Episode #5: Credibility Counts for Everything In Sales

Sales teams in Japan often walk into meetings already on the defensive. Clients are cautious, skeptical, and deeply risk-averse. Your new salesperson represents “change” and therefore “risk” — and risk is exactly what most decision makers in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (foreign-capital / multinational companies) want to avoid.

If your team cannot quickly reverse that doubt, you will never become a trusted business partner. This page explains a practical method used by Dale Carnegie Tokyo to win trust in under 30 seconds: the Credibility Statement.

Most buyers in 東京 (Tokyo) and across Japan carry a mental picture of the “smooth-talking, pushy salesperson” who is trying to trick them. When they meet a new seller, their default mode is:

• Caution – “Who is this person really working for: me or their quota?”

• Doubt – “Is this another canned pitch?”

• Risk avoidance – “If I change suppliers and it fails, I get blamed.”

On top of that, many of us were rewarded from childhood for being risk-averse, not for trying something new. A new salesperson asking for budget or a supplier change automatically triggers resistance.

If you don’t address this emotional barrier in the first moments, the rest of your “logical” presentation will not land. The buyer’s protective mental wall stays up, and you are treated as just another vendor, not a partner.

Mini-summary: Japanese buyers start from a position of doubt and risk avoidance, especially with new salespeople. Unless you address that emotional barrier immediately, your logical arguments will fail.

A Credibility Statement is a concise, 20–30 second message that:

1. Explains what you do in business terms

2. Proves your track record with real results

3. Connects those results to this specific client

4. Smoothly earns permission to ask questions

Example structure (from a Dale Carnegie Tokyo context):

“Dale Carnegie Training helps to deliver the behavior change needed in the team that translates into improved business results. An example of this was where we helped a very high-end retailer by training their entire sales staff; they are now enjoying a 30% increase in sales. Maybe we could do the same for you. In order to help me understand if we can do that or not, would you mind if I asked a few questions?”

In a culture where “the buyer is God,” the Credibility Statement respectfully shows:

• You create value, not just sell products

• Another credible company has already trusted you

• You are humble enough to ask permission before probing deeper

Mini-summary: A Credibility Statement is a short, evidence-based introduction that lowers buyer resistance and earns the right to ask questions — a critical step in Japanese sales culture.

1. Start with the general business benefit

Answer the question: “What do you do that matters to a business?”

Example:

“Dale Carnegie Training helps to deliver the behavior change needed in teams that translates into improved results.”

This positions you at a business outcome level, not just at the product-feature level.

2. Prove it with a specific client result

Answer the question: “Can you prove it with real numbers?”

Example:

“An example of this was where we helped a very high-end retailer with training their entire sales staff. They are now enjoying a 30% increase in sales.”

Here you use:

• A credible client (industry, scale, brand if allowed)

• A clear metric (e.g., +30% in sales, productivity, quality, etc.)

3. Make it relevant: connect to this client

Answer the question: “Why should I care?”

Example:

“Maybe we could do the same for you.”

This simple line connects your past success directly to the buyer’s possible future.

4. Build the “verbal bridge” to questions

Answer the question: “How do I move from ‘pitch’ into discovery without being intrusive?”

Example:

“In order to help me understand if we can do that or not, would you mind if I asked a few questions?”

You are:

• Showing respect (asking permission)

• Framing questions as a way to help them, not to interrogate them

• Setting up a smooth transition into needs analysis

Mini-summary: A powerful Credibility Statement has four parts: general benefit, specific proof, relevance to the client, and a “verbal bridge” that politely earns permission to ask questions.

In many Japanese companies, the “usual game” goes like this:

1. Seller arrives and delivers a pitch.

2. Buyer attacks the pitch, looking for risks and weaknesses.

3. Seller is forced to defend slide after slide, on the back foot.

The buyer is trying to reduce risk by exposing problems in front of colleagues. But this structure means:

• You don’t really understand their situation.

• You cannot tailor your solution.

• You have a low probability of closing the deal.

By contrast, when you say:

“In order to help me understand if we can do that or not, would you mind if I asked a few questions?”

…you show humility and respect for Japanese hierarchy and culture, while taking back control of the sales process — not the buyer’s authority.

If the buyer denies your request and demands, “Just give me your pitch,” the data is very clear: almost no sales are made in that situation. You are guessing, not consulting.

Mini-summary: In Japan, asking explicit permission to ask questions is vital. Without it, you are locked into a one-way pitch with a very low chance of success.

Many sales professionals — even experienced ones — make this mistake:

• They skip discovery.

• They jump straight into features, functions, and slides.

• They never ask what the client actually needs or struggles with.

Example: A Sales Director from a software vendor visited Tokyo, exchanged a few pleasantries, then launched straight into a 40-minute PowerPoint tour of functionality. He never asked a single question about needs, challenges, or priorities. Result: no sale.

This is common across industries — from software to pharma to manufacturing. Salespeople “wing it” based on their own assumptions, rather than designing conversations to solve real problems.

Mini-summary: Skipping questions and jumping to a one-way pitch turns you into a generic vendor. Without a deep understanding of needs, you have very little chance of closing the sale.

Once the client gives permission, you should explore at least four areas:

1. Current situation

   • “How are you handling this today?”

   • “What is working well? What is not?”

2. Desired future state

   • “Ideally, what would success look like 12–18 months from now?”

   • “What would you like your team, process, or results to look like?”

3. Barriers and constraints

   • “What is holding you back right now?”

   • “What has prevented you from solving this already?”

4. Personal impact on the buyer

   • “If we could improve this area, what would that mean for you personally?”

   • “How would this impact your role, your team, your stakeholders?”

These questions move you from vendor to trusted advisor. You are not simply promoting features; you are discovering problems to solve, which is the real purpose of sales.

Mini-summary: After your Credibility Statement, use structured questions to understand the client’s current state, ideal future, barriers, and personal stakes. This moves you into the role of trusted advisor.

How should you adapt your Credibility Statement for phone calls and ultra-short meetings?

For phone calls

When your goal is just to get an appointment, keep it tight:

1. Brief benefit and proof (as above)

2. Direct close for a meeting, not for a sale

Example:

“We help sales teams improve their conversion rates through practical 営業研修 (sales training). For example, we supported a retail client who increased sales by 30% after our program. Are you available next Tuesday, or is Thursday better, for a brief discussion?”

Do not try to sell a complex solution over the phone (unless your business model is designed for that). On the phone, the win is the appointment, not the contract.

In some industries, especially pharma, salespeople in Tokyo hospitals may get just one minute with the doctor. In that “nano-window,” you need:

• A razor-sharp Credibility Statement

• One powerful hook that makes the doctor want to continue the conversation later

• Extreme clarity in design and delivery

The structure is the same, but every word must be intentional. There is no time for random small talk or unfocused descriptions.

Mini-summary: On the phone, use your Credibility Statement to secure a meeting, not a sale. In ultra-short meetings, design every word as a high-impact hook that earns you the right to a deeper conversation later.

Dale Carnegie Training, founded in the U.S. in 1912, has been improving human relations and business performance globally for over 100 years. In Japan, our Tokyo office—established in 1963—has supported both 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (foreign-capital / multinational companies) with:

• リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training) for managers and executives

• 営業研修 (sales training) that includes Credibility Statements, questioning skills, and consultative selling

• プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) for persuasive, executive-level communication

• エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching) for senior leaders navigating complex change

• DEI研修 (DEI training) to build inclusive, high-engagement cultures

The Credibility Statement is one practical tool within a larger Dale Carnegie sales system designed specifically to build trust, reduce perceived risk, and align solutions to real client problems in the Japanese market.

Mini-summary: Dale Carnegie Tokyo leverages over a century of global experience and 60+ years in Japan to help companies upgrade their sales, leadership, and communication capabilities — and the Credibility Statement is a proven frontline tool in that system.

• Trust comes first, logic second: Japanese buyers are risk-averse and skeptical of new salespeople; you must lower emotional resistance before presenting your solution.

• Use a four-part Credibility Statement: General benefit → specific proof → relevance to the client → “verbal bridge” asking permission to question.

• Questions drive sales, not slides: Without structured discovery questions, your chance of closing is very low, no matter how strong your PowerPoint is.

• Design for context: Adapt your Credibility Statement for phone calls, tight hospital visits, and executive meetings in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational firms) in 東京 (Tokyo) and beyond.

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.