Thought Leadership

Fantasies, Folly, Mirages and Other Illusions of Salespeople

What’s the real risk when an employee says, “I like talking with people, so I want to be in sales”? When a str...

Do You Have An End To End Sales Process

Why is “I like talking to people, so I want to be in sales” a red flag for managers? Because it usually signal...

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...

How To Deal with Major Misperceptions Buyers Have About Your Company

In Japan’s fast-moving business world, a first sales call can feel like walking into a room where everyone is ...

The Seven Bridges Of Sales

Why do most sales meetings drift instead of closing? Many salespeople still treat selling like improvisation —...

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...

Gamification Makes Sales Role Play Fun

Why do even top salespeople need a daily warm-up before meeting clients? Sales conversations are performance e...

Selling Year In, Year Out (Part One)

Why do salespeople feel a “new-year reset,” and how can we use it productively? Every January 1st (or whenever...

The Seven Lucky Stars Of Selling

Luck isn’t random. In sales, luck is the meeting point of hard work and persistence. Top performers don’t wait...

The Care Factor In Sales In Japan

Japanese salespeople often show extraordinary dedication to clients. That client-first mindset is a major comp...

Selling Through Micro Stories

Why do modern buyers tune out traditional pitching? In today’s high-tech, time-poor business world, buyers are...

We Buy From People We Like And Trust

Buying from people we like and trust is easy. Buying from people we don’t trust feels risky, even desperate. I...

Confidence And Truth In Selling

Why does confidence sell — and when does it backfire? Confidence is persuasive because buyers instinctively tr...

Why Selling To Japanese Buyers Is So Hard And What To Do About It

Why do skilled Western salespeople struggle with buyers in Japan? Many international sales professionals arriv...

Dealing With Bad News

Why do smart buyers say “no” even when our solution is right? Executives don’t reject us because the price is ...

The Big Myth Of The Sales A Player

Running a small or mid-sized business, you’re told to “hire A Players” to boost performance. But what if your ...

Do You Have Enough Grey Hairs In The Sales Team?

Japan is a hierarchical society, meaning people respect age and seniority. For training and sales in Japan, th...

Create Reference Points For Clients

How has the pandemic changed sales in Japan? The pandemic has made it difficult to meet new clients. With new ...

The Three Barbers Of Minato

What does Minato-ku teach us about customer service? Minato-ku — the “Port Area” — is a central part of Tokyo ...

Nemawashi Is Gold When Selling In Japan

Why are shareholder, customer, and employee interests linked? Shareholders invest their future security hoping...