『The Japan Business Mastery Show』のカバーアート

The Japan Business Mastery Show

The Japan Business Mastery Show

著者： Dr. Greg Story
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For busy people, we have focused on just the key things you need to know. To be successful in business in Japan you need to know how to lead, sell and persuade. This is what we cover in the show. No matter what the issue you will get hints, information, experience and insights into securing the necessary solutions required. Everything in the show is based on real world perspectives, with a strong emphasis on offering practical steps you can take to succeed.Copyright 2022 マネジメント・リーダーシップ リーダーシップ 経済学
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  • Ending Your FY Powerfully In Japan

    Ending Your FY Powerfully In Japan
    2026/09/17
    December is where sales years are won or lost, and nowhere is the timing trickier than Japan, where the fiscal year runs to March rather than December. As of 2025, with hybrid work stretching the traditional bōnenkai season and travel schedules compressing the final weeks before the holiday break, salespeople who ease off in December are handing rivals a head start into the new year. Research on sales productivity cycles suggests this pre-holiday slump can cost as much as 8% of annual output — a gap that disciplined pipeline-building in December can close before January even begins. Why does sales productivity drop in December, and why does Japan's calendar make it riskier? Salespeople naturally ease off as year-end approaches, but in Japan this coincides with a fiscal year that still has three months left to run. Unlike US or European firms closing their books in December, Japanese companies operating on an April–March fiscal year are mid-cycle, not wrapping up — so prospects and decision-makers are still budgeting and planning, not disengaging. Sales teams who treat December as "dead time" waste a window when competitors are quiet and calendars, while busy with bōnenkai (forget-the-year) parties, still have room for a well-placed conversation. The productivity dip is real, but it's a choice, not a law of the calendar. Do now: Block two hours this week purely for December pipeline-building, before year-end social commitments fill the diary. How does an Opportunity Matrix uncover sales hidden inside existing accounts? An Opportunity Matrix lists every available solution across the top and every client down the side, using check marks for current purchases and A/B/C ratings for follow-up priority. This turns a vague sense that "there's more we could sell them" into a structured account-by-account plan. Enterprise software vendors and B2B service firms alike use similar account-mapping tools to spot cross-sell and upsell gaps that individual reps, focused on their own patch, often miss. The matrix works whether the client base is five accounts or five hundred — the discipline is the same. Do now: Build your matrix this week and flag every "A" opportunity for a call before the holidays. Why is December the right time to reconnect with "orphan" clients? "Orphans" are former clients who drifted away — through staff turnover, budget shifts, or economic pressure — and December is an ideal, low-pressure time to reach back out. Contacts change roles constantly in Japan's corporate structures, and a client lost under one decision-maker may be very much in play under their successor. A reconnection call in December doesn't need to close anything; it just needs to re-establish the relationship, with a meeting pencilled in for January once new-year budgets are live. Firms that systematically track lapsed accounts consistently recover more revenue than those treating churn as final. Do now: Pull your last twelve months of lost or dormant accounts and send three re-introduction messages this week. How can look-alike targeting make prospecting more efficient than cold calling? Look-alike targets are companies in the same industry as existing clients, likely to share similar needs — and they convert far better than random cold outreach. Instead of working through a generic list, salespeople can lean on the pattern-recognition already earned from serving comparable firms: the same pain points, procurement cycles, and competitive pressures tend to recur within a sector. This mirrors how B2B marketers build lookalike audiences from existing customer data — the sales version simply does it through direct calling and referral requests rather than ad platforms. Compared to sectors like manufacturing, industries with tighter networks (finance, professional services) tend to yield especially strong look-alike results. Do now: List three current clients' closest industry peers and draft one tailored opening line for each. Why is finding the right decision-maker harder in Japan than in Western markets? Decision-maker information is less openly available in Japan than in the US or Europe, making annual reports, referrals, and credibility statements more important than cold digital research. LinkedIn penetration remains comparatively low in the Japanese market, so the tools Western salespeople default to often come up short. Annual reports can surface key personnel names, but referrals through an existing network — colleagues, partners, or satisfied clients — remain the most reliable route past the gatekeeper. A well-rehearsed credibility statement becomes essential when a referral isn't available. Do now: Ask two existing clients this week whether they can introduce you to a contact at a target account. How should salespeople use credibility to get past gatekeepers and reach decision-makers? Leading with direct competitor experience, backed by concrete evidence of past results, is what earns a salesperson ...
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    9 分
  • Getting Trust In Japan

    Getting Trust In Japan
    2026/09/10
    Every leader eventually discovers the gap between being obeyed and being trusted. In Japan's corporate culture — as much as in Sydney, Singapore or Silicon Valley — a title on a business card buys compliance, but it doesn't buy commitment. As of 2025, with talent mobility rising across Japan's white-collar workforce and post-pandemic hybrid teams making face time scarcer, the question of how leaders earn genuine trust has become a boardroom priority from Tokyo to Osaka. Research from organisations like Dale Carnegie consistently shows that earned trust, not positional authority, is what unlocks discretionary effort, creativity and retention. Why doesn't positional authority earn real trust from a team? Positional authority buys obedience, not commitment — only earned trust unlocks discretionary effort. "Automatic trust" comes from a leader's title, seniority or hierarchy, and in Japan's traditionally hierarchical corporate structures, it can look like real influence because staff comply readily. But compliance is not commitment. Executives at firms like Toyota and Rakuten increasingly recognise that genuine, "earned trust" is built through consistent, authentic interactions where leaders "talk the talk" and "walk the walk" over time. Without it, delegation becomes risky: leaders doubt their team will reliably handle tasks, which chokes time management and stalls team growth. When earned trust is present, by contrast, team members offer initiative and creativity no policy can mandate. Do now: Audit whether your team's compliance is habit-driven or trust-driven — the difference shows up the moment you're not watching. How do leaders in Japan build earned trust through everyday communication? Earned trust is built through consistent, authentic interactions, not grand gestures. It compounds slowly, through explaining the purpose behind tasks, listening to concerns, and following through on commitments. This differs from the transactional, order-issuing style still common in some traditional Japanese SMEs, and contrasts with the coaching-led management style favoured by many multinationals and Western-influenced startups operating in Japan. Comparative research across markets — Japan versus the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific — consistently finds that leaders who explain the "why" behind delegated work see higher engagement than those who simply issue instructions. Mutual understanding, not authority, is the currency that compounds into loyalty. Do now: Replace one instruction this week with an explanation — tell your team the "why," not just the "what." What communication mistakes destroy leader-team trust fastest? Losing your temper, dismissing ideas outright, and breaking promises erode trust faster than almost anything else a leader can do. These lapses are magnified in Japan's business culture, where public criticism or visible frustration can cause lasting loss of face for both parties. Insufficient communication — leaders defaulting to issuing orders instead of explaining, listening or seeking input — compounds the damage over time. Across sectors, from consumer-facing retail to B2B manufacturing, the pattern repeats: teams led by low-trust managers show measurably lower initiative and higher turnover. Japan's 2023 labour reforms, which pushed harder on workplace wellbeing and reduced overtime culture, have only sharpened employee expectations around respectful, transparent leadership. Do now: Before reacting to a mistake or a pushback, pause — a leader's next ten seconds either build or break trust. Why is delegation the missing link between trust and time management? Leaders who don't delegate effectively trap themselves in a vicious cycle of mistrust and time poverty. Without delegation, leaders have less time for the one-on-one interactions that build trust in the first place — so trust stays low, and delegation stays risky, and the loop repeats. This is a particularly acute challenge for time-poor executives across Japan's multinationals and fast-scaling startups alike, where headcount pressure leaves little slack for mentoring. Breaking the loop requires leaders to prioritise one-on-one time deliberately, rather than waiting for a quiet week that never arrives. Firms that treat delegation as a growth tool, not a workload dump, consistently report stronger succession pipelines. Do now: Block a recurring weekly slot for one-on-ones — treat it as non-negotiable as a client meeting. How should leaders invest one-on-one time to build lasting trust? Understanding a team member's motivations, interests, fears and goals is what turns delegation into development.These personal insights let leaders align delegated tasks with each person's career path, giving the work a sense of purpose rather than obligation. For successful delegation, leaders should involve team members in planning and monitoring progress, not just handing over a task and disappearing. This approach requires ...
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    9 分
  • Needed Basics in Sales

    Needed Basics in Sales
    2026/08/27

    Q: Why do successful salespeople become complacent?

    A: Success can create a dangerous sense that the hard work has already been done. Salespeople begin allowing longer breaks, later starts and earlier finishes. These small choices reduce activity and eventually weaken the pipeline. A professional does not judge effort by past success. The professional asks whether today's actions are creating tomorrow's business.

    Mini-summary: Past success does not protect the future pipeline.

    Q: What sales basics should never be neglected?

    A: Prospecting must have protected time every day. The pitch must be continuously refined until it is concise, relevant and strong enough to earn attention. Salespeople also need a clear hook explaining why the person answering the telephone should connect them with the decision-maker.

    Mini-summary: Prospecting and pitch refinement are daily disciplines.

    Q: Should a sales pitch be standardised or customised?

    A: It should be both. The explanation of who you are and what you do can contain well-prepared common elements. The reason the buyer should care must be specific to the industry, sector, market, company and current situation. Preparation creates clarity, while customisation creates relevance.

    Mini-summary: Keep the foundation consistent and customise the buyer relevance.

    Q: Why must inbound sales leads receive an immediate response?

    A: Interest fades quickly. A website enquiry, search-generated lead or paid advertising response should be treated as urgent. Delayed contact allows the buyer's motivation to cool and gives competitors more opportunity. Fast follow-up demonstrates seriousness and creates momentum while the prospect is still engaged.

    Mini-summary: Respond while the buyer's interest is still hot.

    Q: How should sales professionals fight complacency in Japan?

    A: Japanese buyers may require patience, trust-building and internal consensus. That does not justify slow action from the salesperson. Strong professionals maintain prospecting activity, sharpen their messages, respond rapidly and follow up consistently while respecting the client's decision process. The long cycle makes disciplined basics more important, not less.

    Mini-summary: Respect the buyer's process without reducing your own urgency.

    Author Bio

    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.
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    8 分
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