The Sales Japan Series

Managing Client Expectations In Lockdown

Working from home is new and difficult for many of us.  Sales, in particular, as a profession is such a human to human, knee to knee, face to face business.…

Presenting Your Solution On Line In Japan

When we sit down with a client for a face to face meeting there are a number of phases to the time together.  The initial stage is spent catching up over s…

What Can You Do In A Crisis When You Can’t Sell?

Getting hold of clients has become very strained.  Normally, we have their work number and their email, but right now they are sitting at home with …

Managing A Sales Team In Covid-19 Lockdown

Farmers and hunters in your sales team represent a type of harmony in peacetime.  But Covid-19 has us all on a war footing and that balance needs to be lo…

Selling From Your Home Office

Normally we lob up to meet the buyer in their office meeting room.  With the buyer and ourselves now working from home, we have to switch gears on how we interact.  Us…

Selling To Clients On-Line In These Covid-19 Times

Covid-19 might actually be good for sales.  It might short circuit some of the dumb things salespeople do, when meeting face to face with buyers. …

Covid-19 Is Truncating Your Sales Activities, Therefore….

First the agreed purchases were postponed.  Then the events were cancelled.  Next the sales calls were canned.  Buyers are in lock down, ma…

Unprofessional Professional Salespeople

Salespeople in their forties, who have been selling their whole careers are professional salespeople.  They are not Johnny Come Latelys who found themselves …

Selling Through Others In Japan

We may think we are selling directly to the buyer in japan but often we are not actually dong that.  Selling through distributors is obviously a case where we sell t…

Dealing With Buyers Who Won’t Reveal Their Problem

The basics of professional selling requires good questioning skills on the part of the salesperson.  We understand the buyer need and then we matc…

Expectations Of Newly Hired Salespeople

Be they people new to sales or new to that company, there is always a delay in new salespeople producing results.  Sales leaders often have unrealistic expec…

Just In Time Is Bad In Sales

Toyota is famous for its JIT or Just In Time system of logistics when building cars.  Parts arrive exactly when needed, so have vast space for item storage isn’t necess…

Selling Beyond The Sale

The main goal is always to get the sale agreed.  To get the buyer to say “yes” and specify when delivery will take place.  All of the efforts are concentrated here but  is t…

Dealing With Really Tough and Mean Questions From Clients

When we give our presentation to the client we are in full control of the situation.  We know what we are going to say.  When we get to t…

How Good Are Your Key Touch Points In Sales?

Jan Carlzon’s book “Moments Of Truth” should be standard reading for everyone in business and particularly those of us in sales.  He talks about taking …

Happy Holidays!  How To Massacre Your Brand Promise

The end of year holiday season is a time of great retail commercial activity around the world.  Brands work well because they bring with them a p…

2020 Ushers In New Deals – Are We Ready To Get Our Share?

Greek myths don’t have too many happy endings or uplifting messages.  Mostly they are cautionary tales about the Gods treating us like play…

Reflecting On Your Learnings In Sales

You are as only as good as your last sale is harsh but true as a synopsis of our sales life.  Bosses are not interested in what you did last year, because that…

Leading An Intentional Sales Professional Life In 2020

The targets for the year are already set or will be set shortly, no matter when your financial year begins.  These numbers are irrelevant.  Wh…

Why “Okay, Send Me Your Proposal” Is A Bad Idea In Japan

Getting to the request for a proposal stage is usually thought of as significant progress in Japan.  This means there is an interest.  Or ma…