How To Deal With Major Misperceptions Buyers Have About Your Company

Why do sales calls with strangers feel so difficult in Japan (日本 Japan) today?

Buyers in Japan are overwhelmed, busy, and cautious. Technology has accelerated business, but executives remain time-poor and highly selective about what they listen to. When a salesperson approaches “out of the blue,” the buyer’s first instinct is often to protect their time and attention.

Trust is also fragile. Many buyers have been misled before, or have seen others misled, so they start with permanent suspicion toward salespeople. This means your first challenge is not your product — it is credibility and psychological safety.

Mini-summary: In Japan, the first barrier in sales is not interest — it’s time pressure and distrust. You must earn the right to discuss needs.

Japan is a high-stakes, highly competitive market where rivals may actively undermine you. Competitors sometimes spread rumors or throw indirect attacks such as:

• “They’re having financial trouble and won’t last.”

• “Their after-sales service is terrible.”

• “Their representative won’t stay long.”

Even in a culture known for politeness, some competitors will lie without hesitation if it helps them win. Buyers hear these stories, so they may already carry doubts about you before the first meeting.

Mini-summary: Japanese buyers often arrive with “noise” from competitors. Assume the trust field is uneven and prepare to reset it early.

How should you start a sales call in Japan without losing the buyer?

A typical sales call in Japan begins with brief chit chat, then moves into business. The mistake many salespeople make is jumping straight into the pitch. If that’s your habit, stop. It triggers resistance because the buyer hasn’t decided they trust you yet.

Instead, lead with structure and permission:

1. Ask permission to ask questions.

2. Propose an agenda for the meeting.

Japanese buyers love agendas because they prefer clarity, data, and a logical flow. A visible agenda signals professionalism and respect for their time.

Mini-summary: Don’t pitch first. Use permission + agenda to create safety and a clear roadmap.

After your needs-discovery questions, add one more:

“What are your impressions of our company?”

Why? Because a buyer won’t share internal problems with a stranger. Asking for impressions is a gentle doorway into trust. It surfaces:

• Misunderstandings

• Old assumptions

• Competitor-planted doubts

• Emotional hesitation

For Dale Carnegie Tokyo, a common perception is that “108+ years of history” could mean “old-fashioned.” That concern must be addressed before the buyer can engage honestly with needs or solutions.

Mini-summary: “Impressions of our company” flushes out silent doubts that block everything else.

How do you respond to tough or “curly” objections without sounding defensive?

When a buyer shares a concern, don’t answer immediately. Cushion first. Use a neutral statement that neither argues nor inflames. This gives you a few seconds to think and helps the buyer feel heard.

Example cushion:

• “It’s important to consider perspectives on the brand.”

Then respond with meaning and evidence. For example, if the concern is “Dale Carnegie feels old,” you can say:

• Our longevity proves stability and trust.

• We are global, serving clients 24/7 worldwide.

• Real client demands continuously modernize our approach.

So the message becomes: heritage + global relevance = current value.

Mini-summary: Cushioning keeps emotions calm and buys you time, leading to stronger, more credible answers.

By surfacing impressions early, you avoid building your proposal on shaky ground. Once hidden doubts are cleared, the buyer can talk openly about real needs. That creates:

• Faster trust

• Cleaner discovery

• Fewer late-stage surprises

• Stronger commitment to solutions

In short, you stop selling uphill.

Mini-summary: Clear the trust obstacles first, and the solution conversation becomes easier and more productive.

• Japanese buyers often start with distrust due to time pressure and competitor misinformation.

• Use agendas and permission-based questioning to create structure and safety.

• Ask “What are your impressions of our company?” to uncover silent objections early.

• Cushion concerns neutrally before answering to avoid defensiveness and build credibility.