Hello. This is Watanabe from the uSonar Marketing Team!
Today, I am sharing a report on the seminar hosted by uSonar on July 17, 2025, featuring En Shirono, author of "Practical Course on Hypothesis-Driven Sales."
In the first session, Mr. Shirono, and in the second session, Takasaki from uSonar, presented their insights on the latest approaches to new business development for companies.
Part 1
Recent Changes in 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 plateau in their performance.
According to Mr. Jono, the sales activities traditionally conducted by companies can be broadly divided into two types: consultative sales and product-focused sales.
Consultative sales refers to a sales style where the primary focus is to thoroughly interview the customer from the very first appointment to understand their thoughts and interests. Mr. Jono notes that even among his consulting clients, such as SIers and consulting firms with extensive product portfolios, there is often an established culture where conducting interviews to identify customer needs during the initial meeting is considered standard practice.
Next, product-focused sales is the opposite of consultative sales, referring to a style that prioritizes demonstrating the appeal of the company's own products and services from the first appointment. Mr. Jono explains that this style is frequently seen in industries such as manufacturing and SaaS, where the company's own products possess significant competitive advantages.
While noting that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the methods mentioned above and that they have historically produced solid results, Mr. Jono stated that in the last few years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a surge in 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 expanded and comparative research has become 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. Jono stated that "by developing your own hypothesis on how your product contributes to the customer's revenue, and by presenting it logically and with passion," you can significantly improve your results through the approach proposed here.
Mr. Jono 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. Jono 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. Jono states that it is important to prepare a well-reasoned hypothesis on your own before the initial meeting, even at a stage where you have not yet heard about the customer's challenges. As a result, you are valued for your logical thinking, with the customer thinking, "Even though I haven't consulted 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 like to entrust with work, thereby earning their trust.
Implementing Hypothesis-Based Sales in the Field
Up to this point, we have touched upon the elements that form the basis of Hypothesis-Based Sales. Now, how does this process proceed and take shape when applied to actual sales operations?
Mr. Jono seems to make it a point to complete the creation of a hypothesis in the field within one hour. He stated that information gathering does not need to be exhaustive, and specifically, the following four points are important.
Mr. Jono 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 your company's service should be chosen over others, Mr. Jono 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 an approach is difficult to instill.
These elements will serve as key perspectives when integrating hypothesis-based proposal sales into actual sales organizations.
Part 2
Achieving Hypothesis-Based Proposal Sales with uSonar Tools
As Mr. Jono has explained, the essential components of hypothesis-based proposal sales are the passion and logic required to build trust. Furthermore, even when dealing with hypotheses, the foundation for coherent "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, Takasaki provided an explanation and demonstration of the tools held by uSonar as a means to realize compelling hypothesis-based proposals. uSonar, a database company in its 36th year, possesses "LBC," one of Japan's largest corporate databases, which is compiled through our own information gathering efforts. "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 proposal sales advocated by Mr. Jono in the field.
Networking Reception After the Lecture
Following the presentation, a networking reception was held, allowing attendees to speak with the speakers and interact with one another.
It became a highly engaging event, providing a unique opportunity for networking and information exchange that is rarely possible within the scope of daily business or personal circles.
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