Selling Year In, Year Out (Part Two)

Why do sales teams repeat last year’s mistakes instead of improving?

Many sales professionals start a new year on autopilot. They prospect, they close, and they run the same routines year after year. But the real question is: are you building new experience—or just repeating old habits?

The difference matters. If your “groove” in sales is wrong, you will duplicate last year’s shortcomings and call it experience. True professionals decide to get better at the basics every year and treat selling as a career craft, not a yearly cycle.

Mini-summary: Improvement is a choice. Without it, experience becomes repetition, not progress.

Remote selling has made communication harder and more important. When clients only see you on a screen, trust is built through your voice, presence, and clarity—often more than your slides.

Research and real-world observation show that people lose about 20% of their energy on screen. That means you need to raise your energy just to reach normal levels, and raise it even more to inspire confidence.

Mini-summary: Online sales reduces your impact unless you consciously elevate energy and clarity.

Buyers don’t want “dead dog” energy. They want someone who feels committed, proactive, and strong enough to protect their interests.

When a salesperson appears flat or lifeless online, buyers assume:

• you won’t fight for them internally,

• you won’t execute well,

• you won’t be reliable under pressure.

The old “same old sales boogie” fails in this environment. Without stronger onscreen communication, you lose both the customer and the deal.

Mini-summary: In remote selling, energy equals credibility. Low energy quietly kills trust.

Understanding clients sounds obvious, but in practice it’s rare—especially in Japan. The common pattern is one-way communication: the seller “convinces” the buyer by delivering a full pitch.

The problem? If you don’t ask questions, you don’t know what the client actually needs. It’s like passionately promoting a blue widget when the buyer needs a pink one.

This is why executive-level selling requires curiosity and structured questioning, not broadcasting features.

Mini-summary: One-way pitching blocks understanding; questions uncover real needs.

What is the hidden trap in Japan’s buyer–seller culture?

Japanese buyers often expect sellers to pitch first so they can dismantle the argument afterward. This “smash the walnut with a sledgehammer” approach reflects Japan’s risk-averse purchasing style.

It isn’t irrational—but it creates inefficiency. Pitching becomes a low-value ritual. The buyer learns nothing relevant until the seller starts asking meaningful questions.

In real sales meetings, many Japanese salespeople never ask even a single question, wasting time and losing deals.

Mini-summary: Risk aversion drives pitching rituals, but questioning is what reduces real risk.

To succeed in Japan, there’s a necessary mezzanine step: getting permission to ask questions.

This is simple and respectful:

• “May I ask a few questions to understand your situation better?”

• “Could I confirm your priorities first before I explain solutions?”

Once permission is granted, the conversation becomes about the buyer—not the catalogue. That’s how you find out whether they want pink or blue.

Mini-summary: In Japan, asking permission enables questioning—and questioning enables selling.

What are the “new basics” sales teams must master this year?

Whether online or face-to-face, the fundamentals remain the same—but the standard has risen. Alongside prospecting and closing, salespeople now need:

• high-impact onscreen communication,

• deliberate energy and presence,

• structured questioning,

• client-centered discovery conversations.

This is the sales equivalent of football blocking and tackling: not glamorous, but decisive.

Mini-summary: The basics didn’t disappear—they got tougher, and now include digital presence.

• Remote selling requires higher energy and sharper communication to build trust.

• Pitching without questions wastes time and misaligns solutions.

• In Japan (日本企業 nihon-kigyō, “Japanese companies”), asking permission before questioning improves discovery and respect.

• Mastering these “new basics” transforms experience into real professional growth.

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.