The motivation for sales is, creating work at the front lines of the field.

A special digest version is now available from "Dentsu Inc. Sales Teams Boost Motivation Together," originally featured in the August 2015 issue of DIAMOND Harvard Business Review in the special feature "Sales Motivation. "

 

Unlike creative work, which produces tangible results and often receives social recognition, sales at an advertising agency is fundamentally a behind-the-scenes role. Yet, salespeople who create work on the front lines and lead teams are indispensable. What drives motivation in sales? We asked Nao Ishii, the first president in Dentsu Inc.'s over 100-year history to come from the Sales Division.

What defines an excellent salesperson at Dentsu Inc.?

 

――Mr. Ishii, you became the first president of Dentsu Inc. to come from the Sales Division. Based on your own experience, how would you define an excellent salesperson?

Ishii: First, I want to emphasize that the very definition of sales work has changed. During the era of sustained economic growth, securing prime media slots and creating good ads—focusing almost exclusively on that—was enough to build strong client relationships and deliver effective marketing. For a long time, advertising, promotion, and sales promotion were often handled as separate, independent functions.

However, coupled with the trend toward digitalization, client needs have changed significantly. They no longer just want good ads or good campaigns; their demands have broadened and deepened. We've entered an era where we must integrate functions that were often siloed and devise the most effective methodologies.

 

I believe the essence of sales work is "solving the challenges faced by clients." Dentsu Inc.'s clients expect something from us—meaning they have some kind of challenge. The first task of sales is to ask what kind of challenges the client has.

In that sense, every employee possesses sales elements, regardless of whether they hold a Sales Division business card. When people hear "Dentsu Inc. sales," they likely imagine the numbered Sales Divisions starting with the First Sales Division. That's easily recognizable sales, but I believe that today, everything is sales—including creative, marketing, and media personnel.

Fundamentally, for clients, advertising activities are just one means among many to solve their challenges. Of course, securing prime media placements and building campaigns—the core advertising business—remains central to Dentsu Inc. However, we must understand advertising as merely a tool. If other methods are necessary to solve the challenge, presenting those alternatives is precisely our role.

So, what should the core Sales Division do? They are the nexus between the client and Dentsu Inc., and it is absolutely essential that they grasp the client's challenges thoroughly. If the fundamental challenge isn't properly defined, subsequent efforts become akin to trying to provide the right answer to the wrong question. No matter how cutting-edge the technology employed or how original the idea, it cannot lead to an excellent solution. No matter how hard our team works, such a proposal will never be accepted by the client.

That's precisely why it's crucial to grasp the client's challenges accurately, communicate them correctly to the team, and ensure we start off on the right foot. I believe an excellent salesperson is someone who can do this.

――What do you think is necessary to properly grasp a client's challenges?

Ishii: Naturally, studying to understand the other party is essential. Dentsu Inc. still has a culture that values mentors and tradition, so there's also the ability to observe and absorb tacit knowledge by watching senior colleagues diligently at work. However, above all, I believe the most crucial skill is the ability to build trust with the other party.

Our business isn't about selling hardware. Some might call that an empty theory, but to put it bluntly, what we sell is ideas alone. Therefore, what matters most is talking directly with the client. It comes down to how much trust the individual, the team, and their leaders inspire. It hinges on whether the client thinks, "This person's perspective is worth listening to."

You know the expression "reading the room," right? While communication methods have diversified tremendously with the advancement of PCs, smartphones, and other tools, face-to-face interaction remains crucial. It's a common experience: even through email exchanges, you can grasp the facts, but it's hard to gauge the sender's true intentions. Even if the wording is polite, they might be annoyed. In fact, when someone is angry, their writing can become overly formal. Reading the other person's facial expressions is indeed important.

In this world, what you say matters, but who says it matters immensely. Naturally, having excellent ideas is essential. However, fundamentally, nothing begins unless you possess the personal skills to earn someone's time. For us, who compete on ideas, a salesperson who cannot build the trust necessary to get their message heard cannot be considered truly excellent.

Salespeople should be "exceptional supporting players."

 

――What do you think is essential for building trust?

Ishii: Since we work in advertising, broad expertise in advertising is obviously important. But I believe the most crucial thing is humility. Humility towards oneself and towards the client.

The opposite of humility is arrogance. Dentsu Inc. holds a powerful position in the industry, serves thousands of clients, and works with nearly every media outlet. When a project succeeds or we feel a significant sense of accomplishment, there are countless opportunities to become arrogant without even realizing it. That's precisely why we must consciously strive to remain humble at all times.

However, being humble does not mean being reserved. It means maintaining a constant sense of calm and sincerity toward oneself. Sharing success stories or briefly indulging in self-satisfaction isn't inherently bad. But to meet the growing expectations of clients and the company, salespeople, more than anyone, must continue to rigorously confront their own work.

――There's a difference between "being trusted" and "being liked." Mistaking the two can lead to merely "currying favor with customers."

Ishii: Exactly. If you only focus on being liked, you'll avoid saying things the other party dislikes or that are uncomfortable for the customer to hear. You might win in the short term, but you won't gain long-term trust.

To overcome this, I believe the goal should be to position yourself as a "partner" in the customer's eyes. To be seen as someone worthy of sharing their business's most fundamental challenges, you must make them feel you are completely in their world. Only then can you truly understand the real issues they face.

How deeply can you commit to the core of the other party, even while being part of Dentsu Inc.? That, I believe, is the power to earn trust that goes beyond simply being "liked."

――While creative work receives clear social recognition for its results, sales is more of a supporting role. How can we boost motivation?

 

Ishii: It's true that when clients give praise, creators and planners can clearly see it as their own achievement. But sales doesn't leave behind a tangible deliverable. However, as a team, it's the sales team that produced everything. Internally, I believe this logic is definitely understood. For sales, isn't that one factor that boosts motivation?