While Japanese business culture can indeed be complicated and full of subtleties, there’s no reason for it to be mysterious or intimidating to non-Japanese. We help people from other cultures understand the values that drive the behavior of Japanese individuals and organizations, and learn strategies for improving communication while achieving positive outcomes with Japanese counterparts.
IMPACTFUL SERVICES
Japanese Business Culture Training
Our in-house seminars on Japanese business culture range in length anywhere from a half day to two full days, and are designed to raise general cultural awareness and understanding while also developing practical business strategies for when cultural differences arise.
We go well beyond basic topics like business card presentation and chopstick use to provide substantial insights that will affect your bottom line. Our interactive sessions use group discussions, case studies, and lively examples from the facilitator’s own business experience to keep the pace fast and stimulating. Our unique “self-customizing” format ensures that each session is tailored to the specific needs of the organization and the participants. Our seminars help participants better understand the cultural mindset of their Japanese colleagues, and prepare for achieving business goals together.
Working Effectively with Japanese Colleagues: Basic Version
People from other countries who work with Japanese usually have many questions about how to improve relationships and communication, but no good place to get the answers. This cultural training seminar is an opportunity to get those questions answered by an expert who is highly skilled in explaining the intricacies of Japanese business and society. Topics covered include Japanese communication style, common Japanese business practices, techniques for overcoming the language barrier, how decisions are made in Japanese organizations, and how to make meetings with Japanese more effective. This is our flagship Japanese cultural training seminar for those who are doing business with Japanese – either within the same company, or with Japanese customers, suppliers, partners, or investors.
Working Effectively with Japanese Colleagues: Advanced Version
The longer you work with Japanese and the more intensive the interactions, the more questions you may have about the intricacies of Japanese work styles. This cultural training seminar addresses the needs of those who have worked with Japanese for more than three years, or have completed our basic course. This course goes into greater depth, providing new insights and strategies for improving communication and relationships with Japanese. It is taught through interactive case-study discussions, with topics including differences in goal-setting approaches, influencing decision-making in Japanese organizations, and different views of work/life balance issues.
Communicating with Japanese Customers
“The customer is God” is how Japanese refer to the ideal of customer service. In Japan, the ways that suppliers interact with their customers can be quite different than in other countries. The communication style used by Japanese in making requests and their expectation of responses may be different from what you would expect. Understanding Japanese concepts of customer service can help you be more successful in working with Japanese customers. This seminar is structured around the “Top 10 Things Japanese Customers Want,” explaining Japanese customer-service expectations in terms of response, accountability, and deadlines as well as business and social etiquette.
Effective Meetings with Japanese
Meetings are where much of the work interaction between Japanese and people from other cultures takes place. However, different cultural assumptions about the purpose of meetings and how to conduct them, as well as the language barrier, can make meetings less than optimally productive. This seminar covers techniques for making meetings with Japanese, whether in-person or virtual, significantly more successful.
Effective Business Trips to Japan
Business trips to Japan are important opportunities to interact with headquarters staff, make a good impression, and build relationships that can last well beyond the length of any trip. At the same time, because one is on Japanese “home turf,” the expectation to follow Japanese business and social etiquette is intensified. Demonstrating your understanding of the expected behaviors will improve your ability to forge relationships and achieve your objectives. This cultural training seminar covers what you need to know to ensure that your business trip to Japan is successful, from giving presentations and conducting meetings to socializing in the evenings. Common pitfalls and ways of avoiding them are discussed in detail.
Understanding Japanese concepts of customer service can help you be more successful in working with Japanese customers.
