I Like It, It Sounds Really Good, But I Am Not Going To Buy It

You Got the Appointment. That’s Already a Victory.

Landing an appointment these days is an accomplishment in itself. With most clients still working from home, just getting on their schedule is a test of persistence and patience — what we call a “character-building exercise”.

You start the meeting strong. You get permission to ask questions — a move that instantly places you in the top 1% of salespeople in Japan. You identify the client’s needs, align perfectly with them, and you’re sure a deal is coming.

But it doesn’t. You walk away empty-handed, confused, and deflated. What happened?

Mini-summary: Even when everything seems right, missing one subtle but critical question can destroy your close rate — especially with Japanese clients who rarely rush decisions.

You didn’t ask your questions the right way. Yes, you covered the basics:

• What they want

• Where they are now

• Where they want to be

But those won’t close the sale. They’re diagnostic, not motivational. What’s missing is the question that builds urgency and consequence.

Instead of asking,

“Where do you want your business to be going forward?”

you need to ask,

“Where do you want your business to be going forward, and what are the implications if you don’t get there fast enough?”

Mini-summary: Sales success isn’t about what you ask — it’s about how you ask it. Add consequence and urgency to move the buyer from thinking to acting.

Why This Question Works

Japanese buyers are often polite listeners. They agree with your points but quietly think,

“Yes, that’s true — we’ll work on that ourselves.”

This mindset is deadly for your sales outcome. Japanese corporate culture values 慎重 (shinchō – careful, cautious) decision-making. Without pressure, they will delay.

Your job is to introduce speed as a differentiator. The phrasing “if you don’t get there fast enough” forces them to confront the risks of delay — competitors moving ahead, market share slipping, and internal inertia costing results.

Mini-summary: The urgency question shifts the buyer’s thinking from “we’ll do it later” to “we can’t afford to wait.”

Even when buyers agree there’s a problem, execution is painfully slow.

• Endless meetings

• Multiple sign-offs

• Bureaucratic 稟議 (ringi – approval process)

Inside large Japanese organizations, progress moves at the pace of paperwork. You must position your solution as the fast lane — a way to bypass bureaucracy and achieve immediate action.

Mini-summary: Selling speed and execution strength helps Japanese buyers overcome internal inertia and makes your solution indispensable.

Buyers rarely share your urgency. You need the deal now — they don’t. The key is to make the gap between their current and desired state feel enormous and costly.

Use visuals or examples to highlight how competitors are already taking action. Paint the picture of what delay costs in lost market share or slower revenue growth.

Instead of telling them your solution brings speed and revenue, ask:

“If applying our solution now could speed up your revenue gains, would that be beneficial to you?”

When they answer “yes,” continue:

“If those additional revenues allowed you to cover our solution cost quickly and build agility against your competitors, would that assist your business?”

This questioning format lets the client verbalize the benefit — a powerful psychological trigger in Japanese decision-making.

Mini-summary: Replace sales statements with guided questions that let buyers convince themselves of the need to act fast.

Many Japanese buyers secretly believe they can solve the issue internally — and take pride in it. This belief turns them into your competitor for the same solution.

Your most effective counter is speed. Ask questions that expose how slow their internal processes are versus how quickly you can deliver results. Frame agility as your 強み (tsuyomi – strength).

Mini-summary: When you make speed your USP, internal competition disappears — you become the clear choice for immediate action.

• Securing the meeting is a win, but asking the right urgency-driven question is what closes the deal.

• Japanese buyers respect logic and preparation but rarely act fast unless the cost of delay is made explicit.

• Add “and what are the implications if you don’t get there fast enough?” to your future-focused question.

• Replace declarative sales pitches with conditional, benefit-driven questions that make buyers say “yes” themselves.

• Your agility and ability to execute quickly is your most powerful competitive advantage in Japan’s slow-moving corporate world.

Founded in 1912 in the U.S., Dale Carnegie Training has helped leaders and sales professionals worldwide for over a century in communication, sales, and leadership excellence. Since opening in Tokyo in 1963, Dale Carnegie Japan has empowered thousands of 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational organizations) to strengthen relationships, close more deals, and lead with confidence in Japan’s unique business environment.