Episode #7: Selling Ain't Telling

Why Do So Many Sales Professionals in Japan and Globally Still Lose Deals They Should Win?

In both 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies), sales leaders often assume that more information, more slides, and more technical detail will persuade clients.
But executives in Tokyo consistently report the opposite: salespeople talk too much and understand too little.

This article shows what happens when a salesperson overwhelms instead of discovers — and how a questioning-centered sales process dramatically improves closing rates.

Mini-summary: Most sales failures happen not because of weak products, but because of weak discovery.

A real example: a Sales Director arrives confidently, opens his laptop “oyster shell,” and unleashes twenty minutes of dense PowerPoint slides — data, specs, diagrams, text.
He never asks a single question.
The irony? The buyer was a hot prospect, already highly interested, already motivated, and already emotionally bought into the concept.

Yet the salesperson destroyed the opportunity by:

• Presenting before understanding

• Explaining every function instead of the relevant ones

• Failing to build trust, rapport, or urgency

Mini-summary: Presenting too early disconnects the seller from the buyer and kills deals — even when the buyer wants to buy.

Executives in Tokyo often expect salespeople to tailor conversations to the customer’s reality — not to force a generic script.
When sellers skip discovery, they cannot:

• Identify gaps between As Is and Should Be

• Prioritize buyer-relevant functions

• Understand business drivers and personal motivators

• Create urgency

Without these insights, even excellent solutions appear irrelevant.

Mini-summary: A universal presentation cannot solve a specific client problem.

What Should a High-Impact Sales Process Look Like?

Top performers — especially in complex B2B sales environments such as 日本企業 and 外資系企業 — follow a questioning structure that reveals true needs:

1. Start with the Client’s Current Situation (“As Is”)

Ask where they are now, operationally and strategically.

2. Explore the Ideal State (“Should Be”)

Identify what outcomes, improvements, or efficiencies they want.

3. Measure the Gap

This is where value is created.
No gap = no urgency = no sale today.

4. Introduce Barrier Questions

“Why hasn’t this been fixed already?”
Barriers reveal opportunities the client cannot solve alone.

5. Uncover Personal Payoff

What is at stake for them?
Promotion, targets, budget efficiency, team morale, risk reduction?

6. Present Only What Matters

If only 2 out of 10 features solve the problem, present only those two.

Mini-summary: Effective sales follows a logical, question-driven path that leads naturally to the most relevant solution.

For over 60 years in Tokyo, Dale Carnegie Training has seen that question-driven sales:

• Shortens sales cycles

• Boosts relevance and customer trust

• Prevents “death by PowerPoint”

• Dramatically increases close rates

• Builds consultative credibility needed in 日本企業 and 外資系企業

The Sales Director in the story likely repeated the same ineffective habits for decades — resulting in massive cumulative revenue loss that could have been avoided with proper training.

Mini-summary: Question-based selling elevates professionals from presenters to trusted advisors.

• Asking insightful questions is the fastest path to uncovering value and urgency.

• Presenting prematurely destroys opportunities — even with motivated buyers.

• A structured “As Is → Should Be → Gap → Barriers → Payoff” questioning method increases relevance and trust.

• Sales success in Tokyo requires cultural sensitivity, listening, and tailored solutions.

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.