The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

The Japan Business Mastery Show aims to draw back the velvet curtain on what is rerally going on with doing business in Japan. Everything is so different here it can be confusing. This show will take you through all those minefields and position you for success in this market.

245 Boss Genius Coaching 04/03/2025

245 Boss Genius Coaching Bosses get this wrong. The younger generation demands a new type of boss—someone persuasive, focused on their career development, and who is skilled as a communicator and coach. Japan’s demographic crisis makes meeting these demands even more critical. With fewer young people entering the workforce, competition for their loyalty is fierce. Employers unable to satisfy their expectations will lose talent to competitors or rely increasingly on non-Japanese workers to fill the gap. Statistics reveal the challenge: 35% of young Japanese graduates quit their jobs within three years. One key reason is the lack of effective leadership. Middle managers often lack proper training, relying on outdated On-The-Job Training (OJT) methods. This perpetuates the flawed systems of the past, leaving young employees disengaged and unsupported. To reverse this trend, bosses must adopt a coaching mindset. A super coach identifies team skill gaps, prioritizes development, and co-creates goals with employees. Coaching requires mutual trust and an understanding of individual triggers for improvement. Bosses must invest time to know their team members, tailoring their approach to each person’s needs. Time management is the foundation of effective coaching. Unfortunately, most middle managers in Japan struggle with this, prioritizing urgent tasks over long-term development. The modern boss must master time management to create space for coaching, focusing on skill development, explaining the “why” behind tasks, and guiding employees through practice and feedback. Instant feedback is crucial for younger workers stepping out of their comfort zones. Recognizing their incremental progress builds confidence and encourages further growth. Results-focused leaders must shift to appreciating “baby steps,” combining real-time feedback with tailored rewards that resonate with individual preferences. Today’s Japanese boss must become a super coach—offering the guidance they themselves may have lacked on their way up. By investing time and effort into nurturing the younger generation, bosses can ensure long-term organizational success. This is not just an evolution but a necessity for modern leadership in Japan. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/35867945

244 Be Careful Using Your Hands When Presenting In Japan 03/27/2025

244 Be Careful Using Your Hands When Presenting In 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. As a presenter, you can avoid this by preparing beforehand. Test the microphone to ensure it suits your needs, and request alternatives like a handheld or lavaliere mic if necessary. If caught off guard, don’t hesitate to remove the microphone from its stand or lift the entire stand to bring the mic to your level. The key is to take control of the tech, not let it dictate your posture or delivery. Podiums are another culprit behind poor posture. Many speakers clutch the podium for balance or as a substitute for gestures, especially if unsure what to do with their hands. This restricts movement and leaves the speaker hunched over, further diminishing their presence. Instead, step slightly back from the podium so the temptation to go for the grip is eliminated, stand tall, and use a slide clicker to navigate your presentation. Free from the restrictions of the physical podium, your gestures can enhance your words and engage the audience. If you must use a podium for notes or as a laptop stand, maintain good posture by standing upright and away from the podium’s edge. I often rotate the podium toward me, so that I can easily see my laptop screen, as I stand to the side. This prevents reliance on the podium for support and keeps my hands free for natural gestures. Good posture marks a professional who commands their environment, tech, and presentation space. By addressing these physical and technical challenges, you can focus entirely on engaging your audience—our ultimate goal. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/35867875

243 Setting the Foundations For Making The Sale In Japan 03/20/2025

243 Setting the Foundations For Making The Sale In 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 debates leading to a consensus. This cultural difference means that to influence outcomes in Japan, preparation must begin early, before formal discussions occur. Whether dealing with internal teams or external clients, success depends on influencing decision-makers ahead of time. When working with a client, for example, your internal champion becomes pivotal. They must persuade decision-makers using data, testimonials, and evidence you provide, ensuring the groundwork is solid. Neglecting this preparation risks losing control of the decision-making process. Nemawashi also involves understanding the dynamics within the meeting. Others may push their agendas, so your champion needs a clear strategy. Identify meeting participants, anticipate their concerns, and craft tailored approaches to win them over. Preparation should include counterarguments for opposing perspectives, ensuring your champion can effectively advocate for your preferred outcome. While nemawashi doesn’t guarantee success, it maximizes your chances. Poor preparation often leads to unfavourable decisions. By embracing nemawashi, you can position yourself strategically, influencing outcomes in alignment with Japanese decision-making norms. This approach not only enhances your chances of success but also helps you navigate complex organizational dynamics more effectively. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/35490185

242 Mood Control In Japan 03/13/2025

242 Mood Control In 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 maintaining this positivity consistently, regardless of personal troubles or external factors like the weather or how you are feeling. Leaders must avoid expressing judgments about uncontrollable elements, like a rainy day or a sunny morning, which might signal to others that emotions can be swayed by such minor elements. Beyond weather, procrastination is another mood indicator leaders should watch. When faced with daunting or unpleasant tasks, it’s easy to divert attention elsewhere—emails, calls, or minor administrivia—rather than tackle the priority head-on. This avoidance can diminish motivation and affect the team’s perception of your leadership. Similarly, setbacks like low revenues, missed deadlines or subpar performance from team members can derail your positive mindset. However, as a leader, you cannot blow your stack. You need to respond very carefully and thoughtfully. Effective leadership demands discipline and emotional control. It’s about engaging both intellect and empathy to guide decisions and maintain team morale, even under pressure. Leaders cannot indulge in visible frustration or unchecked emotion. Instead, they must project confidence and resilience, serving as a stabilizing force for the team. While perfection is unattainable, the image of a steady and composed leader is crucial. Ultimately, being a “sunny boss” isn’t about feigned cheerfulness but about demonstrating consistent emotional stability. Leaders must resist letting external factors or internal fears dictate their behavior. By cultivating self-discipline, they can positively influence their team’s mood and productivity, ensuring the workplace remains a place of progress and collaboration, no matter the challenges. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/35490175

241 Open The Kimono When Presenting In Japan 03/06/2025

241 Open The Kimono When Presenting In 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 crave authenticity and reality. Like seeking honest consumer product reviews, they value real-life stories that reflect genuine experiences. Personal anecdotes not only enhance our credibility but also foster a stronger bond with listeners. Sharing struggles, mistakes, and lessons learned, even when they don’t portray us in a perfect light, builds trust. Audiences find overly polished speakers unrelatable and prefer those who reveal their human side, including their flaws and vulnerabilities. Self-deprecating humor is particularly effective in this context. For example, sales master Zig Ziglar shared humorous anecdotes about his early career struggles, which endeared him to his audience. Such humor, focused on the speaker’s own missteps rather than targeting others, is both relatable and disarming. It demonstrates humility and reinforces the authenticity of the speaker’s message. It took me a long time to go from being a highly private person, reluctant to share personal stories, to embracing a more open approach in presentations. I discovered that audiences appreciated honesty and authenticity, resonating more strongly with talks that included my personal insights. This realization underscores the value of incorporating elements of oneself into public speaking. By doing so, we can create a genuine connection with their audience, increasing the acceptance and impact of our message. Our presentation is not merely a delivery of facts; it is an opportunity to engage and connect. Sharing personal stories, struggles, and even humorous anecdotes helps bridge the gap between ourselves and the audience. This human touch makes the presentation more compelling and memorable, leaving a lasting impression that resonates far beyond the immediate event. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/35311760

240 Buyer Styles In Japan 02/27/2025

240 Buyer Styles In 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 relationships, preferring direct and efficient communication. They make decisions quickly and dislike time-wasting, and their decisiveness can be final. To engage Drivers, use high energy and provide concise, results-oriented arguments – no fluff allowed. In the opposite diagonal, at top left is the Amiable. Low in assertiveness but highly people-focused. They prioritize relationships and team harmony. Amiables prefer a slower pace, avoiding conflict, and ensuring group consensus before making decisions. Communicating effectively with them involves lowering energy, soft voice and body language, emphasizing empathy, and building trust over time. The Expressive in top right is assertive and people-oriented. They thrive on enthusiasm, big-picture ideas, and social interactions. Often found in sales, training or creative fields, Expressives dislike details and data, but enjoy vision and brainstorming. Engaging them requires matching their energy, discussing future possibilities, but don’t bog them down in the weeds. In contrast, at opposite diagonal in the bottom left, the Analytical is low in assertiveness and focused on data, lots of data. Detail-oriented and logical, they value evidence, precision, proof, testimonials, and clarity. Common in technical roles, they require extensive proof before making decisions. To connect with them, bring detailed data, avoid emotional appeals, and give them time to process. To maximize sales success in Japan, sellers must adapt their preferred communication style to that of each buyer's personality. Sticking to one’s natural style works for only one in four interactions, but tailoring communication ensures we can hit all the bases. Adjusting tone, energy, and message focus to align with these personality types—Driver, Amiable, Expressive, or Analytical—enhances engagement, connection and gets results. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/35311735

239 Taking Accountabilty In Japan 02/20/2025

239 Taking Accountabilty In 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 our own first responder, rescuing ourselves. No external savior will arrive to lift us out of difficulty; we must create our own rescue plan. The first step is to free ourselves from the burdens of the past. Painful or unjust experiences may linger, but we can minimize their impact by mentally compartmentalizing them. Imagine sealing those memories in a transparent, impenetrable bulb, where they are visible, but cannot escape to contaminate today. Recalling the past but without allowing worry to dominate is crucial for breaking free. Once liberated from the mental burdens of yesterday, we shift focus to today and our available strengths. The most valuable asset we possess is time. How we spend it determines our ability to create a better future. Viewing time as an asset opens the door to productive action. The process begins by crafting a clear vision of the life we want to lead. This vision should guide the creation of specific, realistic goals, broken down into actionable steps. Every moment spent on these steps builds momentum, moving us closer to our desired future. By focusing solely on what is within our control today and dedicating our time wisely, we can transform our lives. This self-rescue costs nothing but a small fraction of our greatest resource—time. The journey forward requires discipline, but it offers the freedom to shape a meaningful, empowered existence. Rather than wishing for different circumstances or dwelling on the past, taking intentional steps toward progress ensures growth and success. In reclaiming control over our time and actions, we break free from excuses, self-pity, limitations and create a pathway to fulfillment. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/35206480

238 How To Quieten the Crowd In Japan 02/13/2025

238 How To Quieten the Crowd In 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 chaotic. When the main speaker took the stage, the MC’s antics continued, with unhelpful interjections and more shooshing during the speech. Unfortunately, the speaker lacked the skills to command attention, their words drowned out by the persistent hum of more self interested conversations. Subsequent speakers fared no better, victims of an audience too engrossed in their own chatter to care. Blame could be assigned to the unengaging speakers, the audience's rudeness, or both, but such analysis is too generous. The free flow of alcohol played a pivotal role; once the drinks started, the audience's focus shifted entirely to themsleves. In Japan, a different approach to similar events often yields better results. Alcohol is withheld until speeches are over, incentivizing discipline with the promise of a toast. While this method isn’t foolproof, it significantly reduces distractions, fostering a more attentive audience. However, the Japanese system also has its flaws, such as lengthy, monotonous speeches that can test even the most patient and thirsty listeners. For speakers facing such booze heightened challenges, the key lies in preparation and technique. Successful presentations start with a powerful, concise message that engages the audience immediately. Asking interactive, thought-provoking questions tailored to the event’s theme—like rallying sports fans to cheer for their favorite teams—can channel the audience’s energy positively. Following this, a pause to capitalize on the crowd’s silence ensures full attention for an impactful opening. Maintaining interest requires a blend of storytelling, vivid imagery, and dynamic energy. When addressing a noisy or distracted audience, a speaker must project energy levels exceeding the crowd’s, creating a commanding presence akin to a rock star’s performance. Amplified gestures, a powerful voice, and strategic engagement can cut through distractions. In contrast, uninspiring speeches and ineffective MCs, as in this event, doom speakers to be snubbed, ignored and completely forgotten. With proper techniques, a speaker can transform crowd chaos into an opportunity, standing out as a rare and skilled bolshie crowd wrangler. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/35206365

237 Never Stop Selling In Japan 02/06/2025

237 Never Stop Selling In 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 post-delivery meeting allows salespeople to confirm the product or service met expectations, ensuring any issues are promptly resolved. In Japan, for instance, quick fixes are essential due to tight supply chain imperatives and high customer expectations. By being proactive, salespeople can prevent disruptions to the buyer’s operations and strengthen trust. Additionally, feedback reveals whether buyers remain sold on the product, setting the stage for reorders, cross-selling, or upselling. Clients often test vendors with small initial orders before committing to larger ones. Passing these tests consistently builds confidence and increases order sizes over time. Moreover, follow-up meetings can uncover additional needs that weren’t disclosed initially. Market changes or deeper trust can reveal new opportunities. Salespeople who only prioritize new prospects risk missing these growth chances with existing clients. A structured approach aids in maximizing account development. Using a matrix, salespeople list clients vertically and products horizontally, marking current supplies, high-probability opportunities, and less-likely possibilities. This visual tool often highlights overlooked opportunities. Expanding relationships requires the courage to ask simple questions like, “Are there other needs we could help with?” or seeking referrals by narrowing the context, e.g., “In your golf group, is there someone who might benefit from our solution?” Make sure it is a focused referral request. Broad questions like “Do you know anyone?” overwhelm buyers, while specific contexts help them visualize candidates. For example, asking about their golf group narrows down candidates, yielding better responses. Sales success isn’t just about closing new deals. It’s about leveraging existing relationships for deeper connections, additional sales, and high-quality referrals. Action steps include scheduling time with the buyer post-delivery, resolving issues swiftly, preparing a product-client matrix for further opportunities, and refining referral requests to maximize impact. Staying engaged post-sale transforms satisfied clients into repeat customers and valuable advocates. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/35174000

236 Developing Women For Leadership In Japan 01/30/2025

236 Developing Women For Leadership In 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 over admitting women were an annual occurrence, with opposition gradually dwindling as older members passed on. While there were no explicit rules against female members, selection processes magically excluded women. Thankfully, this era has ended in my club, although women still make up only 5% of Japanese Rotary membership, compared to the global average of 23%. Rotary in Japan remains a stronghold of influential businessmen, from local entrepreneurs to corporate captains of industry. These clubs reinforce existing male networks built during school and university years. While Rotary membership grows globally, Japan’s numbers have sharply declined since 2000, falling to less than half the world growth average. The recent acceptance of women marks a turning point, spurred more by declining membership rather than a genuine embrace of diversity. My own high powered club is large, wealthy, and conservative, with an average member age of 70 full of major CEOs and Chairman. If even this elite group can accept women, it does signal some broader societal change. My fellow club members are leaders of Japan’s largest corporations, so one hopes progress here reflects an evolving corporate culture. However, women’s underrepresentation in corporate training programs and leadership reveals latent barriers. Only 30% of participants in our company in-house training programs are women. Why? Because middle management is monopolised by men who do not groom women for future leadership positions. Diversity training is common now but often misdirected. With the current political pushback going on in America against DEI programmes, I wonder what will be the fallout in Japan? Companies here focus on upskilling women rather than educating male bosses about inclusive leadership. Often, I feel the whole exercise is a fake head nod to show they are doing something without achieving anything. The box has been checked and everyone can now move on. True leadership goes beyond managing processes; it involves developing all employees, including women. Without addressing male Middle Management’s role in perpetuating gender bias, progress will always be elusive. Abe’s original pathetic targets for women in leadership still remain distant. Womens’ advancement hinges on male decision-makers recognizing their role in promoting talent. Just as Rotary evolved to include women, Japanese businesses must transform their leadership approaches or pay the piper. Starting with male Middle Management, Japan’s fostering of inclusive leadership is essential for Japan’s future success. We are running out of people here and we need women to play a more active role in companies as leaders. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/35026210

235 Being Conversational In Japan 01/23/2025

235 Being Conversational In 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 connection. To persuade your audience effectively, remove as many barriers as possible. Speak conversationally, as though addressing close friends with whom trust and familiarity have already been established. This approach creates an atmosphere of shared confidences, making the audience feel they are privy to special insights and data. Transition from speaking at your audience to speaking with them. One practical technique is to engage with your audience before the presentation. Arrive early, converse with attendees, and ask about their reasons for attending. Incorporate these interactions into your talk. Mention names and comments from the audience to create a sense of inclusion and intimacy. For example: “Suzuki-san mentioned an interesting point earlier,” or, “Obayashi-san shared new data during our chat before lunch.” Recognizing individuals publicly not only builds connection but also enhances their sense of value. Adjust your tone to be more inclusive and conversational. Speak as though you’re chatting over a backyard fence rather than addressing a formal audience. Use gestures to draw people in, such as extending your arm with an open palm or miming an embrace of the entire audience. Maintain eye contact for about six seconds per person to ensure inclusivity without discomfort. Self-disparaging humour can also break down hierarchy. Boris Johnson, for example, uses humour to appear more relatable, despite his elite background. While you shouldn’t take yourself too seriously, avoid overdoing it, as excessive self-deprecation can seem insincere or manipulative. To foster connection, shift your mindset to a friendly, informal setting. Include your audience in your presentation, adopt a conversational tone, and use gestures and humour to build rapport. These strategies make your delivery engaging, memorable, and effective. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/34954655

234 Lure Out Their Objections 01/16/2025

234 Lure Out Their Objections Salespeople often hope for straightforward buyers who buy without hesitation. However, reality is rarely so simple, and objections are actually critical to the sales process. When buyers hesitate, it signals interest, as it means they are considering potential issues. If buyers show no interest and raise no questions, that’s a warning sign—they’re not truly engaged. Objections suggest a mental commitment to the purchase, as buyers are naturally cautious and want to resolve potential risks before moving forward. In sales, objections reveal an intent to purchase and can guide us in addressing any reservations the buyer may have. When a buyer has no objections and doesn’t ask questions, they’re likely not invested in the product or solution, which could mean a failed sale. This is especially true in cases of high-cost or complex products; questions and objections indicate the buyer is working through a mental checklist and seriously evaluating the purchase. Addressing these concerns builds trust and moves the buyer closer to a decision. In Japan, decision-making is often done collectively, through a process called the ringi system, where various stakeholders in the company must approve the purchase. The individual in the sales meeting may be gathering information for others, not the final decision-maker. Consequently, they may raise fewer objections, not because they lack interest but because they’re not the end-user or the final decision authority. This can be misleading for the salesperson, who may not realize they still need to engage other decision-makers. A recent sales example illustrates this point: during a pitch to a financial institution with a scope ten times larger than they anticipated, the representatives raised few objections. This lack of questions signaled that they were likely not the decision-makers. This highlights the need to address the real stakeholders and make sure objections are raised and answered to progress the sale. No objections can indicate that the salesperson hasn’t demonstrated enough value or urgency. The true objective isn’t just a one-time sale; it’s to build a long-term partnership and ensure reorders. To achieve this, buyers need to feel confident they’re making the best choice for their business, requiring the salesperson to prove the product’s value and address any concerns that could prevent future purchases. Key Points Objections show genuine buyer interest and intent. No questions mean the buyer likely isn’t engaged or ready. In Japan, decisions often require broad approval, meaning the salesperson may not meet all stakeholders. Addressing objections builds trust and confidence, essential for long-term partnerships. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/34879280

Stop Rushing About 01/09/2025

Stop Rushing About Is speed expensive? Constant hustling can lead to large and small errors of judgment. We get so caught up in living 24/7 lifestyles that we start missing big pieces of the success puzzle. People are the key to most businesses, but look at how we treat them. We hit the panic button on a piece of work and make everyone jump through hoops to make sure the deadline is met. We either end the sentence for the person we are speaking with or we cut them off and lunge in with our own preferred words and ideas. Doing more, faster with less, we are constantly hustling to gain time. The process becomes addictive. The unrelenting daily email tsunami pushes us to gain extra time - all the time. Our “contemplative self” is subsumed by the “mad rush us”, leaping around like a lunatic. Imagine if every interaction you have with others, where you are focused on hustling for your personal gain, came back to haunt you. How would this change your behavior? You would definitely take more care about the people around you, how you spoke with others and your general interactions with humanity. You would be more considerate of others. The slow food movement was a reaction to the impersonalisation of the food service industry. We need a slow business movement to do the same thing in the way we run our businesses. Contemplation is vaporizing as we constantly hustle. Who we really are and what we actually stand for in our value system is getting bent out of shape. So if you find yourself hustling like mad, stop and ask yourself, what is the cost of all this speed? What am I actually doing with all of these contraband minutes? Unleash the contemplative you instead and practice tuning yourself into other people. This is the universal, timeless, key business success skill – our ability to do well in our engagement with others and we are in danger of losing it /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/34723650

233 Self-Sufficiency When Leading 12/26/2024

233 Self-Sufficiency When Leading The beauty, weight loss, fashion, and entertainment industries project fantasies of success, often leaving people feeling inadequate. Comparing ourselves to wealthy actors, sports stars, or CEOs can amplify dissatisfaction with our own lives, making us wish we’d been born with better resources, opportunities, or advantages. However, dwelling on these thoughts isn’t productive; we aren’t going to be dealt a different hand in life. While past mistakes, poor choices, or unfavorable circumstances may weigh us down, it’s essential to stop focusing on what we cannot change. Instead, shifting our energy toward what lies ahead helps us progress. Many get caught up in revisiting past errors, but to move forward, it’s crucial to leave those burdens behind and focus on present strengths and opportunities. Moving forward means becoming our own "first responder." When disaster strikes, first responders act quickly to save lives. Similarly, no one will swoop in to rescue us, so we must act on our own behalf, developing a rescue plan to overcome mental barriers that limit us. While we can’t forget our past, we can stop letting it incapacitate us today. Worrying about past events doesn’t alter them. Instead, mentally “compartmentalize” these memories, so they don’t spill over into our present. With the past contained, the next step is to focus on our strengths. One of the most significant assets anyone has is time. Whether spent productively or otherwise, time is ours to use, and how we spend it determines our future. By viewing time as a key resource, we can direct it toward building the life we want. To use time effectively, set a clear vision for where you want to be. From there, identify specific, realistic goals and action steps. Progress may feel incremental, but with every action step, momentum builds, moving you closer to your vision. This process requires only a small amount of your most valuable asset—time—and yields a future crafted by your own efforts. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/34598645

232 Don't Be Flat When Presenting In Japan 12/19/2024

232 Don't Be Flat When Presenting In Japan "The good is the enemy of the great" reminds us that competent speakers often fall short of their full potential, delivering presentations that are solid but forgettable. Many presenters lack that extra energy—the metaphorical "ten degrees of heat"—needed to elevate their talk from adequate to impactful. An intelligent, prepared presenter can cover content, address questions, and complete their talk. Yet, without that added intensity, the presentation fades from the audience's memory almost instantly. The issue is usually a lackluster opening. When speakers start speaking at the same level as their pre-talk chatter, they fail to signal a shift to something meaningful, making it easy for the audience to remain passive. Audiences arrive distracted, their minds already full, so the first words must forcefully capture attention. The beginning of a presentation should demand focus, with language that grabs listeners and prepares them to engage. Opening with a vivid story, an intriguing statistic, or a compelling quote can draw people in. These "hooks" are essential in creating a memorable experience. This attention-grabbing start should also include physical tools like eye contact, voice modulation, and gestures. Using a strong voice and adding gesture strengthens the overall impact, forcing people to focus. Eye contact is essential, even with large audiences, as it creates a sense of connection and accountability. Directing focus to individuals for about six seconds at a time gives a sense of shared attention and purpose. Physical positioning is another tool. Moving closer to the audience or adjusting posture to convey authority and warmth can amplify the connection. For example, standing over a seated crowd can add power to the speaker’s presence. These non-verbal cues, combined with vocal dynamics, engage the audience effectively. Once a speaker has captivated the audience, the next task is maintaining that energy. Vocal variety, pauses for effect, and energy level must be sustained to prevent the talk from slipping into a monotone that loses attention. Pauses build anticipation and emphasize key points, making the talk more memorable. A good start sets the tone for a powerful presentation. Sadly, many speakers start flat, stay flat, and finish flat, leaving audiences unimpressed and unengaged. Don’t let that be your presentation. Action Steps Recognize that audiences are often inattentive at first. Understand you’re competing with short attention spans and various distractions. Use a strong opening to grab attention. Leverage voice, eye contact, body language, and positioning for impact. A powerful beginning makes it easier to sustain energy throughout. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/34454235

231 Dealing With Objections In Japan 12/12/2024

231 Dealing With Objections In Japan Hearing “no” isn’t easy, especially in sales. It’s a rejection we often react to emotionally, pushing harder in hopes of reversing the answer. However, immediately countering objections is usually ineffective, as this response is driven more by impulse than by strategy. A better approach is to use a “cushion”—a neutral statement that buys a few seconds to regroup and keeps the conversation calm. For example, if a client says, “it’s too expensive,” respond with, “It’s important to have good budget management,” instead of jumping into a justification. This brief pause lets you refocus and prompts you to ask “why” instead, uncovering the real reasons behind the client’s objection. Hearing a reason like “it’s too expensive” is often just a headline—surface-level feedback that may mask underlying concerns. Much like retail shoppers who claim they dislike a color to avoid revealing they can’t afford the item, buyers may deflect to avoid discussing their true reservations. Digging deeper is essential. Asking “Why is that a problem?” and probing further helps reveal their actual issues, and asking, “Are there other reasons?” ensures you’ve gathered all potential objections. Once the main reason is identified, determine if it’s based on fact or misconception. False information may require a firm rebuttal backed by evidence. If the objection is legitimate—like delivery time issues tied to quality standards—acknowledge it, explain, and see if there’s a workaround. In cases where finances are the concern, reframing your product as a solution to help improve their business can be effective. The key is addressing objections only after fully understanding the client’s perspective. Without this understanding, you risk wasting time on objections that don’t address their real concerns. Ultimately, by pausing, asking strategic questions, and prioritizing key objections, you can either resolve the issue or determine that it’s best to move on to another client who can benefit from your offer. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/34332630

230 Leadership Visionary In Japan 12/05/2024

230 Leadership Visionary In Japan Visionary leaders are often seen as motivators and guides, but to lead effectively, they must first have a clear vision for themselves. Many people offer sound advice to others while neglecting to apply it in their own lives, which can undermine their credibility as leaders. To be a visionary, one must back their vision with specific goals. Living an “intentional life” is a good starting point; it means choosing to accumulate meaningful experiences instead of drifting aimlessly through life. Before focusing on a corporate vision, individuals should concentrate on their personal vision. If one’s life is disorganized, it’s difficult to inspire order in an organization. A future vision should reflect the life one desires: where to live, who to be with, and what fulfills and entertains them. In the corporate world, significant resources are dedicated to defining a brand’s direction. Individuals should apply the same rigor to their personal branding. This involves envisioning the ideal location and style of one’s future home, including details about its color, design, and surroundings. By creating a vision book with images and words, one makes this vision more tangible. To live intentionally, it’s essential to visualize objectives in detailed, concrete terms. This includes contemplating the person one aspires to become, relationships with others, travel experiences, preferred styles, and even choice of vehicle. Crafting a detailed picture of the desired future state helps solidify goals. Once the vision is established, it’s crucial to set goals that align with this vision. Goal-setting is most effective when roles in life are considered. People often focus solely on professional objectives, neglecting their multifaceted nature. Each person plays various roles—spouse, parent, friend, etc.—and should establish corresponding goals in areas like finance, health, and personal development. These goals must connect back to the personal vision. While the vision serves as the destination, goals are the vehicles that facilitate progress. Establishing a timeline for achieving the vision necessitates creating milestones for the goals to ensure accountability. Zig Ziglar once said, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help other people get what they want.” To be a visionary leader, one must assist others in realizing their goals. The first step is to get one’s own life in order. This focus will establish the leader’s credibility and capability to support their team’s ambitions. When leaders successfully help their teams achieve their goals, they foster cooperation and become true visionary leaders. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/34223040

229 Dress Presentation When Presenting In Japan 11/28/2024

229 Dress Presentation When Presenting In Japan The saying goes that there are "lies, damn lies, and statistics," and in the world of presenting, an often misquoted statistic claims that 55% of audience impressions are based on appearance. While this stems from Professor Mehrabian's research at UCLA, it's crucial to understand the context: this percentage applies when the content and delivery of a presentation are incongruent. When a speaker's words don’t match their presentation style, audiences can become distracted, especially in today’s world filled with distractions like smartphones. As speakers, it’s our responsibility to maintain audience engagement. High-energy presentations, which I strive to deliver, can generate heat, making clothing choices critical. For instance, I avoid wearing light blue shirts, as sweat can create a distracting two-tone effect. Instead, I prefer white shirts and always wear a jacket to maintain a professional appearance. The sight of a speaker with sweaty armpits is unappealing and distracting. Proper fit is also essential. An ill-fitting suit can disrupt the audience's focus. I recommend avoiding bright jackets during presentations; they draw attention away from your message. Instead, keep the focus on your words. When presenting on a panel, be mindful of your posture, especially with leg crossing. It can lead to awkward views of hairy legs or ankles. To avoid this, I wear long socks. While I enjoy bright ties, I choose muted options for presentations to prevent competing for attention with my face. One of my pet peeves is when men allow gaps between the tie knot and shirt collar. This oversight can be distracting. I also shorten my tie length slightly so that it doesn’t peek out from under the jacket, which helps maintain a polished appearance. Attention to footwear is also crucial. Shoes should be spotless and well-maintained; scuffed shoes convey a lack of professionalism. Ensure that your belt matches your shoes—brown with brown and black with black. Mismatched accessories can undermine your credibility. Nametags, often made of distracting plastic, should not be worn while presenting. Instead, place them on the table or lectern to avoid visual distractions. While this discussion primarily addresses men’s attire, similar principles apply to women. The key is to prioritize facial visibility over fashion, ensuring that nothing detracts from the power of your message. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/34123696

228 Ending Your FY Powerfully In Japan 11/21/2024

228 Ending Your FY Powerfully In Japan Salespeople often fall into a rhythm of easing off as the year-end approaches, especially in Japan, where the fiscal year ends in March. This period, leading up to the holiday break, can see a decline in productivity that equates to 8% of the year. To maximize sales, it’s essential to maintain focus and activity through December. One effective strategy is to reach out to existing customers. Even if they are currently utilizing some of our solutions, there are often additional products or services they may not yet have considered. To identify these opportunities, create an Opportunity Matrix, listing available solutions at the top and clients on the side. Use check marks to denote what clients are currently purchasing and mark potential sales chances as A, B, or C for follow-up discussions. December is also an ideal time for prospecting, particularly by reconnecting with “orphans”—clients with whom you previously had a relationship but have since lost contact. Various factors, such as changes in personnel or economic conditions, may have caused these clients to drift away. Use this time to reach out, even if meetings may not occur until January. Another crucial action is to identify look-alike targets—companies in the same industry as current clients that would likely have similar needs. Instead of random calls, conduct targeted outreach to these potential clients, leveraging existing industry knowledge to craft compelling opening conversations. Finding the right decision-makers can be challenging, particularly in Japan, where information is not always readily available. Annual reports can provide insights into key personnel, while social media platforms like LinkedIn might also help, though penetration in Japan is relatively low. Utilize your network for referrals, and if necessary, refine your credibility statement to get past gatekeepers and reach decision-makers directly. When communicating with potential clients, emphasize your experience with their competitors to strengthen your credibility. Present a general statement about your services, back it up with evidence of successful collaborations with similar companies, and assert your authority to command a direct connection to the decision-maker. Ultimately, the goal is to expand the sales pipeline and maintain momentum through December, setting up meetings for the new year. In Japan, December, known as "shiwasu," signifies a busy time when teachers are on the move. Similarly, salespeople should stay active and focused as the year closes, ensuring a strong finish and a robust start to the new year. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/33958232

227 Getting Trust In Japan 11/14/2024

227 Getting Trust In Japan Leaders often rely on “automatic trust,” stemming from their authority, to gain compliance from team members. However, achieving genuine, “earned trust” is crucial for fostering motivation and commitment within a team. Unlike automatic trust, earned trust develops through consistent, authentic interactions where leaders show integrity in both “talking the talk” and “walking the walk.” Without earned trust, delegation becomes risky, as leaders may feel their team won’t reliably handle tasks, which hampers time management and the team’s growth. Conversely, when trust is high, team members willingly give discretionary effort, displaying greater creativity, dedication, and initiative. Building and maintaining earned trust requires time and steady effort. Leaders may inadvertently undermine trust by losing their temper, rejecting ideas without consideration, or failing to follow through on promises. Moreover, insufficient communication—where leaders focus on issuing orders instead of explaining, listening, or seeking input—can erode trust. Effective communication involves explaining the purpose of tasks, listening to team concerns, and fostering mutual understanding. A significant challenge in cultivating trust is finding the time for these trust-building interactions amidst a busy schedule. Leaders who don’t delegate effectively often have less time to engage meaningfully with their team, leading to a vicious cycle of mistrust and lack of delegation. To break this loop, leaders must prioritize one-on-one time with team members, understanding their motivations, interests, fears, and goals. These personal insights allow leaders to align delegated tasks with individual career paths and developmental needs, building a sense of purpose and accountability within the team. For successful delegation, it’s essential that leaders approach each task with their team member’s growth in mind, involving them in planning and monitoring progress. This process demands dedicated time, which may be easily deprioritized due to competing obligations, but committing to these conversations ultimately pays off by strengthening trust. In sum, building trust is an ongoing process that requires leaders to change their mindset, habits, and time allocation. Rather than repeating the same experience annually, leaders must continually work to strengthen relationships with their team. Earned trust not only requires effort but is invaluable in elevating team cohesion, individual motivation, and collective success. Consistent attention to these trust-building efforts results in a lasting foundation of trust within the team. Action Steps: Recognize the difference between position-based and earned trust. Develop delegation skills that foster growth. Reflect on whether genuine communication is occurring. Dedicate time to knowing your team deeply. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/33866142

Leader Charisma 11/07/2024

Leader Charisma There is an abundance of definitions on what is charismatic leadership? The definition proffered during a recent webinar was uncontroversial and acceptable: emotional and intellectual engagement, inspiration to go the extra mile – all quite reasonable elements. Somehow that left me feeling vaguely unfulfilled. Reflecting on charismatic leaders, what was it about them that made them so attractive? Of course they were highly skilled, experienced and professional. Yet their technical knowledge wasn’t the distinguishing feature, because hosts of uncharismatic leaders are equally skilled. Great communicators, they capture the key points, are concise, insightful, engaging. No shortage of would-be charismatic leaders with this resume but no cigar. Optimistic, positive, high energy, fast paced, dynamic – yes all good points, but there was still something missing. I think the missing piece of the puzzle here is the way charismatic leaders make us feel when we are with them. I have heard that in his prime Bill Clinton would speak with you and make you feel like you were the only person in the room, despite being one person in a massive crowd. What are some relevant behaviours we can adopt to make us more charismatic? Begin with praise and honest appreciation. This must be genuine and linked to actual behavior, not vagaries. There isn’t a lot of praise and appreciation floating around in the business everyday, because a lot of leaders are Driver personality styles, who prioritise task completion over building people. We can be different – we can look for the good, the strengths in our people and play to those rather than lurking around the cubicles with our super fault-finder nuclear harpoon at the ready. If we find fault, call attention to it indirectly. We should also use encouragement and make the fault seem easy to correct. Let them save face, don’t create a barrier by lambasting them. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to. This means seeing people at their best and treating them that way rather than the opposite. We can ask questions, instead of giving direct orders. Socrates was on to the power of this approach centuries ago, but the typical boss today is still an order dispensing machine. When we tell, we own the task - when we ask, our people own it. We all own the world we help to create, so be the boss who gets help creating that world. Make them feel happy about doing the thing you suggest. Is this easy – no, but if our behavior is the driver then we need to persistently and permanently change our approach. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/33760792

226 Using Slide Visuals In Japan 10/31/2024

226 Using Slide Visuals In Japan Many people ask us at Dale Carnegie, what should I do with preparing my slide deck for my key note presentation? What’s too much? What’s too little? What’s the best way to make this work for me? That is what we will explore in this week’s show. Here’s some guidelines for using visuals. Less is definitely best. On a screen try to avoid paragraphs and sentences. If you can, use single words, and bullet points. Single words can be very very powerful. Just one word or even just one number can be very very powerful and then you can talk to the number, or you can talk to that word. Or just a photograph or a simple visual and you talk to the visual. You don’t have to crowd the screen with stuff that we can read ourselves. What you really want is the audience to be focused on you, the presenter and not what’s on the screen. This is very critical. We don’t want the screen competing with us so the less you have up there the better, because people look at it two seconds, they’ve got it and then they come back to you. Which is where you want them. And I mention that two seconds because I believe that the two second rule is a key rule. If you are putting something up on screen and an audience cannot see that and understand it within two seconds, it’s probably too complicated. Generally the six by six rule means that less is best. Six words on a line and six lines maximum on a screen is good. With fonts, try to make fonts easy to read. You might use for the title 44 font size, and for the text a 32. In terms of font types, sans serif fonts like Arial are very easy to read. For visibility, be careful about the using underline and bold. Italics are also not easy to read. Pictures are great. Pictures have a lot of visual appeal and as we say, a picture is worth a thousand words. In two seconds they’ve got it. Now they’re ready for your words to talk about the relevancy of this visual image. Colors are tricky, you rarely see people using them. Colors like black, blue, green - they work very well on a screen. Stay away from oranges, greys and red. Black and blue work together well as a contrast, as does green and black. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/33628622

225 Needed Basics in Sales In Japan 10/24/2024

225 Needed Basics in Sales In Japan We get lazy. We start cutting corners. We get off our game. We chill, cruise and take the foot off the pedal. Sales is demanding and a life of constant pressure. The temptation is when we get to a certain level of success we think well, we have done enough. We can justify that coffee break, that longer lunch, coming in late after the first mid-morning appointment and heading home early after the last early afternoon appointment. This is not how the pro thinks. We should be getting our hustle on, getting our motivation going, setting out sights high. We have to have a showdown with “average is good enough” self talk. We need to make sure we are doing the basics like a demon on fire. The pipeline tells no lies. It is either looking good or it is looking bad. That pipeline will determine the amount of business we can do in any given quarter and in any year. We need good basics in play to stuff that pipeline full of qualified clients. There are basics in sales we quickly try to short circuit. We are fooling ourselves. We need to have time allocation every day for prospecting. In the process of doing that, we should be polishing our pitch until it is tight and has a massive hook attached to it. We need to be parsimonious with the words to explain all of that. We need to be eloquent with the explanation of the hook, as to why the person answering the phone should bother to connect us with the line manager we wish to speak with. Every industry needs a specific hook, based on the pain points of that business. The pitch is canned and not canned at the same time. It has some common elements which are the best composed explanation of who we are, etc. The why you should care part, needs to be specific to that industry, the sector, the market, the firm in question at this point in time. We need to treat every lead coming in from our website, be it from an SEO enquiry or a paid click though from our ads like it was on fire. If we don’t get in touch with that potential buyer right now, the lead will combust further and become a burnt, unrecognisable cinder. Soon it will be too cold and too feeble to sustain the follow up call required. We have to fight complacency. The enemy of great is good. So no being satisfied with good is allowed! Don’t forget our sale’s pro basics need constant work, permanent polishing, endless eagerness. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/33528162

224 Will They Follow Your Ideas in Japan? 10/17/2024

224 Will They Follow Your Ideas in Japan? Before Shinya Katanozaka became President of ANA Holdings he came up with a genius idea. Allow the passengers to order breakfast, lunch and dinner whenever they pleased. Passenger surveys showed the clients were in full agreement. What the boss had not anticipated was that passengers would order the meals immediately on take-off, making it impossible to deliver on the promise. The plan was soon scrapped. The point here is not about being willing and unafraid to try new things, in order to differentiate ourselves from the hoi polloi of the competition. That courage and motivation is exemplary. The real issue is that no one inside the ANA organisation told him the “Emperor Has No Clothes”. When you have dynamic leaders, you often get the “success at all costs no matter what” dynamism, that comes as part of their personality package. They are mentally strong, persuasive, disciplined, hard working, intolerant of weakness, tough, masterful and basically a handful for everyone around them. As leaders in Japan, one of our biggest fears is ignorance. We may come up with a genius idea that is actually rubbish. The age, stage and power hierarchy here ensures no one wants to stand out by “speaking truth to power”. Subordinates learn quickly that taking personal responsibility for anything is a risky business. You become a powerful advocate for your own opinion, you are ace at debate, you can wrangle with the best of them to get your way. Hasn’t that been your formula for your massive success so far? Why change what is working? If the people around us don’t feel the trust to speak up, without being decimated by our forceful personalities, then we will keep on building our ladder higher and higher, better and better up against the wrong wall Listening to others is a new skill for most bosses, so it will take time to bed it down. The key is to slooooow down. To give our 100% concentration to the person in front of us. To really listen to them for a change. We have built up a reputation of not listening, of being the bulldozer, of pushing through regardless and of being oblivious to dissenting opinions. This will not get turned around in a day. This is the work of months of effort. This must become the new behaviour change we need to install, if we want to draw on the full power of all the opinions at our disposal. Here is the real crunch point – we have to become more humble about the validity of our own judgment and experience. Got it boss? /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/33433432

223 Inspiring Your Audience 10/10/2024

223 Inspiring Your Audience Whenever I am in the USA, I love watching the different television preachers in action. I noticed they are master storytellers, usually using Bible incidents to make a point in the here and now. The parables in the Bible are all mini-episodes, which teach a point about success. They are definitely on to something with their storytelling expertise. As speakers, we have a topic to address, a key message we want communicate and the platform to do so. How can we add memorable, interesting stories to our talk which will bolster the point we are making? The best stories are the ones people can see in their mind’s eye. It is a bit like reading a novel, after you have seen the video series or the movie based on the book. You can easily picture the scenes, the situation, the characters, the backdrops, etc. when you read the text. This is what we should be looking to create. Short descriptions of incidents that inform a certain course of action. There should be people involved, preferably people they know already. We want locations they can see or imagine. We weave our point into these stories and draw conclusions for the audience on what course they should take. So, plan the talk well and paint a picture of the season, the location interiors, the people involved. We want the listeners to be able to see all of this in their mind’s eye. Combining storytelling, with a bit of showmanship, is a powerful move. Being energized will help us get our message through all the competing noise in a busy life. We need to use showmanship in moderation though or it can quickly feel manipulative. It will however lift the energy in the audience and grab their attention, as you download your key points. Try adding some excellent, illustrative stories into your next presentation and also see where you can add in some showmanship, to engage with the audience members. Let’s use storytelling to become much more memorable as presenters, but in a good way!!! /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/33343997

222 Customer Service Is Your Brand 10/06/2024

222 Customer Service Is Your Brand You really appreciate the importance of brand, when you see it being trashed. Companies spend millions over decades constructing the right brand image with clients. Brands are there to decrease the buyer’s sense of risk. A brand carries a promise of consistent service at a certain level. Now that level can be set very low, like some low cost airlines, where “cheap and cheerful” is the brand promise. Another little gem from some industries is “all care and no responsibility”. At the opposite end are the major Hotel chains. They have global footprints and they want clients to use them where ever they are in the world. They want to be trusted that they can deliver the same level of high quality. There are plenty of competitors around, so the pressure is on to protect the brand. When you encounter a trusted brand trash their brand promise, it makes you sit up and take notice. When I arrived at the Taipei WestIn Hotel check-in I was told there were no rooms ready. I asked when a room will become available. The young lady checking me in, tells me she doesn’t know. I ask her for the name of the General Manager. This is where it gets very interesting. Her response - stone motherless silence. Not one word in reply. Nothing! So I asked again. More total silence. I elevated the volume of my request to try and illicit a response. More pure silence. This low level of client service has now morphed across to the ridiculous zone. Finally I get a whispered “Andrew Zou”. So what am I thinking now? Wow, this Andrew Zou character is a lousy General Manager, because his staff are so poorly trained. There is no room ready for me and no indication of when it will be ready, so in that great Aussie tradition, I head for the bar and wait. Any number of things can go wrong with the delivery of a product or service. We all understand that. The problems arise when our client facing team members are not properly trained in how to deal with these issues. Hotels have guest complaints all the time, so they should be absolute gold medal winning, total geniuses at dealing with them. This would have to be a key area of training in that industry. The poor training is a direct result of poor leadership. If the leaders are working well, then the staff service levels will be working well. The Westin brand is global and I have stayed in a number of their properties in Asia. The Taipei property was killing their global brand and that is an expensive thing in the world of cut-throat competition amongst leading Hotels. From this experience, I realized that I need to be very vigilant about the service levels in my own company. Are we fully geared up for trouble, should it arise? How do we protect the brand across 220 locations worldwide? Can people get to me easily if there is a problem? Are we doing enough training in client complaint handling? The Westin Taipei leadership did a poor job. We should go back a take a long hard look at our own operations. We may be incorrectly assuming things are working, when they may not be functioning properly. We have to protect the brand at every touch point with the clients. That is the job of the leadership team, starting with the boss. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/33342622

221 Leading With R.E.A.L. 09/26/2024

221 Leading With R.E.A.L. We love acronyms! Our workplaces are thriving with them such that we can hold extended conversations composed entirely of seemingly impenetrable codes. They are handy though and this one R.E.AL. is short and serviceable to describe best practice leadership attributes. It always good to have evidence around pontification. “Reliable” is an obvious choice and though much upheld in principle, tends to break down in practice. Reliable is an attribute that leads to trust only when the staff observe that what is said is actually done, that promises are kept and that their own personal development is being given a high priority. “What is in it for me” is a common human frailty. Bosses who keep this in mind when making sure the organisation and individual goals of their staff are aligned, get more loyalty and more accomplished. “Empathetic” is closely linked to listening skills. Taking the viewpoint of the other person is difficult if we don’t know what that viewpoint is. Busy bosses don’t have much time to get below the surface calm of the workplace. Some don’t care – just get me the numbers – or else! Using our position power works up to a point but we miss out on a lot of creative potential as the opportunity cost. Successful bosses have good awareness and confidence to communicate they really do care about their people. “Aspirational” reflects ideas about grasping the bigger picture. Hovering above the melee of the everyday to see the vision to be realised on the far horizon. It means communicating beyond this quarter’s goals and placing each individual’s role in terms of their contribution to the bigger goal. The leader has to inject the ideas and concepts involved into terms that resonate with each person individually. “Learning” gets nods of approval but many executives have had one year of experience thirty times rather than thirty years of experience. Their views are still locked away in a mental vault, for which they have lost the key. Too busy to learn. Busy, busy working in their business, rather than on their business. If we aren’t prepared to permanently kill our favoured ideas and concepts, we must be prepared to risk falling behind, trampled by our competitors. REAL, is easy to remember and that at least is a start to actually realising its power. We know all of these things – we just forget or get too busy to do them. Let’s change that. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/33165122

Real Listening Skills In Japan 09/19/2024

Real Listening Skills In Japan Sales people are always under pressure to meet their targets. In high pressure situations, this creates certain behaviours that are not in the client’s best interests. We know we should listen carefully to what the client wants, before we attempt to suggest any solution for the buyer’s needs. We know that by asking well designed questions, we can possibly come up with an insight that triggers a “we hadn’t thought of that” reaction at best and at worst, at least know if we have a solution for them or not. Under pressure though, salespeople can go temporarily deaf. Even assuming they are smart enough to ask questions in the first place, they may fall over when it comes to listening to the buyer’s answers. They are not actually plumbing the depths of what the client is trying to achieve. In fact, they are ignoring the hints and nuances in the sales conversation. What are they doing? They are fixated on their needs, their target achievement, their big bonus, their job security. The client may have outlined what they had in mind, but that won’t scratch because the salesperson needs a bigger sale to make target. They need to expand what the client wants regardless of whether the client needs that solution or not. Upselling and cross selling are legitimate aspects of sales, but the purpose has to be very clear. It is not about making the salesperson more money The client may not have the full view of what is possible, because they will never know the seller’s lineup of solutions as well as the salesperson. They will also not have had deep conversations with their competitors. They won’t have been allowed behind the velvet curtain, to see what their competitors are doing and how they are doing it. They will not have had a broad exposure to what other firms and industries are doing in terms of best practice. This is the value of the salesperson, because they are constantly doing all of these things. They are collectors of stories, problems, breakthroughs, successes and can connect many dots together. In this sense, they can see possibilities the client may not have know exist or may not have thought of. This is where the cross-sell and the up-sell add value, because the salesperson can expand the client’s world and help them to become more successful. That is a long way from ramping up the number value of the sale, to make target. Nevertheless, this is what happens when the focus is on the wrong objective. If salespeople are trying to expand the complexity of the sale, to manufacture a larger sale, at some point the client is going to drop out. Unless they see overwhelming value in increasing the scope, they are well aware that this enlarged project is over budget. Now budget is just a fiction and we all know that. It is an imaginary estimate of where expenses could be allocated and it occupies a cell in a spreadsheet line. Many times we have seen budgets miraculously appear from nowhere, when the perceived value is great. The “Rob Peter To Pay Paul” school of accounting. The point about value comes back to listening skills. If the salesperson is focused on the client’s benefit, then they can rummage through their memory banks for best practices that could be applied to help the client achieve their aim. In the process, this may mean increasing the investment to get a bigger return. If the salesperson is just focused on getting their monthly number, they are not really paying attention to the client’s needs at all. They just start padding the details of the project, so that the numbers are bumped up. Once the client feels they are being ramped up for the salesperson’s benefit, then the trust is gone and the deal won’t happen anyway. Salespeople need to be really listening to the needs of the client and should forget about what they want. As Zig Ziglar said, “if you can help enough other people get what they want, then you will get what you want”. Zig was a great listener! /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/33066427

No Robots For Our Leaders 09/12/2024

No Robots For Our Leaders Basically your job is toast. There is a machine or there will soon be a machine that can do it faster, better and cheaper than you. Our skill set didn’t change much from the start of agriculture 12,000 years ago until the industrial revolution in the mid-18th century. This last 150 years has been busy. We have created a weapon that can destroy our race. Who thought we would be that stupid? Fifty years ago we didn’t believe machine translation of our complex language skills would get very far. Driving cars and trucks requires us, because it is such a delicate, detailed and difficult set of tasks. What a ridiculous idea to imagine replacing those cantankerous, aging Japanese taxi drivers and punch perm truckers here in Tokyo with a self-driving, self-navigating vehicles. Internet of Things Komatsu tractors ploughing rice fields by themselves, nah, never happen. Apocalypse Now style “death from the air” requires top gun pilots and gum chewing gunners, doesn’t it. Killing each other can’t be delegated to drones. Robot vacuum cleaners, programmable pets, hotty droid receptionists, nimble stair climbing machines, adult men (many with passports) waving light sticks at holograph vocalists (Hatsune Miku) – not possible right? Don’t worry, moral and ethical judgments, “the buck stops here” business decisions, hiring and firing employment protocols, creative brainstorming – there is a long list of actions which will always require people to be involved. We need the human interaction, to hear stories, to share experiences, to be motivated, to aspire together against the rival firm, to set and follow our organisation’s Vision and Mission. We want empathy, collaboration, a sense of ownership, relationships. Geoff Colvin in his book “Humans Are Underrated” references a recent Oxford Economics study asking employers which staff skills they will need the most over the next five to ten years. The top priorities were all right brain - relationship building, teaming, co-creativity, brainstorming, cultural sensitivity and the ability to manage diverse employees. Henry Ford complained that every time he wanted a pair of human hands on his assembly line, he got “a brain attached”. Today, we want that brain that can feel as well as think. We have to be good at being human and good in our interactions with other humans. Colvin noted, “being a great performer is becoming less about what you know and more about what you’re like. Here is the challenge for typical male CEO driver types, who are assertive and task, not people, oriented: how to lead organisations where technical skill is being outsourced to bots and the value of human interaction has become more critical to the success of the organisation?. Do you ignore it or do you decide to change? How do you change? /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/32958177

The Brand Won't Save You 09/05/2024

The Brand Won't Save You My eyes are closing. I am struggling to stay awake. There is something about this presentation that is not working. I thought, it must be me. I must be tired. Later however I realized the problem. I was being lulled into sleep by the monotone delivery of the presenter. The brand by the way is gorgeous. This is seriously high profile, a name that everyone knows and respects. The name alone triggers images that are all first class. The slides and videos he presented were all quality. These people have money and they know about marketing very high end products. Our speaker had all of this powerful support going for him, yet the actual presentation was sleep inducing. Why was that? The brand is a passion brand, but there was no passion. The brand is a great story, but the storytelling was minimal. The delivery was wooden. Measured, but wooden. Fortunately, despite his lifeless delivery, the brand is so powerful it can survive his attempt to murder it. But what a wasted opportunity. It is not as if this brand doesn’t have competitors. He is their guy in Japan, so that is his job, every time, everywhere. It was a good audience too. These are people who appreciate a good brand, who are influencers, who can spread the message. No one will bother though because they were not receiving any energy from this talk. Brands are being recreated every single day. When the product is consumed that is a brand defining moment. If the brand promise is not delivered when the product or service is consumed, then the brand is that much lessened. If this continues, then the brand will disappear, vanquished by its competitors. If our man in Japan had given a high energy presentation, extolling the virtues of the brand, that would have been consistent with the positioning of the brand. If you are representing a funeral home however, that would not be appropriate. So obviously we need to be congruent. This brand case though would be a great platform for enthusiastic storytelling and verbal passion for the brand. Where were the gripping stories of high drama and intrigue, as they duked it out with their competitors across the globe and over the decades? Where were the human dimension stories of the customers who were famous and fans. There was little or nor energy being transmitted to the audience. When we speak we have to radiate that energy to the listeners. We need to invigorate them. We do this through our voice and our body language. It is an inside out process, where the internal belief is so powerful it explodes out to the audience. They see we are convinced, we are believers and they become believers too. Let’s raise our energy levels up when promoting our company in a public presentation. Make sure our voice is using all the range of highs and lows to get full tonal variety. No monotone delivery please. We need to punch out hard certain key words and phrases, like the crescendos in classical music. We need our body language to be backing this up, our gestures in sync with what we are saying. We need to lift the energy of the audience through our personal power. /episode/index/show/japanbusinessmastery/id/32818187

The Japan Business Mastery Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

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