the timing is finally right, they remember who treated them with respect.

Mini-summary: By focusing on long-term relationships, not just quarterly numbers, you maintain a strong personal brand and ensure clients feel safe to approach you when timing improves.

Dale Carnegie Training has over 100 years of global experience and more than 60 years serving clients in Tokyo (東京 / Tokyo). Our programs help sales teams and leaders in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies based in Japan) build the mindset and communication skills needed for high-level, relationship-based selling.

Our Tokyo office provides:

• リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training) to help managers coach their teams on effective follow-up, resilience, and emotional control.

• 営業研修 (sales training) to develop consultative selling, value articulation, and respectful persistence without being pushy.

• プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation skills training) to ensure proposals are delivered clearly and persuasively, not just emailed.

• エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching) for senior leaders who need to model relationship-centric selling and decision-making.

• DEI研修 (DEI training) to support inclusive communication in diverse, multicultural sales environments.

Through these programs, your team learns to:

• Follow up with confidence, empathy, and structure.

• Maintain poise even during long periods of client silence.

• Protect and grow your brand in the Japanese and global marketplace.

Mini-summary: Dale Carnegie Tokyo equips your leaders and salespeople with the mindset, skills, and processes to follow up effectively, protect relationships, and win repeat business in Japan’s complex B2B environment.

• Silence from a client usually reflects time pressure and internal changes, not necessarily rejection of your solution.

• A structured follow-up sequence (presentation → first follow-up → second thread-based follow-up → final closure email) balances persistence and respect.

• In 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies based in Japan), your long-term reputation matters more than forcing a single deal to close.

• Dale Carnegie’s 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 skills training) in Tokyo help teams master non-pushy, high-trust sales follow-up that leads to re-sales, referrals, and strategic relationships.

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.