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TOKYO, Japan, September 19, 2007 (Investor TV) – A typically aggressive Western business approach is not the best way to win hearts and minds – and wallets - in Japan, according to Japanese communications expert Nicole Watanabe.
The American director of Tokyo-based Japan Intercultural Consulting, an international training and consulting firm focused on Japanese business, told InvestorTV that patience is the supreme virtue in a country with its own unique business culture.
“The one thing I recommend most for any non-Japanese person doing business with the Japanese is patience. You need to spend time with people getting to know them, talking with them about what aspects of a decision seem risky to them, what makes them want to slow down,” she said.
“If you’re feeling a significant difference in your pace and the pace of your Japanese counterparts, it’s well worth the investment of time.”
Another key aspect of winning deals in Japan is shoe leather. Stories abound of Japanese businesspeople who won’t even consider a sales pitch until the 10th approach – a cultural aspect that Watanabe says remains entrenched.
“Persistence can be highly valued by the Japanese. If you feel resistance to a certain business initiative or decision or reticence that you can’t quite understand, it’s well worth it to take it back, take a look at it, re-work it and suggest it again in another format,” she said.
“That in itself can be very highly valued by the Japanese – 'you don’t give up, do you?' They like that.”
The group mentality of Japanese culture is another aspect that should be considered in managing and motivating Japanese staff, she said.
“Japanese staff tend to be very strong teams and teamwork is highly emphasised in the Japanese culture. If you can foster teamwork and a sense of team spirit among your staff, that tends to be highly motivating,” Watanabe said.
“So for the successful management of Japanese staff, I would say a top-down or authoritarian approach tends to get people in trouble.
"The key thing is not just to delegate and leave people on their own, but to delegate and then show support for staff.”
It is an approach that has won success for Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, among other notable foreign business leaders in Japan.
“You have to be willing to invest a lot in training and take a long-term view of the relationship because that’s still very much what most Japanese staff are looking for,” says Nicole.
Having worked in both the United States and Japan, Watanabe says overseas perceptions of Japan as a difficult market to break into are not entirely exaggerated.
“The idea that Japan is a tough market I think is partly influenced by the Western business pace. It takes patience, and that can be tough sometimes. But I think that the rewards are well worth the investment of time and energy,” she said.
“If you are truly passionate about getting to know your Japanese counterparts and are really curious about how to be successful here and can be open to changing your assumptions, it can be a lot of fun to learn about a different business culture.”
The American director of Tokyo-based Japan Intercultural Consulting, an international training and consulting firm focused on Japanese business, told InvestorTV that patience is the supreme virtue in a country with its own unique business culture.
“The one thing I recommend most for any non-Japanese person doing business with the Japanese is patience. You need to spend time with people getting to know them, talking with them about what aspects of a decision seem risky to them, what makes them want to slow down,” she said.
“If you’re feeling a significant difference in your pace and the pace of your Japanese counterparts, it’s well worth the investment of time.”
Another key aspect of winning deals in Japan is shoe leather. Stories abound of Japanese businesspeople who won’t even consider a sales pitch until the 10th approach – a cultural aspect that Watanabe says remains entrenched.
“Persistence can be highly valued by the Japanese. If you feel resistance to a certain business initiative or decision or reticence that you can’t quite understand, it’s well worth it to take it back, take a look at it, re-work it and suggest it again in another format,” she said.
“That in itself can be very highly valued by the Japanese – 'you don’t give up, do you?' They like that.”
The group mentality of Japanese culture is another aspect that should be considered in managing and motivating Japanese staff, she said.
“Japanese staff tend to be very strong teams and teamwork is highly emphasised in the Japanese culture. If you can foster teamwork and a sense of team spirit among your staff, that tends to be highly motivating,” Watanabe said.
“So for the successful management of Japanese staff, I would say a top-down or authoritarian approach tends to get people in trouble.
"The key thing is not just to delegate and leave people on their own, but to delegate and then show support for staff.”
It is an approach that has won success for Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, among other notable foreign business leaders in Japan.
“You have to be willing to invest a lot in training and take a long-term view of the relationship because that’s still very much what most Japanese staff are looking for,” says Nicole.
Having worked in both the United States and Japan, Watanabe says overseas perceptions of Japan as a difficult market to break into are not entirely exaggerated.
“The idea that Japan is a tough market I think is partly influenced by the Western business pace. It takes patience, and that can be tough sometimes. But I think that the rewards are well worth the investment of time and energy,” she said.
“If you are truly passionate about getting to know your Japanese counterparts and are really curious about how to be successful here and can be open to changing your assumptions, it can be a lot of fun to learn about a different business culture.”
