Q: Why isn't marketing enough to keep the pipeline full?
A: Marketing can help through database segmentation, SEO content, white papers, eBooks, and paid search. Buyers will download or enquire, but from a sales point of view that's never enough. If you want the top of the funnel to stay full, sales has to take control and generate leads directly.
Mini-summary: Marketing helps, but sales must actively create new opportunities.

Q: What does accountability look like in sales activity?
A: It starts with KAIs, Key Activity Indicators. Track the ratios from calls and emails to contacts, from contacts to meetings, and from meetings to deals. When you know these ratios, you can link daily activity to real results instead of guessing.
Mini-summary: KAIs connect effort to outcomes and make performance measurable.

Q: How do you work out how much prospecting you need?
A: Use your average deal size and annual target, then work backwards. If the average deal is one million yen and the target is thirty million, you can calculate the number of deals required, then the meetings required, then the original contacts required. In Japan, for most B2B sales, face-to-face meetings are often required, especially for a new supplier.
Mini-summary: Work backwards from target and average deal size to set clear activity volume.

Q: What can salespeople control, even if marketing is running campaigns?
A: You can control your own actions. Decide how many networking events you'll attend, how many cold calls you'll make, and how many orphan clients you'll reactivate. Be clear on what an ideal client looks like and aim directly at them.
Mini-summary: Control your calendar and activity, not marketing output.

Q: How can one client help you win more clients in the same industry?
A: Rivals in the same business often share the same problems. If you've helped one five-star hotel in Tokyo, similar hotels likely face similar issues. Your insight becomes a battering ram to approach the other players with a relevant conversation.
Mini-summary: Use industry insight from one client as leverage with their competitors.

Q: How do you break through Japan's "call killers" on cold calls?
A: Gatekeepers are polite but tough, and they protect the boss. If you can't reach the sales manager, persistence matters. Use an approach that references success with direct competitors and asks to explore whether you could do the same. If the manager "isn't there", don't give up. Keep calling back every few hours until you connect. Then protect the habit by blocking prospecting time in your schedule like any client meeting.
Mini-summary: Use a credible script, call back persistently, and schedule prospecting as non-negotiable time.

Author Bio:
"Dr Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is a veteran Japan CEO and trainer, author of multiple best-sellers and host of the Japan Business Mastery series. He leads leadership and presentation programmes at Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo."

Q: Why do dynamic leaders often struggle to listen well?
A: Because they're focused on making things happen. They drive decisions, push through obstacles, and can turn conversations into monologues rather than dialogues.
Mini-summary: High drive can crowd out listening.

Q: Why can this become worse in Japan?
A: Getting things done in Japan can require extra perseverance, especially for entrepreneurs and turnaround leaders. The "push hard" style becomes the default operating procedure.
Mini-summary: Japan's hurdles can reinforce a push-only habit.

Q: What's the hidden cost of poor listening?
A: Opportunity cost. Vital information isn't being processed when a leader is only pushing out and not drawing insight in. Missing subtle clues, hints, and references can block chances you never notice.
Mini-summary: Poor listening quietly denies you opportunities.

Q: How does low self-awareness show up in these leaders?
A: They miss the signals in the room. They don't notice the listener's frustration at being hit with energy, passion, and commitment that may be far more interesting to the speaker than the audience.
Mini-summary: If you can't read the room, you can't adjust.

Q: Why is listening a leadership "sales" skill?
A: Leaders are selling a vision, direction, culture, plan, and values. "Selling isn't telling." If you steamroll people, you may get surface agreement, but you won't get genuine buy-in.
Mini-summary: Influence requires dialogue, not domination.

Q: What should leaders do instead of steamrolling?
A: Slow down and ask questions. When the other person can contribute, it becomes a dialogue and you gain new perspectives. You also build the relationship by showing respect.
Mini-summary: Questions create engagement and learning.

Q: What happens to staff when leaders do all the talking?
A: Staff are trained not to contribute. They become passive and wait for the next "feeding session" from the boss, rather than taking ownership and offering ideas.
Mini-summary: Over-talking trains passivity.

Q: How do you rebuild contribution and trust?
A: Make questioning a consistent operating procedure, not a one-off. Staff need to see the pattern repeated before they risk speaking up. Your reaction is critical: if you cut them off or dismiss them, they'll go quiet again.
Mini-summary: Consistency and respectful reactions unlock opinions.

Dr Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is a veteran Japan CEO and trainer, author of multiple best-sellers and host of the Japan Business Mastery series. He leads leadership and presentation programmes at Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo.

Creating Your Personal Style When Presenting
When people hear you're speaking, do they say, "I need to attend that talk"? Style can be built on purpose—by choosing what you'll be known for and practising it in public.

Q: Can you really create a personal presenting style?
A: Yes. Decide your signature—energy, data, stories, razor-clear analysis—then build toward it. Borrow from role models and subtract anything that isn't you.
Mini-summary: Style is deliberate: choose a signature and subtract the rest.

Q: How do you build a following without constant stage time?
A: Publish. Write blogs, record short videos, guest on podcasts. Consistency makes you findable and proves your expertise to organisers.
Mini-summary: Be discoverable: publish proof, consistently.

Q: Should I use humour?
A: Only if it's natural. Forced jokes and culture-centric sarcasm backfire. If wit is part of you, use it sparingly; if not, prioritise clarity and value.
Mini-summary: Be congruent; forced humour erodes trust.

Q: Where do data and research fit?
A: If you have strong data, make it a draw. New information builds authority and repeat audiences—provided delivery keeps it engaging.
Mini-summary: Insight attracts; delivery retains.

Q: How do I avoid being boring?
A: Short sentences, purposeful pauses, clean visuals, one clear message and one action. Practise weekly and review recordings to trim filler.
Mini-summary: Tighten delivery and rehearse in public.

Bottom line: Choose your lane, publish consistently and refine delivery. Repetition creates rhythm; rhythm becomes style—and style builds your brand.

About the Author
Dr Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is a veteran Japan CEO and trainer, author of multiple best-sellers and host of the Japan Business Mastery series. He leads leadership and presentation programmes at Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo.

Stop Forcing Fit: Sell What Solves Client Problems
Square-peg selling destroys trust and lifetime value. Here's how to redirect, realign and customise so the solution fits the client—not the quota.

Q: What's the #1 mistake salespeople make?
A: Poor listening. They talk too much, miss cues and push their agenda. Start with questions and let the buyer lead briefly if small talk stalls.
Mini-summary: Ask first, listen fully, then steer.

Q: How do I get the conversation back on track?
A: Redirect: "May I ask what outcome matters most right now?" Map goals, constraints, stakeholders and risk; then summarise back for confirmation.
Mini-summary: Clarify outcomes; play back for alignment.

Q: Why is mis-fit so costly?
A: Foisting the wrong solution haemorrhages trust. You may win a tiny first order and lose the account—and reputation—forever.
Mini-summary: Protect trust; protect lifetime value.

Q: How should I handle internal pressure and commissions?
A: Prioritise the client's ROI over your commission or boss's bolshie push. Re-scope if fit is weak; a small right win beats a big wrong one.
Mini-summary: Client ROI beats seller convenience.

Q: When should I customise?
A: More often than you think. Tailoring raises ROI and perceived value, even with fewer features. Off-the-shelf doesn't always fit.
Mini-summary: Make the solution fit the client.

Bottom line: Ask, map, confirm, align to client ROI, and customise. That's how you stop forcing the fit and start earning repeat business.

About the Author
Dr Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is a veteran Japan CEO and trainer, author of multiple best-sellers and host of the Japan Business Mastery series. He leads leadership and presentation programmes at Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo.

Leaders Be Persuasive
We're judged by what we say and how we say it. In a video-first world, every leader is a

Q: Why must leaders master presenting now?
A: Everyone carries a camera, and rivals publish nonstop. Hiding means your brand fades while theirs compounds. Speaking is now table stakes for credibility.
Mini-summary: Visibility is constant; skill must match.

Q: Isn't technical competence enough?
A: No. "Good enough" communication stalls influence. The market hears the difference between average and outstanding—and rewards polish.
Mini-summary: Competence ≠ persuasion; upgrade delivery.

Q: How do ego and blind spots hurt?
A: We don't know what we don't know. Confidence can mask gaps in structure, clarity and close. Coaching exposes and fixes them.
Mini-summary: Humility unlocks improvement.

Q: What's the fastest path to better performance?
A: Take focused training to build structure, storytelling, visuals, delivery and Q&A control. Practise openings and closes until they sing.
Mini-summary: Train the core, then rehearse the edges.

Q: How do I sustain gains?
A: Record a weekly short video, review eye contact, energy and message clarity, and tighten. Ask a peer to coach pace and presence.
Mini-summary: Short loops, steady improvement.

Bottom line: Presentation is a core leadership skill—acquire it, polish it and protect it. Then the big pitch becomes your stage.

About the Author
Dr Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is a veteran Japan CEO and trainer, author of multiple best-sellers and host of the Japan Business Mastery series. He leads leadership and presentation programmes at Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo.

How To Use Speaking To Promote Your Personal Brand
We live in a publisher's world. If you want speaking gigs that grow your brand in Japan, stop waiting to be discovered and start creating searchable proof of expertise.

Q: Where do I start with speaking if I'm not a writer?
A: List ten buyer problems you hear repeatedly. Record short answers if writing is hard; transcribe later. Clarity beats polish.
Mini-summary: Begin with your clients' questions and answer them clearly.

Q: What is a flagship article and why create one?
A: Stitch related posts into one substantial piece and submit it to industry or Chamber magazines. Edits are normal; publication adds authority and a link you can use in pitches.
Mini-summary: One published piece creates credibility and search visibility.

Q: How do I repurpose my content without feeling repetitive?
A: Break the flagship back into single-issue blogs. Post on your site, email it and schedule to social. Add a speaking call-to-action with outcomes, not slogans.
Mini-summary: One idea → many assets → steady visibility.

Q: How do I pitch to event organisers?
A: Send the published article, three talk titles with promised outcomes and links to short clips. Offer Japan-relevant examples. Ask about content gaps, not just open slots.
Mini-summary: Lead with proof and relevance, not a long bio.

Q: Should I use podcasts?
A: Yes. Guest on niche shows first; later, start your own if you can sustain a rhythm. Afterward, post clips, quotes and show notes on your site.
Mini-summary: Podcasts expand reach and feed your content engine.

Q: Do I need fancy video gear?
A: No. Phone, tripod, clip-on mic, one metre away. Hook, one idea, one example, one action. Add captions and repurpose the transcript.
Mini-summary: Simple setups beat silence; publish fast and often.

Bottom line: Think like a publisher. Publish, repurpose and pitch. The more quality touchpoints under your name, the easier it is for organisers and buyers to find you.

About the Author
Dr Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is a veteran Japan CEO and trainer, author of multiple best-sellers and host of the Japan Business Mastery series. He leads leadership and presentation programmes at Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo.

Really Understand Your Expectations Of Your Sales Team
We hire people, expect instant results, then churn the headcount when numbers lag. In Japan's tight market, that revolving door is costly. Here's how to realign expectations with reality.

Q: Are you hiring farmers when you need hunters?
A: Farmers maintain; hunters create. In Japan, farmers are more common. Ask candidates where their current clients came from. Leads, handoffs and orphan accounts signal farming; proactive prospecting and conversions signal hunting. Neither is "better"—mismatch is expensive.
Mini-summary: Hire for the outcome; verify hunting in the interview.

Q: How fast should new reps ramp?
A: Replace hope with evidence. Build a ramp curve based on your last 5–10 years of records. Track monthly revenue for the first four quarters, drop the best/worst outliers, average the rest and set quarter-by-quarter goals and coaching.
Mini-summary: Use your data to set realistic ramp benchmarks.

Q: Do your incentives drive the right behaviour?
A: If maintenance and net-new pay the same, you'll get farming. In risk-averse Japan, high base salaries dull prospecting. Shift the mix to a sensible base, fair commission and a kicker for first-time wins—simple, transparent, predictable.
Mini-summary: Pay for hunting if you want hunting.

Q: How do you set targets that motivate?
A: Stretch, don't snap confidence. Break the annual number into weekly leading indicators—conversations, meetings, proposals, follow-ups. Coach to those, diagnose bottlenecks and avoid moving goalposts weekly.
Mini-summary: Lead with indicators; keep confidence intact.

Bottom line: Audit recruiting, ramp benchmarks and incentives, then align them with the growth you want—from new and existing clients. That's how you stop the churn and stabilise performance.

About the Author
Dr Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is a veteran Japan CEO and trainer, author of multiple best-sellers and host of the Japan Business Mastery series. He leads leadership and presentation programmes at Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo.

Accountability In Your Team
We all want accountable teams, yet deadlines slip and quality wobbles. People don't plan to fail—but vague ownership and weak rhythms make it easy to miss. Here's how leaders in Japan turn "own it" into a daily standard.

Q: Where should leaders start?
A: Start with time. Time discipline sets tone. Make planning visible, prioritise crisply and protect deep work for the tasks only you can do. When leaders respect time, teams respect commitments.
Mini-summary: Your calendar sets culture; model time discipline.

Q: Why do leaders become time-poor?
A: Priorities are fuzzy and too much is done solo. Many tried delegation once, hit friction and reverted to "it's faster if I do it myself." That caps output and stalls succession.
Mini-summary: Weak prioritisation and poor delegation create time debt.

Q: How do you make delegation actually work?
A: Delegate outcomes, not tasks. Frame the Why (intent), What (results & quality), and How (options, resources, guardrails). Ask for the plan back to confirm understanding. Set check-ins, decision rights and an escalation path.
Mini-summary: Transfer outcomes with Why/What/How and agreed checkpoints.

Q: What's the role of coaching in accountability?
A: Orders create compliance; coaching builds ownership. Give context and constraints and use milestones so progress is observable. If accountability lags, increase coaching before pressure.
Mini-summary: Coaching converts assignment into ownership.

Q: Why are milestones critical in Japan?
A: Milestones surface slippage early and keep alignment warm in consensus-driven environments. Without them, bad news arrives at the worst time—right before reviews or audits.
Mini-summary: Milestones are the heartbeat that prevents surprises.

Q: How should leaders handle shifting scope?
A: Publish a clear definition of "done." If scope changes, explain the trade-off and reset the plan. Accountability thrives on clarity and dies in ambiguity.
Mini-summary: Protect clarity; declare and reset when scope changes.

Q: What habits make accountability stick?
A: Replace heroics with habits: weekly three must-wins; a delegation cadence with coaching; short, rhythmic milestone reviews; mood management—guard sleep and script the first 30 minutes.
Mini-summary: Small weekly habits scale accountability and results.

Bottom line: Change how you manage time, delegate, coach and review progress. Accountability becomes how we work; trust compounds and results stick.

About the Author
Dr Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is a veteran Japan CEO and trainer, author of multiple best-sellers and host of the Japan Business Mastery series. He leads leadership and presentation programmes at Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo.