Episode #270: Why Can’t Salespeople Rely Only on Marketing for Leads?

Marketing helps with SEO, ad words, and content campaigns. But from a sales perspective, it’s never enough. Marketing delivers some opportunities, but salespeople can’t wait around—we must generate our own leads.

Mini-summary: Marketing helps, but sales success requires salespeople to create their own leads.

What Are KAIs and Why Do They Matter?

KAIs—Key Activity Indicators—track how many calls, emails, and meetings it takes to close deals. If the average sale is one million yen and the target is thirty million, KAIs tell us how many contacts we need. Without KAIs, salespeople drift, with no roadmap to results.

Mini-summary: KAIs quantify activity needed to hit targets, turning sales into a predictable process.

How Can Salespeople Take Control of Lead Generation?

We can’t control marketing output, but we can control our own activity. Cold calls, networking events, and reactivating dormant clients all fill the funnel. Knowing what an ideal client looks like helps us focus efforts where they pay off most.

Mini-summary: Focus on what you can control—calls, reactivations, and events—to build your pipeline.

Why Does Industry Insight Unlock New Clients?

Clients within the same sector often face the same issues. If we help one hotel chain increase revenue, their competitors probably struggle with similar challenges. That insight becomes our battering ram to break into rival companies.

Mini-summary: Success with one client creates credibility and leverage to win their competitors.

What Makes Cold Calling in Japan So Tough?

Receptionists—the “call killers”—block salespeople before they reach decision-makers. They ask tough screening questions and rarely pass messages along. Most reps give up, but persistence pays off. Using competitor references and calling back repeatedly is often the only way through.

Mini-summary: Japanese gatekeepers block most cold calls; persistence and smart scripts break the wall.

How Do Salespeople Stay Disciplined in Lead Generation?

The key is treating cold calling like a client meeting. Schedule it. Defend it. Don’t cancel it. Block time every day to push for new leads. Discipline, thick skin, and conviction are essential to succeed.

Mini-summary: Cold calling must be scheduled like a client meeting—discipline is non-negotiable.

About the Author

Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie “One Carnegie Award” (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012).
As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban “Hito o Ugokasu” Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー).