285 The Iceberg Method For Handling Client Pushback
The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Release Date: 02/12/2026
285 The Iceberg Method For Handling Client Pushback
The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Q: Why should salespeople expect objections in Japan? A: Because pushback, rejection, and disinterest are the natural state of selling. Getting to “yes” is the exception. If you expect objections, you stay calm and you don’t take resistance personally. Mini-summary: Objections are normal; a sale is the exception. Q: What’s the most common mistake when an objection appears? A: Answering the first objection immediately. The first thing you hear may not be the real issue. If you respond too quickly, you can waste time solving the wrong problem. Mini-summary: Don’t race to answer the...
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284 Leadership Bench Strength in Japan: Coaching, Culture, and Courage: The Japan Business Mastery Show
The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Q: Why does leadership development in Japan feel so slow? A: Because talent is often held hostage to time. Age, longevity and seniority can outweigh capability, so people wait rather than accelerate their readiness. OJT is the default pathway, but it only works when the boss can teach, communicate and coach. When that capability is missing, development becomes inconsistent and slow. Mini-summary: If time and seniority do the deciding, leadership growth stays glacial. Q: Why do some Japanese high potentials decline promotions? A: Many say, “I don’t feel I’m ready yet.” Sometimes...
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283 Your Story Vault: The Fastest Way To Build Better Talks
The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Q: Why do capable people feel stuck when preparing a presentation? A: Because they start at the slide deck. Slides are a container, not the content. When you begin with formatting, you skip the richest source you have: your own experiences at work and in life. Mini-summary: Don’t start with slides; start with experiences. Q: What should you look for in your “experience vault”? A: Look for highs and lows. The best deal, the strongest project, the train wreck that went off the rails, the colleague who lifted the whole team, and the person who kept digging a deeper hole. These moments...
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282 Why Can’t Salespeople Rely Only on Marketing for Leads?
The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
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...
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281 Accountability In Your Team
The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
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...
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280 Build Your Presenting Style
The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
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?...
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279 Stop Forcing Fit: Only Sell What Solves Client Problems
The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
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,...
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278 Your Face Is the Firm: Master Persuasive Speaking
The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
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...
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277 From Invisible to In-Demand: Speaking Grows Your Brand
The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
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...
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Hire Hunters, Not Hope: Setting Realistic Sales Expectations
The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
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....
info_outlineQ: Why should salespeople expect objections in Japan?
A: Because pushback, rejection, and disinterest are the natural state of selling. Getting to “yes” is the exception. If you expect objections, you stay calm and you don’t take resistance personally.
Mini-summary: Objections are normal; a sale is the exception.
Q: What’s the most common mistake when an objection appears?
A: Answering the first objection immediately. The first thing you hear may not be the real issue. If you respond too quickly, you can waste time solving the wrong problem.
Mini-summary: Don’t race to answer the first objection.
Q: How should you interpret what the client says?
A: Treat the objection as a headline. The words are often an abbreviation for a longer chain of reasoning. Keep an iceberg image in mind: most of the “no” sits below the surface.
Mini-summary: The spoken objection is usually only the tip.
Q: What questions help you uncover the real issue?
A: Question the objection and invite the fuller thinking behind it. Keep asking for other reasons they can’t proceed until you’ve exhausted their supply. Then ask them to rank the reasons, highest priority first.
Mini-summary: Collect all objections, then prioritise them.
Q: What judgement calls must you make before responding?
A: First, decide if the top objection is real and legitimate. If it isn’t, you haven’t found the true culprit yet, so keep digging. Second, even if it is legitimate, decide if you can deliver what they want at the price and in the way they want it, without breaking your profit model.
Mini-summary: Validate the objection, then validate your ability to solve it.
Q: How do you handle price objections without getting “massacred”?
A: Recognise that some buyers play “sport negotiating” to win, not because the economics demand it. You may choose to walk away. If you do negotiate, never start with your best price. Once you drop it, that becomes the ceiling and they’ll push for more. Keep margin so any concession still makes the deal worthwhile.
Mini-summary: Don’t lead with your best price; protect margin.
Q: What if they say, “We’re happy with our current supplier”?
A: That’s often harder than price in Japan’s risk-averse environment. People stick with suppliers they trust because mistakes are punished. You need clear differentiation versus the incumbent and a way to prove it. Ask for a trial, test, or period of engagement to demonstrate superiority.
Mini-summary: Differentiation must be proven, not claimed.
Q: How should you think about timing and walking away?
A: Expect trials to be slow. Quick decisions aren’t rewarded, but wrong decisions are punished. Don’t accept disadvantageous pricing just to close quickly. Be brave in the face of objections, and remember there are other buyers who will value quality at your cost.
Mini-summary: Expect slow decisions, avoid bad deals, and be willing to walk.
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.