The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show Dr. Greg Story

We have many images of negotiation thanks to the media.  It could be movie scenes of tough negotiators or reports on political negotiations with lunatic led rogue states.  Most of these representations however have very little relevance in the real world of business.  A lot of the work done on negotiations focuses on “tactics”.  This is completely understandable for any transactional based negotiations.  Those are usually one off deals, where there is no great likelihood of any on-going relationship continuing between buyer and seller. This is false flag. 
The aim of sales is not a sale.  The aim is repeat orders.  If you want to be permanently in 100% prospecting mode, then transactional selling is fine.  That gets tiring and is tough, as you have to spend all of your time hunting because you can’t farm.  Now there will be some cases with buyers, where that is how it rolls and there is not much you can do about it.  The majority of salespeople though are trying to strike up a lifetime relationship with the buyer, so that the orders keep coming rain, hail or shine.
The style of negotiations for this business play are completely different to the one-off, transactional occasion.  In this world “tactics” are only partially relevant.  Going one up on the buyer, getting the better of them, isn’t sustainable in a continuing relationship.  They remember what you did to them and they definitely don’t like it. They either dump you completely as the supplier or they even it up down the road.  They don’t forget and they don’t forgive.
Technique has a role, in the sense that there are certain best practices in negotiating, which we should observe.  The philosophical starting point though is key.  What are we trying to do here, what is our purpose?  Are we trying to build an on-going business relationship where we become the favoured supplier or are we after a one–off smash and grab deal?  If you highly evaluate the lifetime value of the customer and this is your main consideration, then you will have a lot of commitment to win-win outcomes.
The consideration of the communication style of the buyer is another important negotiating consideration.  How we communicate with the buyer will vary, that is, if we know what we are doing.  Clueless salespeople will have one default mode – the way they personally like to communicate and that is all they have in their tool box. 
Professionals understand that if the buyer is micro focused, we go with them on facts, detail, evidence, testimonials, proof etc.  If they are the opposite, then we talk big picture and don’t get bogged down in the smaller details.  We describe what future success looks like.  If they are conservative, self-contained and skeptical, we drop the energy level to match theirs.  We don’t force the pace, we spend time having a cup of tea to build the trust in the relationship.  We mirror what they like.  If the buyer is a “time is money” hard driving, take no prisoners type, then we don’t beat around the bush.  We get straight down to business.  In rapid fire, we lay out the three key reasons they should buy, we get their order and then get out of their office pronto.
With this analysis in mind, we prepare for the negotiation by analyzing the buyer’s perspective.  We use what we know about them and their situation to build up a picture of what they will need from the deal we are negotiating.  We match that with what we can provide and we amplify the value we bring to the equation.  We now set out our BATNA – our “best alternative to a negotiated agreement”.  This is our walk away position. 
We have analysed the potential of this client, by looking at their lifetime value as a buyer.  This can have a big impact on how we see the pricing.  When negotiating with a big multi-national buyer, I had to take a painful hit on my pricing.  I only agreed to this though, because the volume in the first year

Sales people are always under pressure to meet their targets.  In high pressure situations, this creates certain behaviours that are not in tune with 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” or “we haven’t planned for that” reaction at best.  At worst, at least they know whether we have a solution for them or not.  Under pressure though, salespeople can temporarily become deaf toward the buyer.
Even assuming they are smart enough to ask questions in the first place, they may fall over when it comes to carefully listening to the buyer’s answers.   They can hear some buyer white noise in the background while they are thinking about their own interests.   They are self absorbed and are not plumbing the depths of what the client is trying to achieve.  In fact, they are ignoring the hints and nuances in the sales conversation.  Well then, what are they doing?  They are fixated on their own needs, their own target achievement, their own big bonus and their job security.
The client may have outlined what they had in mind at this stage, 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.  It is serving the client in a deeper way.
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 like butterflies, skipping from one sweetly fragranced flower to the next. They are collectors of stories, problems, breakthroughs, successes and can connect many, many dots together.  In this sense, they can see possibilities the client may not know exists 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.
 

It is rare to see a presentation completed well, be it inside the organization, to the client or to a larger audience.  The energy often quickly drops away, the voice just fades right out and there is no clear signal that this is the end.  The audience is unsure whether to applaud or if there is more coming.  Everyone is stuck in limbo wondering what to do next.  The narrative arc seems to go missing in action at the final stage and the subsequent silence becomes strained.  It sometimes reminds me of classical music performances, when I am not sure if this is the time to applaud or not.
First and last impressions are critical in business and in life, so why leave these to random chance?  We need to strategise how we will end, how we will ensure our key messages linger in the minds of the listeners and how we will have the audience firmly enthralled, as our permanent fan base. 
Endings are critical pieces of the presentation puzzle and usually that means two endings not just one.  These days, it is rare that we don’t go straight into some form of Q&A session, once the main body of the talk has been completed.  So we need an ending for the presentation just given and we need another ending after the Q&A.  Why the second one, why not just let it end with the final question? 
The pro never lets that happen.  Even the most knee quivering, voice choking, collar perspiration drenched, meltdown of a speaker is in 100% control while they have the floor. The audience usually let’s them speak without denunciation or persistent interruption.  Life changes though once we throw the floor open to take questions.  At that point speaker control is out the window and the street fight begins.  Now most Japanese audiences don’t go after the speaker, they are too reserved and polite.  Western audiences are less docile and big bosses ask difficult and potentially embarrassing questions.
When we get to the Q&A, the members of the audience are able to ask rude, indignant questions, challenging everything you hold to be true.  They can denounce you as a charlatan, scoundrel, dilettante and unabashed poseur.  Sometimes, they even launch forth into their own mini-speech, usually unrelated to whatever it was you were talking about.  Or they move the conversation off to a new place, which has nothing to do with your keynote content.  Suddenly your message is lost.
The original topic of your talk is now a distant memory.  That is why the pros ensure they bring it all back together with a final close to the proceedings.  Let the masses wander hither and thither with their questions, the pro never worries.  After the last question is done, the last word is now with the speaker, not some provocateur who happened to turn up to the event.  Surprisingly, many speakers don’t claim this right and allow the last question from the audience member to set the tone for the whole proceedings.  Don’t ever let that happen.
There are a number of ways of bringing the speech home.  In the first close, before the Q&A, we might harken back to something we said in our opening, to neatly tie the beginning and end together.  Or we might restate the key messages we wish to get across.  Another alternative is a summary of the key points to refresh everyone’s recollection of what we were saying.  We might end with a memorable story that will linger in the minds of the audience, that encapsulates all that we wanted to say.  Storytelling is such a powerful medium for increasing the memory of what has been said, you would expect more speakers would use it.
When we do this wrap-up, we should be picking out key words to emphasise, either by ramping our vocal power up or taking it down in strength to differentiate from the rest of what we are saying.  Speaking with the same vocal power throughout just equates the messages together. The messaging is not clear enough and makes it hard for the audience to buy what we are selling, Bland doe

Japan is a big small place.  It is about the same size as the UK, but is covered in mountains, the latter making up 70% of the land area.  We have very few of those horizon stretching field vistas like they have in England.  This mountainous aspect has led to quite strong sub-regional differences here, especially reflected in language, customs and cuisine.  England has these too, but I think Japan is more pronounced in this regard.  These differences pop up when you are selling here as well.  The following are my experiences having sold in all of these cites and having lived in Kobe/Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo and having made sale’s calls in other provincial centers.
If we go from south to north and start in Kyushu in Fukuoka, there is a local dialect and basically everyone went to school there and graduated from the local colleges and universities.  Foreigners are not calling on companies all that often down there, so there is still something of a rarity factor at play here.  Back in the good old days, when companies had generous entertainment budgets, the local staff were really glad to meet you.  This was a grand occasion to use you as the excuse to have a big night out on the town on the firm’s dime.  My ego took a bruising when I finally worked out it wasn’t the Story charm, that was generating this great enthusiasm for a night out on the town.  That big spending night out culture has gone by the wayside, but the rarity interest factor is still at play. Language is an issue though, because the English speaking capability is still underdeveloped in most of Japan.  The local burghers are quite cautious and conservative too.  It will take a lot of patience to do business here, but it can be done.  It just normally requires a lot more time than your company’s leaders or shareholders are prepared to give you.
Kobe was opened as an international port on April 1st, 1868, so it is one of the most open minded towns in Japan regarding international business.  They have had foreigners living in their midst for a very long time, so there is nothing special about us from a uniqueness point of view.  Trade has meant dealing with the outside world and being flexible about it in the process.  The denizens of Kobe often have a better level of English than other parts of Japan and they enjoy being seen as one of the most international cities in the country.  I always found people there open to discussing business.
Osaka is an ancient merchant town with a merchant mentality.  It was the center of the great commodity markets in Japan for salt, rice and soy beans.  One of the great things I like about this city is they will give you a “yes” or a “no”. Often, the reluctance to tell you “no” in Japan, leaves the whole decision piece dangling, without any clear idea of where we are going with this.  Not in Osaka.  If they like it, they will explore if there is a deal to be done and some money to be made.  They are proud of their local dialect and this is a big divider between insiders and outsiders.  As a foreigner, we are so completely outside of all consideration, that in a way, we are probably better accepted than their despised rivals from Tokyo.
Kyoto I always found very closed.  The aristocratic capital of Japan for centuries, it features a defined smallish city area hemmed in by mountains.  The interconnectivity of the local people is pronounced.  Their families have lived here for centuries, they know each other and they know who is a “blow in” and who isn’t.   Even for other Japanese salespeople from out of town, Kyoto is a hard market.  If you are from the outside, you are “out” for the most part.
The area around Nagoya has produced the three most famous warrior leaders in Japanese history, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu. The Tokugawa family Shoguns, closed the country off from the rest of the world. When I say “closed”, this was upon pain of de

In business, we are asked to present as a team.  We may be pitching for new business and the presentation requires different specialist areas of expertise.  This is quite different to doing something on your own, where you are the star and have full control over what is going on.  One of the big mistakes with amateur presenters is they don’t rehearse.  They just turn up and fluff it.  They blow up their personal and organisational brands.  When in a team environment, you absolutely cannot neglect the rehearsal component.  There will be many sessions needed before you are ready to face an audience, so you have to plan for this.  Do not leave this until the last moment after you have all been diligently assembling your slide decks.
The batting order is important.   Don’t put the brainy nerd up front. They may be the legitimate expert, but unless they are the best presenter keep them in reserve.  We want the best person to lead off, because this is how we create that all important first impression.  They may come back for the close out or have another equally skillful person secure the positive final impression.  The technical geeky people can be safely placed in the middle of proceedings.
As mentioned, don’t allow all the available team time to be sucked up by creating slides for the presentation.  This is the mechanical part and we need the soft skills part to be really firing. That takes time and repetition.  Set deadlines for deck completion, well in advance of the event, so that the chances to get everyone together are created.
Having worked out the order, do dry runs to see how the whole things flows.  Practice little things like each presenter shaking the hand of the next presenter as a type of baton pass between the team.  It shows you are a tight, united unit and connects the whole enterprise together. 
Also, make sure each presentation can be given by everyone in the team.  People get sick, planes get cancelled or delayed, all manner of circumstances can arise.  At the appointed time, you are down some key members of the team.  In this case the audience expects the show to go on and for you to cover the missing person’s part. 
This cannot be the first time this idea has occurred to you,.  You need to plan for this at the very start.  As you all rehearse together you hear their section over and over, so jumping in and working through their part of the deck shouldn’t be an impossibility.  The questioning part might be different, but the presenting part should not create too many difficulties, if you are organised.
Have a navigator for the questions determined at the start.  When questions land you want that process to be handled seamlessly.  I remember being on a panel for a dummy press conference, during media training. One ex-journo in the audience asked us a very curly question and being amateurs, we all just looked at each other, having no clue as to who would take that infrared missile.  Our work colleagues in the audience just burst out laughing, because we looked such a shambles.  Pretty embarrassing stuff, I can tell you.
Anticipate what likely questions will rise, nominate who will take care of which sections and if anything indeterminate hits the team, understand that the navigator will take care of it.  The navigator, will also control the questions.  If it is straightforward, then after thanking the questioner, they will just say, “Suzuki san will take care of this topic” and hand it over. 
If it is a bit tricky, tough or complicated and is going to be hard to answer, the navigator must control things.  They need to build in a bit of thinking time for the person who is going to have to take this one.  They need to “cushion” the answer.  By this I mean they will say something rather harmless, but which buys valuable thinking time for the person. This allows them to brace themselves for their reply. 
It would sound like this, “Thank you for your

 The Question and Answer component of talks are a fixture that we don’t normally analyse for structure possibilities. Having an audience interested enough in your topic to ask questions is a heartening occurrence.  When we are planning the talk though, we may just neglect to factor this Q&A element into our planning. We may have considered what some potential questions might be, so that we are prepared for them, but maybe that is the extent of the planning.  We need to go a bit broader though in our thinking about the full extent of the talk we are going to give.  Should we accept questions as they arise or do we tell the audience we will take their questions at the end?  What are the main considerations for each structure?
Q&A in Japan can be a bit tricky though, because people are shy to ask questions.  Culturally the thinking is different to the West.  In most western countries we ask questions because we want to know more.  We don’t think that we are being disrespectful by implying that the speaker wasn’t clear enough, so that is why we need to ask our question.  We also never imagine we must be dumb and have to ask a question because we weren’t smart enough to get the speaker’s meaning the first time around.  We also rarely worry about being judged on the quality of our question.  We don’t fret that if we ask a stupid question, we have now publicly announced to everyone we are an idiot.
Some speakers encourage questions on the way through their talks.  They are comfortable to be taken down deeper on an aspect of their topic.  They don’t mind being moved along to an off-topic point by the questioner.  The advantage of this method is that the audience don’t have to wait until the end of the talk to ask their question.  They can get clarification immediately on what is being explained.  There might be some further information which they want to know about so they can go a bit broader on the topic.
This also presents an image of the speaker as very confident in their topic and flexible to deal with whatever comes up.  They also must be good time managers and facilitators when speaking, to get through their information, take the questions on the way through and still finish on time.  In today’s Age Of Distraction, being open to questions at any time serves those in the audience with short concentration spans or little patience. 
Not everyone in the audience can keep a thought aflame right through to the end, so having forgotten what it was they were going to ask, they just sit there in silence when it gets to Q&A.  Their lost question may have provoked an interesting discussion by the speaker on an important point.  Having one person brave enough to ask a question certainly encourages everyone else to ask their question.  The social pressure of being first has been lifted and group permission now allows for asking the speaker about some points in their talk.
On the other hand, the advantage of waiting until the end is that you remain in control of the order of the talk.  You may have done an excellent job in the preparation of your talk and have dealt with all of the potential questions by the end of the talk. The Q&A then allows for additional things that have come up in the minds of the audience. 
It also makes it easier to work through the slide deck in order.  The slide deck is alike an autopilot for guiding us through the talk, as we don’t have to remember the order, we just follow the slides.  Of course, if we allow questions throughout, we can always ask our questioner to wait, because we will be covering that point a little later in the talk.  Nevertheless, the questions at the end formula gives the speaker more control over the flow of their talk with no distractions or departures from the theme.
Time control becomes much easier.  We can rehearse our talk and get it down to the exact time, before we open up for questions during the time allotted for Q&A.  If w