Scaling Japan Podcast

In this episode of the ⁠Scaling Japan Podcast⁠, we are joined by Ruth Jarman, the founder and CEO of Jarman International KK. She also sits on the board of Directors as outside Director for KADOKAWA and Fujibo Holdings. Ruth will be sharing her experience with selling to large entities and the government. She provides great advice on how foreign business owners can build a strong network and form new B2B relationships. Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Jarman International Charity Golf Cup Links to Additional Resources Mirai no Mori Visit Kochi Japan Show Notes (1:09) Ruth Jarman's self introduction (4:47) Leading the way in Japan (7:57) What is an effective proposal (10:32) How to write an effective proposal (16:02) Nemawashi explained (20:53) Litmus test - money (23:18) Litmus test - people (26:33) Litmus test - certifications (29:04) Importance of company address (35:24) Joining a chamber of commerce (37:47) Experience with sub-contractor relationships (42:41) Conducting due diligence Coaching with Tyson Looking to take your business to the next level? Let our host Tyson Batino help you scale your business from $100,000 to $10,000,000 dollars with his coaching and advisory services. ⁠Visit here to learn how he can help⁠⁠.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are joined once again by Evan Burkosky. He is an expert on marketing and sales in Japan, angel investor, startup advisor, and the head of Enterprise Digital Marketing at TechnoPro, a publicly traded company on the Tokyo stock exchange. Today, Evan will be sharing his experience with applying different sales methodologies and frameworks in Japan.   Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Startup/DX Advisor Links to Additional Resources Predictable Revenue Episode 35: Marketing and Sales for B2B SAAS Products with Evan Burkosky Episode 18: Sales Framework Explained with Mari Ono Show Notes (1:20) Evan Burkosky’s self introduction (3:32) What is a sales methodology  (6:38) Customer journey explained (10:13) What is a deal qualification framework (12:22) How has sales culture changed over time (15:56) Challenger sale methodology explained (18:20) Shared responsibility of decision making in Japan (20:38) Why deals can be long processes (24:00) Most common frameworks in Japan (29:17)  Which framework is most effective in Japan (31:03) Stakeholder alignment document and process explained (36:40) Why company size does matter (38:46) What type of deal size justifies implementing a deal qualification framework (40:19) Working with channel partners (42:46) Account based sales Reachext Reachext is a fast growing recruitment firm in Japan. They work with both employers and candidates, allowing companies to hire skilled professional and candidates to achieve their dream careers.  EJable Looking for bilingual jobs in Japan or Japanese speaking positions worldwide? EJable is a job board full of in-depth information and useful resources to help you find great opportunities.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are excited to welcome back John Kirch. He is the Head of beqom Japan, a total compensation management software solution focused on managing compensation and performance for HR, finance and sales, and has over 30 years of experience. Following the same theme of market entry from his previous episode, today John will be explaining how to enter the Japan market using channel partners. He delves into the full process, from how to find the right channel partner to how to succcesfully manage them. Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn beqom Link to Additional Resource Episode 28: Tech Market Entry in Japan with John Kirch Show Notes (1:27) John Kirch's self introduction (5:51) Channel partners explained (9:09) Why people use channel partners (12:30) Differences between reseller vs distributor (14:01) How much should you pay channel partners (16:20) What happens if annual targets aren't met (17:29) Consultancy firms (18:59) How to find a channel partner (23:29) How to evaluate a channel partner (30:15) How to succesfully onboard a channel partner (36:18) How to manage a channel partner (43:37) How to get validation in Japan (45:51) Payment cycle explained (46:42) When to get a channel partner Reachext Reachext is a fast growing recruitment firm in Japan. They work with both employers and candidates, allowing companies to hire skilled professional and candidates to achieve their dream careers. EJable Looking for bilingual jobs in Japan or Japanese speaking positions worldwide? EJable is a job board full of in-depth information and useful resources to help you find great opportunities.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are joined by Evan Burkosky. As an expert on marketing and sales in Japan, he is an angel investor, startup advisor, and the head of Enterprise Digital Marketing at TechnoPro, a publicly traded company on the Tokyo stock exchange. Evan will be discussing how to conduct marketing and sales for B2B SAAS products in Japan. Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Startup/DX Advisor Links to Additional Resources Predictable Revenue From Impossible to Inevitable Show Notes (1:33) Evan Burkosky’s self introduction (3:19) Getting leads for a B2B SAAS product (7:08) What are the different channels in Japan (10:40) How can people in the seed stage get paid POC (16:52) Inbound sales explained (22:36) What is the customer journey (26:54) Distinction between inbound and outbound sales (31:19) Lead qualifications (34:51) Culture around forms in Japan (42:56) How to promote webinars in Japan (47:31) Useful softwares and tools in Japan Reachext Reachext is a fast growing recruitment firm in Japan. They work with both employers and candidates, allowing companies to hire skilled professional and candidates to achieve their dream careers. EJable Looking for bilingual jobs in Japan or Japanese speaking positions worldwide? EJable is a job board full of in-depth information and useful resources to help you find great opportunities.  

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are joined by Polina Oba. She has a master’s degree on sustainable food supply chains and is the COO of Gourmet Pro, the largest food and beverage consulting network in Japan. Today, Polina will be sharing her expertise on Japanese consumers to help companies better understand how to target the different customer segments in Japan. Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn GourmetPro Links to Additional Resources Episode 27: Distribution in Japan with Vincent Nicol Episode 29: Crowdfunding in Japan with Vincent Nicol Show Notes (1:33) Polina Oba's self introduction (4:09) What is a buyer persona (4:57) Things to consider when developing a buyer persona (11:06) Different types of consumers and their behaviors in Japan (15:51) Housewives as decision makers (18:32) Female consumer behaviors in Japan (23:14) High school trend leaders (25:24) Impact of COVID (28:52) Differences in purchase sizes (32:00) Seasonal products and purchasing cycles in Japan (40:10) Working with influencers (44:02) Cost of working with influencers Hashi Media Looking to expand your marketing and reach for your gaming, tech, or lifestyle brand? Hashi Media is here to help give your marketing the push it needs to reach a larger audience today.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are joined by Fumiko Yoshida. She is the COO of Tricolage, a company that provides sustainable tourism consulting to corporations and local governments. They also craft personalized journeys and travel plans for luxury travel and assist corporations with business travel and event support. Fumiko will be updating us on the travel market industry in Japan and sharing her expertise on how to do market entry into it. Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Tricolage Show Notes (1:36) Fumiko Yoshida's self introduction (3:13) Tourism industry in Japan (7:00) Tricolage introduction (8:34) Types of customers in the tourism business (10:07) What are local governments struggling with (12:54) Types of tourists and their needs (18:05) Sustainable side of tourism (21:41) Domestic tourism agencies in Japan (23:58) Working with old school Japanese companies Hashi Media Looking to expand your marketing and reach for your gaming, tech, or lifestyle brand? Hashi Media is here to help give your marketing the push it needs to reach a larger audience today.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are excited to be joined by Benjamin Boas. He is an official advisor to the Japanese government’s Cabinet Office who is widely recognized as a go-to expert on niche Japanese cultural topics as he helps corporations and governments on a variety of topics ranging from international messaging, cross-cultural understanding, and tourism. Be sure to check out his most recent book, “From Cool Japan to Your Japan,” lays out the need for Japanese institutions to learn how they are perceived by their global audience. Today Benjamin will be sharing how to successfully take a Japanese product/service and launch it in a foreign country. Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Japanese-language book:  “From Cool Japan to Your Japan” Links to Additional Resources JapanCraft21 Show Notes (2:48) Benjamin Boas' self introduction (5:01) Cool Japan explained (7:40) Popular Japanese products overseas (14:54) Japanese products that did not succeed (18:30) Honda example (22:07) Big Cool Japan hits (23:24) Tips for companies succeeding outside of Japan (30:21) Tips for working and connecting with JICA (34:49) Japanese communites abroad (36:16) Major expos (37:46) Platforms to sell products to foreign markets (39:29) Additional tips for entrepreneurs  Hashi Media Looking to expand your marketing and reach for your gaming, tech, or lifestyle brand? Hashi Media is here to help give your marketing the push it needs to reach a larger audience today. 

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are excited to be joined by Arisa Chelsea Ueno. As a consultant, she helps companies with new business generation and e-commerce not only in Japan but all over the world. She was the first employee for Shopify Japan and cultivated a new ecosystem of eCommerce, and activated thousands of domestic and cross-border businesses. Arisa will be introducing what e-commerce is like in Japan and how foreign businesses can better market towards the Japanese audience. She explains methods on how to tailor and design webpages and gives great tips on how to optimize website conversion rates. Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn - Be sure to reach out to Arisa for her consultancy expertise Facebook Links to Additional Resources Episode 30: Japan Market Research with Andrew Edsall Shopify Squarespace Wix Show Notes (2:16) Difference between e-commerce and in-person retail (3:19) Benefits of e-commerce (6:25) What e-commerce channels are used in Japan (7:28) Differences in website creation (11:31) Differences in copywriting (16:02) Understanding types of spacing in Japan (17:29) Tips on conversion rate optimization (20:34) Importance of using the correct photos (22:31) Key components of a market entry launch in Japan (33:12) Tips for foreigners looking to do e-commerce in Japan (37:11) Campaigns and point systems in Japan Coaching with Tyson Looking to take your business to the next level? Let our host Tyson Batino help you scale your business from $100,000 to $10,000,000 dollars with his coaching and advisory services. Visit here to learn how he can help.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are joined by Andrew Edsall, the CEO and head researcher for Great Wave Consulting and the APAC Director at Response:AI. He has many years of experience in recruitment and market research. In order to succesfully enter the Japan market, foreign comanies need to first properly understand its culture and economy and Andrew will help understand what is market research and what he has learned about market entry, why it is important, and how to effectively use market researchers or conduct it yourself. Link from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Links to Additional Resources Scaling Japan Market Entry series  Show Notes (1:00) Andrew Edsall's self introduction (3:30) Why is it important to do market research (11:11) How can market research help foreign companies set realistic targets in Japan (14:04) Potential issues that could kill your business before you even launch it in Japan (16:03) Potential regulations to be aware of (17:03) Questions to ask when conducting market research (22:48) What is the market research process (24:33) Qualitative vs quantitative research (27:41) What type of research to use (31:23) Communication is key (33:41) Andrew's expertise  Coaching with Tyson Looking to take your business to the next level? Let our host Tyson Batino help you scale your business from $100,000 to $10,000,000 dollars with his coaching and advisory services. Visit here to learn how he can help.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are excited to welcome back Vincent Nicol, the co-founder of GourmetPro. A couple of weeks back, he gave a great introduction into distribution in Japan so be sure to give that episode a listen if you haven't already. Today, Vincent will be sharing his expertise on crowdfunding in Japan. He explains the different platforms available for crowdfunding and how companies can execute a succesful campaign.  Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn GourmetPro Links to Additional Resources Scaling Japan Market Entry series Episode 27: Distribution in Japan with Vincent Nicol Show Notes (1:36) Crowdfunding explained (7:06) What types of companies can use crowdfunding (13:02) When to use press releases (14:16) Do retailers look at crowdfunding platforms to discover new products (16:05) Retailers in Japan developing their own crowdfunding platforms (17:26) Which platforms should different types of businesses use (22:05) How to have a succesful crowdfunding campaign in Japan (25:47) Executing a succesful crowdfunding campaign in Japan (29:32) How much do crowdfunding platforms cost Coaching with Tyson Looking to take your business to the next level? Let our host Tyson Batino help you scale your business from $100,000 to $10,000,000 dollars with his coaching and advisory services. Visit here to learn how he can help.