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The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Release Date: 08/08/2024

244 Be Careful Using Your Hands When Presenting In Japan show art 244 Be Careful Using Your Hands When Presenting In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Don’t get this wrong. Good posture never goes out of style, yet many presenters struggle with it. Standing straight projects confidence, enables better breath control, and conveys energy. However, the presenting environment often tempts us into poor habits. Even seasoned performers—actors and singers—struggle with posture during award acceptance speeches. Instead of standing tall, they hunch over microphones, giving audiences an unflattering view of their bowed heads. These professionals, familiar with microphone technology, should excel at its use but often fail to adapt to the setup....

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243 Setting the Foundations For Making The Sale In Japan show art 243 Setting the Foundations For Making The Sale In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Nemawashi, translates to “groundwork” and is rooted in the practice of moving large trees. This intricate process—preparing roots, wrapping them, and relocating the tree—serves as a metaphor for meticulous preparation before decisions in business. In Japan, decisions are typically made before meetings, with the gathering itself serving as a formality to approve prior agreements. The groundwork involves engaging stakeholders individually, securing their buy-in, and addressing potential concerns. In contrast, Western decision-making often occurs during meetings, with open discussions and...

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242 Mood Control In Japan show art 242 Mood Control In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Don’t be delusional. Do you consider yourself moody? Perhaps not, but as a boss, your team may perceive you differently. Employees are keenly attuned to your every movement, tone, body language and expression, constantly evaluating your mood to gauge whether it's a good time to approach you with work-related matters. Your ability to mask emotions or maintain equilibrium amidst challenges significantly influences the workplace atmosphere. As the leader, your mood sets the tone for the day. A positive attitude can uplift the team, while a negative one can drag them down. The challenge lies in...

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241  Open The Kimono When Presenting In Japan show art 241  Open The Kimono When Presenting In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Stop wrecking your presentations. When delivering talks, many speakers separate their personal identities from the content, focusing solely on facts, data, and evidence. This approach, often favored by technical individuals, misses the opportunity to create deeper engagement with the audience. As an introvert, I understand the hesitation to share personal stories. However, keeping oneself out of the narrative is a significant mistake. Injecting personal experiences and insights into a presentation transforms it from theoretical to practical, resonating more deeply with the audience. Audiences...

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240 Buyer Styles In Japan show art 240 Buyer Styles In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Salespeople are ignorant. When interacting with Japanese buyers, personality differences play a more critical role than cultural differences. Understanding personality styles can help improve communication and sales success. A two-axis framework categorizes personality types: a horizontal axis measures from low assertion on the left across to high assertion on the right, and a vertical axis measuring people orientation at the top vs. outcome focus down below. Bottom right, the Driver type is highly assertive and outcome-driven. Often business founders, they value results over...

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239 Taking Accountabilty In Japan show art 239 Taking Accountabilty In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Stop being weak. The beauty, weight loss, fashion, and entertainment industries inundate us with images of unattainable perfection, leaving many feeling inadequate—too tall, short, fat, thin, or unsuccessful. It’s easy to fall into the trap of wishing for better circumstances: wealthier parents, a better education, or a more favorable start in life. But wishing changes nothing; the past cannot be undone. While mistakes, poor choices, and misfortunes may weigh us down, the key is to stop dwelling on what lies behind us and channel that energy into moving forward. To progress, we must act as...

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238 How To Quieten the Crowd In Japan show art 238 How To Quieten the Crowd In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Some MCs are idiots. At a sports related event filled with free-flowing drinks, idle chatter, and hundreds of attendees, the presentations quickly unraveled into a comedy of errors. The MC, tasked with introducing the main speaker, faced an uninterested crowd more captivated by their own conversations than the proceedings on stage. In a desperate bid for attention, the MC resorted to shooshing the audience, first gently, then with exaggerated, strident authority, as if addressing unruly schoolchildren. This tactic only drew ridicule, amplifying the noise and making the atmosphere even more...

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237 Never Stop Selling In Japan show art 237 Never Stop Selling In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Salespeople leave money on the table. The sales process doesn’t end with a signed agreement; delivery is the critical next step. Whether immediate or delayed, it’s often handled by someone other than the salesperson—usually agents, contractors, or back-office staff. Salespeople, meanwhile, quickly shift focus on new deals, leaving follow-up with buyers neglected. This is a common mistake that can cost opportunities and relationships. Instead, it is vital to schedule post-delivery meetings with buyers to ensure satisfaction, address issues, and explore further opportunities. A...

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236 Developing Women For Leadership In Japan show art 236 Developing Women For Leadership In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Japan discriminates against women in business. Former Prime Minister Abe’s modest targets for increasing female leadership numbers failed miserably. Abe’s campaign got nowhere, and with their tail between their legs, the Government significantly lowered their targets. This lack of progress is mirrored in Japan’s Rotary Clubs, traditionally male-dominated bastions within a global organization designed to foster professional connections and community contribution. Until recently, 94% of Japanese Rotary Clubs had no women members, including my own club. Since I joined in 2002, debates...

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235 Being Conversational In Japan show art 235 Being Conversational In Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

Presenters get this wrong. Avoid creating a barrier between yourself and the audience. Presenters are often elevated on a stage or positioned at the front of the room, surrounded by podiums, slides, lighting, and microphones, all of which can inadvertently distance them from their audience. In Japan, standing above a seated audience requires an apology at the start of the speech, as such positioning implies superiority in a hierarchy-conscious society. Similarly, using a commanding voice or overly formal demeanour can create unnecessary separations. Instead, focus on building rapport and...

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Jan Carlzon many years ago published a tremendous guide to customer service.  He had the job of turning around SAS airlines and captured that experience in his book “Moments Of Truth”.  I was reminded of Carlson’s insights when I was recently checking into my hotel in Singapore.  While going through the check-in process at the hotel, a waiter from the adjoining restaurant approached me bearing an ice-cold glass of freshly squeezed juice.  Singapore is very humid and trust me, that ice cold beverage went down very well.  I thought this is really well thought through customer service by this Hotel.

One of Carlzon’s observations about customer service however was the importance of consistency of delivery.  For example, visualise the telephone receptionist answers your call in a pleasant helpful manner and you are uplifted by your exposure to the brand.  The next staff member receiving the transferred call however, is grumpy and unfriendly. Now both your mood and positive impression plummet. You are suddenly irritated by this company, who have just damaged their brand by their lack of an ability to sustain good service across only two consecutive touch points with the customer.   

So back to my story.  As I get to my room, in good spirits after unexpectedly receiving my ice-cold juice, I find out the television isn’t working.  After a forensic search for the cause, including a few harsh words with the television controller, I discover the power is not on.  There is a card slot next to the door that initiates the power supply to the room.  Yes, I worked it all out eventually, but the thought occurred to me that the pleasant young woman checking me into the hotel, failed to mention these two facts to me.  Sustainability of good service has to be the goal if you want to protect or grow your brand.

When you are the leader of your company, you presume that everyone “gets it” about representing the brand and that the whole team delivers consistent levels of service.  You expect that your whole team is supporting the marketing department’s efforts to create an excellent image of the organization.  After all, you have been spending truckloads of money on that marketing effort, haven’t  you? 

But are all the staff supporting the effort to build the brand?  Perhaps they have forgotten what you have said about consistent customer service in the past or they are a new hire or a part-timer who didn’t get properly briefed. 

As leaders, we should all sit down and draw the spider’s web of how customers interact with us and who they interact with.  We should expect that nobody gets it and determine that we have to tell them all again, again and again.   

First impressions count, but so do all the follow-up impressions, if we want to build a sustainable, consistent positive image with our customers.  Consistency of good experiences doesn’t happen automatically.  We have to look again at all of our touch points with our customers and ensure that everyone in the team understands their place in maintaining the excellent brand we have built up.