Hello. This is Watanabe from the uSonar Marketing Team!
Today, we are sharing a report on the seminar hosted by uSonar on July 17, 2025, featuring En Shirono, author of "Practical Course on Hypothesis-Driven Sales That Leads to Results."
In the first session, Mr. Shirono took the stage, followed by Takasaki from uSonar in the second session, where they shared their insights on the latest approaches to corporate new business development.
Part 1
Changes in Recent Sales Activities and Their Background
As a preliminary step before entering the main discussion, Mr. Jono shared his insights on the characteristics of sales organizations that have hit a performance plateau.
According to Mr. Jono, sales activities conducted by companies to date have been primarily divided into two types: consultative sales and product-focused sales.
Consultative sales refers to a sales style where the primary focus from the initial appointment is to thoroughly listen to what the customer is thinking and interested in. Mr. Jono notes that even among his consulting clients, such as SIers and consulting firms that handle a wide range of products, there is often an atmosphere where it is standard practice to conduct a hearing during the first meeting to uncover customer needs.
Next, product-focused sales is the opposite of consultative sales, referring to a style that prioritizes explaining how attractive the company's products and services are from the very first appointment. Mr. Jono explains that this style is common in industries such as manufacturing and SaaS, where the company's products themselves possess inherent strengths.
While noting that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the methods mentioned above and that they have historically produced solid results, Mr. Jono states that in the last few years, especially since the pandemic, there have been frequent cases where performance has plateaued or growth rates have declined. Many of you reading this report may also be feeling a similar sense of stagnation.
So, what are the underlying factors? Mr. Jono identified the following two points as the primary causes.
Mr. Jono explains that as the range of products and services available to customers has increased, making comparison and evaluation easier, it has become difficult to increase sales using traditional sales methods.
So, what kind of sales activities should be conducted? In response to this question, Mr. Shiro stated that "by developing your own hypothesis on how your product contributes to the customer's revenue and presenting it logically with passion," you can significantly improve your results through the approach proposed here.
Mr. Shiro calls this sales method of preparing hypotheses in advance "Hypothesis-Based Sales."
So, what are the necessary elements to realize this Hypothesis-Based Sales? Let us look at this in detail in the next chapter.
Elements Necessary for Sales Activities
Mr. Shiro asserts that the elements necessary for sales activities are, quite simply, "Trust, Passion, and Logic." He emphasized their importance by noting that various famous figures throughout history, such as Aristotle and Dr. Stephen Covey, have also advocated these as essential for influencing others, stressing that when these three elements are present, people are naturally moved to act.
So, what exactly constitutes sales activity that incorporates "Trust, Passion, and Logic"? Mr. Shiro says that before the initial meeting, even at a stage where you have not yet heard about the customer's challenges, it is important to prepare a well-reasoned hypothesis on your own. As a result, you are evaluated for your logical thinking, with the customer thinking, "Even though I haven't consulted with them specifically yet, this salesperson put in the effort to research and think through a logical path for our company." Even if the prepared hypothesis is incorrect, the very fact that you prepared to that extent conveys your enthusiasm to the customer. He emphasizes that, as a result, you are perceived as someone they would "definitely want to entrust with work," thereby earning their trust.
Implementing Hypothesis-Based Sales in the Field
Up to this point, we have touched upon the fundamental elements of Hypothesis-Based Sales. Now, how does this process proceed and take shape when applied to actual sales operations?
Mr. Shiro seems to keep in mind that when creating a hypothesis in the field, it should be completed in one hour. He stated that information gathering does not need to be exhaustive, and specifically, the following four points are important.
Mr. Shiro explains that based on this information, it is important to construct a logical story about how your company's products and services contribute to solving the customer's management challenges and how that leads to the vision or future the customer desires. Stating that it is crucial to convey with passion and logic why the customer should choose your company over others, Mr. Shiro provided a concrete explanation using the example of a building materials manufacturer.
Mr. Jono continued by stating that the following three elements are essential for implementing hypothesis-based proposals within a sales organization, noting that without them, such a sales approach is difficult to instill.
These elements will serve as key perspectives when integrating hypothesis-based sales into actual sales organizations.
Part 2
Achieving Hypothesis-Based Sales with uSonar Tools
As Mr. Jono has explained, the essentials for hypothesis-based sales are the enthusiasm and logic required to build trust. Furthermore, even when dealing with hypotheses, the foundation for sound logic is data, such as information regarding the client's company, their department, and the industry surrounding the client's business.
The question that arises here is how one can reliably and quickly obtain such information.
In this seminar, to address such questions, Mr. Takasaki provided an explanation and demonstration of the tools held by uSonar Co., Ltd. as a means to realize compelling hypothesis-based proposals. uSonar Co., Ltd., a database company in its 36th year, possesses LBC, one of Japan's largest corporate databases, which it collects independently. LBC maintains information not only on corporations but also on individual business establishments, including restaurants, hospitals, and schools.
At the same time, various information sources exist for the creation and updating of LBC, such as commercial corporate registries, securities reports, and corporate websites.
By leveraging the uSonar database, sales activities can be conducted more effectively, making it possible to implement the hypothesis-based sales approach advocated by Mr. Jono in the field.
Networking Session After the Lecture
Following the presentation, a networking reception was held, allowing attendees to engage with the speakers and connect with one another.
It proved to be a highly engaging event, providing a unique opportunity for networking and information exchange that is often difficult to achieve within daily business operations or existing social circles.
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