Episode #61: Widen That Buyer Gap Or Else

Many business leaders know they should invest in growth—new training, better systems, stronger leadership—but knowing and doing are far apart. The real question is: why do smart companies delay decisions that would clearly help them grow? This page breaks down the buying psychology behind that delay and shows how to surface genuine urgency in a way that works for both Japanese and multinational organizations in Tokyo.

Even when a company recognizes a need, action often stalls because resources feel limited. Leaders want to grow, but they see two constraints:

• Money (budget, investment approval, cash flow)

• People (time, capability, internal bandwidth)

Doing nothing is the easiest decision. It avoids risk, additional workload, and the uncertainty of change. Buyers often hope that “somehow” they’ll bridge the gap later, without spending now.

Mini-summary: Awareness of a need doesn’t create urgency. The perceived cost, effort, and disruption of action often outweigh the perceived risk of waiting.

How do different executives view urgency differently?

Buying motivation shifts depending on role:

• CEO: Focused on long-term strategy and future goals.

• CFO: Focused on this quarter or year—cash flow, funding, analyst pressure.

• Line managers: Focused on targets, retaining top people, removing poor performers.

• HR in Japan: Often plays a passive, compliance-heavy role—“rule police,” responding only when asked to source people or training.

This means urgency rises and falls through the organization. What feels critical to a CEO may feel optional lower down.

Mini-summary: Urgency is not shared equally across roles. Buying decisions slow down when the perceived priority drops as you move away from the strategic center.

What is the “gap,” and why does it decide whether buyers act?

Buyers constantly compare:

• Where we are now

• Where we want to be (“should be”)

If the buyer judges the gap as small, urgency disappears. They may see improvement as “nice to have,” not essential.

Your job in a sales or leadership conversation is not to declare the gap. Buyers won’t believe you. Instead, you must help them see it themselves.

Mini-summary: The size and seriousness of the gap—as defined by the buyer—determines urgency more than price or features.

Even when budgets exist, buyers hesitate because buying triggers extra work:

• More internal coordination

• More implementation load

• More accountability

Sometimes the fear is opening Pandora’s Box—new workload they don’t have people for. They may doubt they can extract the value fast enough with current resources.

Mini-summary: In time-poor organizations, “cost of effort” can be a bigger blocker than cost of money.

How do you widen the gap without sounding like a salesperson?

You widen the gap through questions, not statements.

1) During the “Should Be” discussion

After they describe the future goal, ask:

“What happens if you can’t get there fast enough?”

Don’t ask “what if you can’t get there,” because they assume they can—eventually. Speed is the real pressure point. Nobody reaches goals as fast as they want.

2) During the “Barrier” discussion

When they explain why they aren’t at the goal yet, ask:

“What happens if you can’t clear that obstacle?”

This helps them realize that at the current pace and resources, they may not succeed—or not in time.

Mini-summary: Buyers believe their own conclusions, not your claims. Gap-widening questions create urgency while preserving trust.

How do you make urgency personal in Japan?

In Japan, buyers often avoid framing success as personal gain. They speak for the group. So after they describe the payoff, ask:

“If the targets are not met, what does that mean for you personally?”
Or, more culturally aligned:
“What does that mean for the team?”

This respects group orientation while still surfacing consequence.

Mini-summary: In Japanese organizations (日本企業 = Japanese companies), urgency must connect to team outcomes, not individual ambition.

Whether you work in a Japanese firm (日本企業 = Japanese companies) or a multinational (外資系企業 = foreign-affiliated companies), the pattern is the same: people delay action until the opportunity cost of waiting feels dangerous.

Dale Carnegie Tokyo helps leaders and sales teams:

• Surface true business gaps

• Create urgency ethically

• Build inspired, self-motivated employees

• Accelerate growth through better leadership, communication, sales, and presentations

This is central to our work 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)

• DEI研修 (DEI training)

Mini-summary: We help organizations in 東京 (Tokyo) turn “we should” into “we must now,” by reshaping how leaders and teams see the gap.

• Buyers act when they define the gap as large and urgent.

• Hesitation is often about time, workload, and risk—not just budget.

• Skillful questioning widens the gap without damaging trust.

• In Japan, consequence should link to team impact to feel real.

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.