We Need More Formality OnLine When Selling To Japanese Buyers

Why is selling to Japanese buyers online so different from selling in person?

Selling to a Japanese buyer face-to-face and selling to that same buyer online are fundamentally different experiences. In online meetings, trust signals are harder to transmit, attention is easier to lose, and misunderstandings grow faster. Many salespeople discovered during COVID that skills which worked in the office did not automatically work on screen.

For 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) alike, online sales is now built into daily business life. With fewer people in the office and more hybrid work, virtual selling will stay part of reality in 東京 (Tokyo) and across Japan.

Mini-summary: Online selling to Japanese buyers isn’t a temporary adjustment — it’s a permanent skill requirement, especially for teams serving Japan’s hybrid-work market.

First impressions online are just as decisive as in person — but the rules shift. Your posture and framing communicate credibility before you speak. Sit upright and formal, or stand tall, so your body language conveys confidence, competence, trust, and reliability.

Set your camera at eye height and frame yourself so your upper body is visible. This gives your buyer a clearer view of your attentiveness and professionalism — vital in Japanese business culture where nonverbal cues are constantly evaluated.

Mini-summary: Online first impressions depend on posture and camera setup, which must visibly project reliability and professional confidence.

Online gestures still matter, but they need to be adapted. Keep your gestures within the corridor between chest and ear height so they stay visible. Avoid fast or wide hand movements, especially with virtual backgrounds, because they blur or distort on screen.

Instead, hold gestures slightly longer and move your hands more slowly to maintain clarity and impact. This controlled physical communication helps reinforce trust and makes your explanations easier to follow.

Mini-summary: Use smaller, slower, chest-to-ear gestures to keep your meaning clear and your presence credible on video.

Avoid slouching. You wouldn’t do it in front of a buyer in person, and it weakens your authority online too. Also, don’t look down at faces on your screen while speaking — it appears like you’re looking down on them. Instead, look directly into the camera lens to simulate eye contact.

Your voice also needs an upgrade. Increase energy and projection by about 20% to compensate for the “power loss” cameras create. Stress key phrases more strongly, slow your speaking pace, and use pauses to ensure your message is captured and processed on imperfect audio platforms.

Eliminate filler sounds (“ums” and “ahs”) by rehearsing beforehand. Japanese buyers often interpret vocal hesitation as uncertainty, and that can erode trust quickly.

Mini-summary: Look into the lens, speak louder and slower, emphasize key phrases, and remove fillers to sound confident and trustworthy.

Start with a short credibility statement: your USP (unique selling proposition). Then support it visually using screen share. For example, if longevity is part of your USP, show visuals such as historical skylines that anchor your story in time and credibility.

Next, share a draft agenda on screen. Explain why the discussion matters, cover their current situation, desired future situation, and barriers preventing progress. Ask them to add agenda items so they feel ownership. If they suggest changes, type them live into the shared document and re-display it.

This structured, co-created agenda aligns strongly with Japanese decision-making preferences, which value preparation, clarity, and mutual alignment.

Mini-summary: Lead with credibility, show visual proof, and co-build the agenda on screen to create trust and shared ownership.

How do you keep Japanese buyers engaged and accountable online?

One risk of online meetings is silent multitasking. In person, buyers can’t hide distraction; online, they can. That’s why you should insist on mutual camera use early and respectfully:
“We both value trust, so let’s keep cameras on for today’s meeting.”

If they resist turning on video, treat it as a serious warning sign. In Japan, trust is built through visibility, consistency, and presence. A buyer who won’t show up fully may not be a prospect worth major time investment.

Mini-summary: Require camera-on meetings to reduce multitasking and confirm the buyer’s seriousness and trust level.

After the meeting, send abundant supporting information. Japan is highly data-driven, and the rule is simple: you cannot give Japanese buyers too much detail.

If they request a proposal or quotation, schedule the next meeting immediately. Do not send the full document in advance. Instead, use screen share in the next meeting to walk them through it, control understanding, and explain the value behind the final number. Then send the document after the walkthrough.

Mini-summary: Send rich data, but present proposals live first — then send the final document afterward to guide understanding and value perception.

• Online selling in Japan is permanent due to hybrid work and shifting buyer expectations in 東京 (Tokyo) and beyond.

• Camera presence, posture, and controlled gestures are core trust signals for 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies).

• Strong delivery requires lens eye contact, higher vocal energy, slower pacing, and zero filler words.

• For Japanese buyers, send plenty of data — but always present proposals live before sending them.

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.