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235 Being Conversational In Japan show art 235 Being Conversational In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Presenters get this wrong. Avoid creating a barrier between yourself and the audience. Presenters are often elevated on a stage or positioned at the front of the room, surrounded by podiums, slides, lighting, and microphones, all of which can inadvertently distance them from their audience. In Japan, standing above a seated audience requires an apology at the start of the speech, as such positioning implies superiority in a hierarchy-conscious society. Similarly, using a commanding voice or overly formal demeanour can create unnecessary separations. Instead, focus on building rapport and...

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234 Lure Out Their Objections show art 234 Lure Out Their Objections

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Salespeople often hope for straightforward buyers who buy without hesitation. However, reality is rarely so simple, and objections are actually critical to the sales process. When buyers hesitate, it signals interest, as it means they are considering potential issues. If buyers show no interest and raise no questions, that’s a warning sign—they’re not truly engaged. Objections suggest a mental commitment to the purchase, as buyers are naturally cautious and want to resolve potential risks before moving forward. In sales, objections reveal an intent to purchase and can guide us in...

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Stop Rushing About show art Stop Rushing About

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Is speed expensive?  Constant hustling can lead to large and small errors of judgment.  We get so caught up in living 24/7 lifestyles that we start missing big pieces of the success puzzle.  People are the key to most businesses, but look at how we treat them.  We hit the panic button on a piece of work and make everyone jump through hoops to make sure the deadline is met.  We either end the sentence for the person we are speaking with or we cut them off and lunge in with our own preferred words and ideas. Doing more, faster with less, we are constantly hustling to...

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233 Self-Sufficiency When Leading show art 233 Self-Sufficiency When Leading

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

The beauty, weight loss, fashion, and entertainment industries project fantasies of success, often leaving people feeling inadequate. Comparing ourselves to wealthy actors, sports stars, or CEOs can amplify dissatisfaction with our own lives, making us wish we’d been born with better resources, opportunities, or advantages. However, dwelling on these thoughts isn’t productive; we aren’t going to be dealt a different hand in life. While past mistakes, poor choices, or unfavorable circumstances may weigh us down, it’s essential to stop focusing on what we cannot change. Instead, shifting...

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232 Don't Be Flat When Presenting In Japan show art 232 Don't Be Flat When Presenting In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

"The good is the enemy of the great" reminds us that competent speakers often fall short of their full potential, delivering presentations that are solid but forgettable. Many presenters lack that extra energy—the metaphorical "ten degrees of heat"—needed to elevate their talk from adequate to impactful. An intelligent, prepared presenter can cover content, address questions, and complete their talk. Yet, without that added intensity, the presentation fades from the audience's memory almost instantly. The issue is usually a lackluster opening. When speakers start speaking at the same level...

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231 Dealing With Objections In Japan show art 231 Dealing With Objections In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Hearing “no” isn’t easy, especially in sales. It’s a rejection we often react to emotionally, pushing harder in hopes of reversing the answer. However, immediately countering objections is usually ineffective, as this response is driven more by impulse than by strategy. A better approach is to use a “cushion”—a neutral statement that buys a few seconds to regroup and keeps the conversation calm. For example, if a client says, “it’s too expensive,” respond with, “It’s important to have good budget management,” instead of jumping into a justification. This brief pause...

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230 Leadership Visionary In Japan show art 230 Leadership Visionary In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Visionary leaders are often seen as motivators and guides, but to lead effectively, they must first have a clear vision for themselves. Many people offer sound advice to others while neglecting to apply it in their own lives, which can undermine their credibility as leaders. To be a visionary, one must back their vision with specific goals. Living an “intentional life” is a good starting point; it means choosing to accumulate meaningful experiences instead of drifting aimlessly through life. Before focusing on a corporate vision, individuals should concentrate on their personal vision. If...

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229 Dress Presentation When Presenting In Japan show art 229 Dress Presentation When Presenting In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

The saying goes that there are "lies, damn lies, and statistics," and in the world of presenting, an often misquoted statistic claims that 55% of audience impressions are based on appearance. While this stems from Professor Mehrabian's research at UCLA, it's crucial to understand the context: this percentage applies when the content and delivery of a presentation are incongruent. When a speaker's words don’t match their presentation style, audiences can become distracted, especially in today’s world filled with distractions like smartphones. As speakers, it’s our responsibility to...

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228 Ending Your FY Powerfully In Japan show art 228 Ending Your FY Powerfully In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Salespeople often fall into a rhythm of easing off as the year-end approaches, especially in Japan, where the fiscal year ends in March. This period, leading up to the holiday break, can see a decline in productivity that equates to 8% of the year. To maximize sales, it’s essential to maintain focus and activity through December. One effective strategy is to reach out to existing customers. Even if they are currently utilizing some of our solutions, there are often additional products or services they may not yet have considered. To identify these opportunities, create an Opportunity Matrix,...

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227 Getting Trust In Japan show art 227 Getting Trust In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Leaders often rely on “automatic trust,” stemming from their authority, to gain compliance from team members. However, achieving genuine, “earned trust” is crucial for fostering motivation and commitment within a team. Unlike automatic trust, earned trust develops through consistent, authentic interactions where leaders show integrity in both “talking the talk” and “walking the walk.” Without earned trust, delegation becomes risky, as leaders may feel their team won’t reliably handle tasks, which hampers time management and the team’s growth. Conversely, when trust is high,...

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More Episodes

“Born to lead” is nonsense.  Many things shaped that person in order for them to achieve credibility with others.  Of course, we can become a “leader” as part of our company designated hierarchy.  We sit somewhere in an organizational chart above others, with various reporting lines elevating us above the hoi polloi.  We know many people with that august title of “leader”, who we would never willingly follow in a million years – pompous, tiresome, incompetent  jerks!

Can we become someone who others will follow when all the paraphernalia of leadership pomp and circumstance has been stripped away? How do we become a charismatic leader, whom others willingly wish to follow?

The starting point is critical.  If your desire for leadership is driven by personal aggrandisement and ego, where all good things must flow to you, this force of will factor is not attractive.  Good leadership is differentiated by the followers desire to want to follow, when there is no coercion, structure or impetus to do so.  We gravitate to these charismatic leaders because of how they make us feel.

Effective leaders are good with people.   There are some key principles they embody, which make us like and trust them. This is not artful manipulation, where they fake these principles in a cunning way.  That approach exists and will ultimately be revealed as hypocrisy.  What we are talking about here is having correct kokorogamae (心構え)  - true intentions.

Be a good listener.  Encourage others to talk about themselves

Bossy people often love to brag.  Instead, build the trust by focusing your conversation on them not you.  As you stop dominating and start listening, you uncover areas of shared desires, values, interests and experiences which are magnetic in their properties and bind us more closely together.

Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view

Often we are egocentric - it always about me, me, me. Having listened, we uncover the context behind their beliefs and arrive at a greater appreciation for their views and positions.  We can more easily get on each other’s wavelengths.  When this happens, we become more mutually simpatico, supportive and powerfully bonded.

Ask questions instead of giving direct orders

The inclusive, humble promotion of self-discovery unleashes powerful forces that encapsulates our shared direction.  We become the catalyst for their self-belief.   We all want to be around people who make us feel good about our better selves and with whom we share common goals.

People will willingly follow us when we apply these principles.  We must sincerely switch from a “me” focus to an “our” focus.  Change our approach and we change our results.  We will become a charismatic leader.