What I do ②－ Sayonara Japan

International sales could be applied 3 things to me.

1, in-out ad campaign; support clients who want to reach various local market from Japan..

2, out-in campaign; opposite of in-out. Help clients outside Japan to Japanese local market.

3, new to recent acts; reach Japanese in out side Japan. 

I want to mainly talk about the third one in here.

Current economy in Japan as well as yen hike damage and decided many companies to look and shift the market outside Japan. 90% of Japanese GDP composed domestic market used to be. Only 10% earned outside 10 years ago. It seems different now. Revenues of many companies come from outside Japan. They are working with local clients Toyota sells cars to Americans. But i think there is business opportunities targeting Japanese outside Japan. Well I am in media business deal Japanese language our audience are mostly Japanese. The number of Japanese living in entire Asia surpassed the number of north America that used to be most populated. The reason is that a number of Japanese companies are doing business in Asia especially China. We not only Japanese are aiming at China though. Japanese resides in Shanghai is now over 100,000 that is more than in NY. 

As of Media business, there are number of free papers are circulated among Japanese in various cities and countries. I used to live in SF there were several local free paper in Japanese language. It's about sushi restaurant and massage parlor. None of serious business issues are talked about.. I think still not many business media for Japanese outside Japan is mature enough. So i think we are the media should do ahead to others. Market will be more border less and especially with Asia there is no boundary so more and more Japanese are going outside. 

What I have to do? It should be simple. We have to build Asia channel that covers what's going on business around SEA and China. Business folks around Asia can read English and even local languages, but it's better to read in native language. If our site could provide quality and hot issues to them, it would produce some new  business opportunity for us. Sayonara Japan. 

What I Do -① Support B to B Marketing

I haven't touched what I am doing in office. Here is what I do and think most of week day.

I am working at a media company and i am an ad sales lead and international sales leas as well.
I have mission to expand business and revenues both domestically and internationally.
And my clients are asking either SMB or large enterprise basically B  to B marketing solution.
It's bee barely used that simple banner ads for campaign except few super generous clients.

Since the KPI, banner ads are shifting to ad-network is common thing. So those who spent huge amount of money on banner ads even buying regular price is contribution and their focus is to build relationship with media that I have to appreciate. Of course, media needs lots of investment to keep good service.  Anyway what clients spend especially in B to B field is on generating and nurturing leads. Marketing object by using online media especially business sites like us is shifted to sales driven from simply raising awareness. So providing numbers of leads is key and nurture to provide hotter leads is even better instead of reporting numbers of clicks. How media can nurture leads is the issue and that what I am tackling now.

I come to think client's point of view to see what they really want for media. To be honest, I don't have experience working in run ordinary business except media or ad production so i have to imagine and sometime feel like it's nice to have experience to operating business and use media and ad agency from outside. But I assume how to generate revenue is similar in any industry.

Anyway business aspect in terms of operation here in Japan is valued still more keiken, kan, and dokyo which are experience, intuition, guts. No one deny those aspects still important but at the same time we don't have to deny sophisticated methods as well like business applications such as automated marketing system to sales force activities. Here in point is to visualize what effective and not effective throughout the revenue pipe as rational possible. It's crucial to track each client's how each one of them contribute your revenue things like that. And the point of nurturing is to make potential clients to become royal customer. So whole thing is about building relationship especially good one.



As a media, how we can be partner with clients is that how we can help clients process of building relationship with their customers; from potential clients to royal. Generating leads is one opportunity and nurturing them on media is another. For us they are readers and site visitors and once generated as leads, they become potential clients for advertisers. Business sites thus is wanted to how many qualified business persons such one has authority and budget to get around.

As a sales I provide lead generation opportunities for clients. But if our media is not supply good leads then lose the revenue source. So my another mission beside sales is to make royal fan around media. Key is contents as well as site service.

Ballad of Narayama is Fiction Now

Ballad of Narayama is a sad but true story that leave old lady abandoned mountain for sake of young in poor village.  Modern Japan is getting poorer and facing the conflict of generation but not as it was, the young are less preserved than elders now.

Think of democracy in Japan. Young people are least privileged, because they are minority constituency and their feeling of lack of power impacts negative spiral. Here young people include myself late 30s. Because they are political minority so depressed enough not going to vote to change the world. As the result, they feel more repressed and not going or doing anything.

Vice prime minister said that they will cut hiring of public sector 40% for next fiscal. In Japan, public sector get paid better than most of mid and small size of company and their employment is guaranteed and pension plan is much better than regular plan. So well people complain about increase of tax raise unless spending is cut. Then democratic party choose not to hire young instead preserving 3 or 4 times well paid elder ones. Because it's much easier not to hire than cut people already in particularly public sector. Literary it's impossible force someone to leave unless committed serious criminal acts. As usually consequence of Japan, young people lose the conflicts of interest among generations.  This is understandable that current political party to reflect will of political majority so does democrats. but seriously lacks vision at all. Short term relationship type of democracy.

But it harms the course of nation itself. Young people are ones who will build up the country and if they are not preserve even slight hope the country barely could have vitality. Thus killing youth is very harmful for long term course of this
country.　

                                 Ballad of Narayama is total fiction now

Adapting Globalization is Urgent Matter for Japan

It's season of disclosing fiscal financial conditions, and i hear IT related service companies such like DeNA, Glee, social game service provider for mobile phone users are expanding their business. But those traditional home appliance giants such like Panasonic, Sony, NEC and etc are disclosing tremendous amount of deficits that we haven't heard for a while. Affecting the earthquake, super strong yen, and sluggish domestic economy, Euro Crisis, etc etc, they can name many cause of negative performance. And experts points out major reason of their declining performance actually losing their share against Korean, Taiwan, and Chinese counterparts especially TV business.

CEO of Panasonic
explains wimpy result

Biggest reason losing is the price. Japanese TV's are okay in terms of quality but price is way up compare to competitors because the production line is still in Japan or even outside that are not efficient enough. Traditionally Japanese has strong sense in monodukuri, manufacturing for their strength and have myth that they never get lose in this category but in fact, they are losing. They have strong belief that their superiority in making things but sadly it's no longer effective by viewing the all those deficits are reported. I think Japan needs to get out the belief that they are tough in this section without evidence.

Mind set is still trap how they change their organization and catch up with competitors. So bottle neck is that they are so conservative enough not to change and assimilate global stage. But blind folded not see the fact of losing. I think myself used to work in an American global company and i thought their strength is people that come from all over the world to join and participate to make company better. People are diversified and the diversity is the biggest strength of the organization of course they are smart people. Because our business environment is changing rapidly and homogeneous which many of Japanese enterprises still are, hard to catch up the what's happening around world. Less flexibility thus no speed on decision etc. Homogeneous way worked well when world was simple to create simple set of products. The world we belong no longer works that way, but to see rapidly changing environment and decides what's to do. That makes possible is to mixed of many different ways of thinking to prepare change.

Students are still adapting to homogeneous
 recruiting culture in Japan

Japanese companies are starting to hire foreigners or foreign experienced Japanese students even for their HQs. Until recently, many of fresh graduates join the same company, most of them have similar back ground and spend many years together in the same company. But now it's more likely your coworkers are coming from different places and so get different values and thoughts. That's quite new experience at many work place in Japan. But i think that's few thing that Japanese companies can be flexible and be quicker thus be stronger.

Queen Never Makes Mistake

I remember that my father's friend used to work at GE and rose up to top of consumer appliance division in APAC but fought against Jack Welch at the time, and eventually he left  the company and started his own business which is analogue record player. But the player is unusual because the needle isn't made of ordinary metal, but involved some kind of laser technology.

http://www.laserturntable.com/

Since it doesn't scratch on record physically, it doesn't get damage by playing year by year. That's amazing technology. However, it costs a lot as well. I heard least costs 3 million yen, which is like US$40,000. I also heard that Stevie Wonder came to buy 3 of them. And one day, a guy from UK embassy asked to my father 's friend. The Queen is interested in the Laser turntable. Yes and actually she bought it. Thing is she paid 3 million Great Britain Pound instead of 3 million yen. Of course, the supplier of turntable send a letter to UK embassy, she paid in wrong currency. It's quite amazing that the embassy replied he didn't need to pay back because Queen doesn't make mistake.

As a consequence, he got 500 millions yen for selling one player. But even that he isn't that rich, because he spent so much money to invest to develop this product. Yeah he is passionated guy even he fought Jack Welch.

Much Ado About Nothing

A famous comedian confessed how he ended his popular TV show started since 1990. The show is about bunch of young ladies talk and expose about their experience of love relationship of much ado about nothing. Young ladies talked how crazy guys to get ladies like giving them houses, luxury cars etc. Even not that costly, a guy put Christmas electric lights on his body at the beach to raise attention of the lady etc. Their episode were outrageous and hyper active in a way. But year after year, as Japanese economy went sluggish, economic activities between both sexes toned down like give counter part neck less. Less hustle means less funny so the comedian came to terminate his popular TV show.I liked the show and hope to back it one day.

Choosing Life Partner

Friend of female friends discussed about how she choose life partner.
She is attractive enough that several guys are approaching and some guys are attractive even from my perspective from guy makes multi million dollar a year to corporate elite. The former guy is from country side and his education stop at elementary level but his vitality and street smartness pushed him to contract from local government and he is very rich. There are several guys type of this have been approaching to her. A business owner type. But my friend doesn't like any of gangster like personality too much masculinity everything has to be under control. I kind of respect that made up his own world with strong will and action.

On the other hand, the latter guy works at one of top fortune company as manager in his early 30's. He obtained Ph.D from one of best school in the nation and his father is air line pilot and mother is professor at university and he earns figures. At first glance, his status is way above average and so do think many young ladies. He is absolutely eligible bachelor. There are also this type of corporate elite with good education type who are approaching her This type is less income to business owner but more stable. Both type owns house or two and prestigious cars like porsche, lexus or mercedes.  Both type of guys are attractive enough for young ladies who look for life partner in terms of status.




It is important status where income and position that indicate how you are functional in the society and how you brought up. But it also make sense to focus on one's personality and value how she approaches life and interpret the world things like that. Especially when you think of sharing life for long time, probably a little more make sense to focus on value than status.

Gamification: life does need game

Gaming is everywhere and buzz word now.
Broad mean is home appliance and web and mobile device have aspect of game like x box, social game.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamification
Game is entertainment. I think major aspect of game is to be more skillful. There was master of game who was respected millions of kids because he is master of the game like super martial artists. So Zen like existence of game master could be applied for any aspect of life.
Life is most fun and hard target to master. Life is too vary and rely of individual choice and given situation. Wherever you start from, you have to have to grow and step up like playing role playing game. Of course, real life goal is up herself.
I think it's basic to get back to my resolution of year 2012, to sum up, losing weight is relate to how you eat and choose daily food so up to my life habit and life style consist my body. So is Gamed life. What the goal of life is consist of what we spend time now. Of course, I can't stick hard stoicism strict agenda, so i need to come up some fun aspect game. I need to bring game aspects for life.

Memo: Regression Analysis

These 4 clips of video will really help you to understand basic concept of regression analysis. Lot more helpful than reading standard text. Thanks!

And here is video using regression analysis for hypothetical real business practice.

企画・戦略スタッフのための「入門」科学的意思決定 - 村井直志 

Year of Dragon , Year of Change

It's been couple weeks past 2012. Some might already feel breaking up the resolution.
I got 2 things myself; 1, lose weight, 2, start to do business with China. For1, i am already not checking my weight. I just rather reduce consumption of alcohol that i believe the great help.

This is year of change that i heard 5 of major UN permanent countries leaders are ready to change. Only one not changing is the Briton BTW. I think those are powerful leaders that affect our daily consequence somewhat. So I hope smart leaders to make better society. But I'd rather want to focus on to practice to pursue my happiness that eventually brings happiness to society as well. In this sense, I hold libertarian perspective.

As Andrew Carnegie said that when he got old he sees not what men say but what they do. I getting that sense now. We are in the full of blah blah blah. Yeah so i don't have to just say lose weight but rather just lose weight. I came up the idea the losing 200g every week bring to lose 10 kg in the year end. What i have to do is stick to the plan and revise the regimen when hits slump. As I came up, cut beer consumption is great and If I can make it lee beer life as habit that the  way to go. Too much indulgent like Epicurean won't bring anything that already ancient Greek said it though today's Greek people seem spoiled a bit. Habit is consist what she do everyday. Better life habit bring the better quality of life i just don't need to say but conscious my way of thinking in everyday life.  so i should shut my mouth and just do it . Eventually It's nothing to do with year of dragon or change. I hope you to have great year end.

Richard Rorty's definition of Ironist

(1) She has radical and continuing doubts about the final vocabulary she currently uses, because she has been impressed by other vocabularies, vocabularies taken as final by people or books she has encountered; (2) she realizes that argument phrased in her present vocabulary can neither underwrite nor dissolve these doubts; (3) insofar as she philosophizes about her situation, she does not think that her vocabulary is closer to reality than others, that it is in touch with a power not herself.

— Richard Rorty, Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989, p.73

Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity

【課題書】統計学

自然科学の統計学 (基礎統計学)



これよさそう。統計をしっかり理解するのはやはりこちらか。本屋で見かけてはいたのだけど。

The Rational Optimist

Good stuff to read. The author Matt Ridley has enormous knowledge on from human history to facebook and current technology. Based on evidence and stats to explore how our life has evolved better way even though current turmoil of economy and regional wars. Shows "How Prosperity Evolves"  I think my weekend is drown to this book.

Rupert Murduch's China Adventure

The biggest 20th (and 21) century media mogul's China advernture

I had this when I visited Shanghai last year.

China Market Memo Jan 2012

There are several ways who think and come up idea of Marketing Strategy like me to go into China.

1, PR and Marketing support
2, Media business
3, Merchandise products like food and drink or consumer appliance.

I think above 3 are important aspects have to be related and run altogether in terms of making profit.

I am in the Media business so I need to pivot three from Media business perspective. I think important aspect of Media is to give better information to what people are looking for and provide for better business opportunities for partners most of sense advertisers. The company where I belong runs web media and all contents are free so almost all of revenue relayed on advertisement. That is relating to marketing support. More and more clients, require to best match to their target audience that they don't want to waste penny for ad. We have to provide more precise and better ROI that means the ad result should be prospered in clear numbers that give selling to them. So the contents of media means to attract more number of attractive audience. Site power means not only the number of people has visited but if there are  quality audience. Quality audience has purchase power of at least influence decision to purchase. How many people who affects casting vote is also important factor. Those people are usually read predominantly quality "papers".  Is there quality website? Sure it is.  Quantity and quality both there serious aspects for site business.

This is what we are going to aim at in Japan. How we can implement site business strategy when we go into China?  I am not even sure that what we do here works there. But anyhow fundamental of media role is to release quality information to readers and provide best matching opportunities for clients.

And as of contents business from Japan, fashion design, Anime, and manga kind of things Chinese people are interested the most. And Manga publisher like Shueisha is sponsors Manga artist contest to attract local audience and many fashion design publishers are providing magazines for local people. Those have more possibility than other contents like literature, business, politics, and economics and business stuff.

Messaging is first step but not enough. We have to come up how to endorse way of revenue. Find client who advertise is one way, but when the site is start up we can't support enough inventory and result for advertisers. Probably good way to support is to sell something on our own like food or consumer products. Again, Chinese people are attracted Japan's design and quality of many things, so we can sell some package food and drink. One good model is that The New York Times is selling their members selected 6 bottles of quality wines every month for $100. The member of wine club gets wines which NYT selects every month. I think audience of NYT trust what they choose and actually it's easier for audience not to have to select. I think this can be tied up media with some quality liquor brands. This way subsidise the way revenue from ad. It could be branded rice, any product is fine.

How can contents business tap Chinese market?

Taiwanese comic book artists draw big audience with 'manhua' momentum

Quite interesting report for Taiwanese manga industry is aiming at both China and Japan in different strategy. And interesting to know that the Japanese manga publisher dominates the Taiwanese manga market but still incompetent to do in Chinese market. Shueisha, one of major Japanese manga publisher opted-out that they are going to sponsor New Star Cup Cartoon Competition at the 7th China International Cartoon & Animation Festival in Hangzhou nail establish their footprint in China. I think manga and animation that appealing to young people and more chance to tap Chinese market than any other contents industry such like literature, news, journalism etc. 

Being a pimp or solution provider? What consists good sales person

How to become a good sales person.

A good sales person is one who builds relationships

To be a good seller it is important that you build a rapport or a relationship with your client so that they feel comfortable trusting you. Good sales is all about building a bond of mutual trust and understanding between you and your client. This also goes a long way in helping to gain your customers confidence and also makes them come back to do business with you again.




A good sales person answers his/her phone

Instead of letting an automated answering machine get your phone calls, answer the phone yourself. This shows customers and clients that you care about them and that they are not another sales record in your books. If you are extremely busy hire an assistant or additional staff to handle the phone lines, and know that a human touch is much more effective then a fake robotic voice.




A good sales person does not make promises he/she can't keep

It is important that your customers know that they can trust you at all times to do a good job. A good sales person should always keep their promises. If you feel that you cannot keep a promise then do not make it and be honest with your customers, they will appreciate you more for your honesty. Breaking a promise only leads to distrust and makes a customer feel that they cannot trust you.




A good sales person listens to their customers

While a good sales person is all about talking the client into buy something, it is also important that you listen to your customers as well. Take a moment to get to know your customers personally and then give them an appropriate response. Listen to what your customer has to say, know what they like and what they don't, and know their favorite color, all this goes a long way in building a fruitful relationship.




A good sales person deals with complaints head on

While no one likes complaints, it is important as a good sales person to deal with them head on. This shows your customers that you are proactive and that you are concerned about them.




A good sales person is helpful, even if there is nothing to gain

It is very important that you are helpful even if there is nothing to gain; this makes a customer feel special and will also help foster a stronger customer relationship.




A good sales person is always an expert

Know that a good sales person is always an expert. He knows his product or service inside out. There is nothing about the product that he does not know. By having confidence in what you sell, you will be able to sell whatever you have in a much more effective manner.




A good sales person takes the initiative or goes the extra mile

A good sales person takes the initiative. What this means is that if your customer asks you for something, don't just show them only that. Encourage them to see similar things and provide them with a variety of choice. Also always go the extra mile. If your client is a regular customer offer them a discount or some sort of rebate on the items they have purchased.




A good sales person is personally accountable

To be personally accountable is hard, but it also shows the customer that you are not afraid to admit to your mistakes. This in turn encourages a stronger relationship with your clients as they will feel that they can trust you more. Trust is the most important tool that a good sales person must possess at all times.




A good sales person says "I will", not "I'll try"

The word 'try' should not be in a good sales person's vocabulary. The reason for this is that it shows your customer that you may or may not make it happen. By using the word 'will' you show that you are in charge and that you 'will' move mountains to see the sale through.

Ten reasons need to go Italy

1, Art; Da vinci, Michelangelo, Renaissance!
2, Pizza; I live Pizza and spaghetti
3, Soccer; Lega Serie A
4, Architecture; Roman style building 
5, Shopping; Italian style cloths and fashion are adored in Japan
6, People; especially Italian woman are attractive?
7, Close to other countries: next to France, Germany, Swiss
8, Ocean: Mediterranean sea
9, language; sounds good
10, History ; include arts and religion, rise and fall of Roman empire overlap modern US history?

Why are Japanese people scared of foreigners?

II sometime see people from outside Japan mention Japanese people scared of them and they don't want to be scared. I hear mostly from American (white) who are eager to learn the language and culture seriously. Those who just come Japan pass and by never care such thing.

There are several reasons ppl here scare them.It's something to do with shy personality but also link to socio-cultural reasons.

One is we are geologically living on the isolated peace island that is very privileged in terms of security protect from invaders. In fact, we never lost war till 20th century, so have we kept rather peaceful land and mild people that is on the other hands dislike revolutional thinking and drastic change. Our history shows that change is happened from relations to out side world like black iron ship pushed Meiji Restoration and loss of World War 2 pushed economic development and so force. Thus scare change Japanese people scared of people from different back ground might influence their life. As long as they are relate to superficial way that their life is not affected then, they are welcomed but once try to get into the community there are huge wall. That's one reason.

The second reason is that Japanese are really bad at English especially conversational one. This is result of bad education policy of the Ministry but i think this crappy English education started from GHQ (general head quarter) of US invasion policy to let Japanese incompetent to language education so they wouldn't go out to do own business instead under colony of the US. Any reasons, our school English education is horrible and many even those English teacher can't really speak. Anyway this caused us short panic all of sudden somebody speak to us in English. We know we learned it plenty of years however still can't speak is make feel bad. As a result, we sit like mute at international conference and can't take initiative or leadership in the world. That lame.

And the other reason is also something to do with GHQ policy. As many invaders, GHQ started change everything from previous regime such like Constitution to education policy. They started to negate whatever was written and taught on before the war and implement 180 degree opposite thing. Patriotism and nationalism are major issues before and clean those things and put installed annoy left tilted liberal thoughts and They did well to put make themselves inferior. So GHQ made Japanese to feel their own culture is inferior and negative. Losing war is easy to make feel defeated and think like totally ruthless and useless. Although it's true that something is weak and inferior so lost it. But we didn't have to totally defeated in terms of culture. GHQ was successful in terms of install to put us inferior complex. It's been over 60 years we have reinstalled by many things but GHQ's ghost still wonder around and affects our feeling toward foreigners?

Despite of national or personal trauma, we have to live with out side world so we need to over come these.

I think my suggestion is recognize above and do total opposite.
1, Love change; we have to flexible enough to get ready anything.
2, Even you think your English is crappy don't hesitate to speak at the conference or business call.
3, Forget about GHQ, we beat Americans at bubble era though we are losing the game again. But it's not war time, we need to study our history and culture of Japan but not it's better or worse than the other. Rather we should focus how our culture is shaped among relationships with other cultures.

Memo

It's been quite a bit since i noted last blog and decided get back to as many people use blog for sorting out for their tasks and issues purpose of like police officer navigates the traffic of daily chore. Exactly like finding path or ways to get right direction we need to control over what we do. Sometime tasks are too much overwhelmed but by writing something as far as in the form of at least readable level, it would navigate certain way hopefully. I am not great thinker like Descartes or Nishida Kitaro but least they had been kept journals themselves and that's one of ways to develop thinking then why not i take to follow. Blogging works that way too. So basically it's nothing more than just memo for myself but i think something helpful to me is somehow woks others too. Probably reading someone else's monologue is not comfortable all the time, so people not enjoy to much. I make myself indulge the quality of this blog is nothing more than that. Funny thing is as far as we commit writing that we can't write without having reader's presence. I mean we need to set and conscious the presence of reader. Whom i writing for? i don't know, that could be future me? or anybody who can share similar values, well not values but certain sentiment? kind of thing can share? well we are told to write in rational that mean reason well otherwise sentence and composition doesn't make sense.I agree and official day we need to write they way but on the other hand, in the weekend or more indulged time we could write more fancy or scrappy way even we can communicate that way? i don't know. Hope to clearing mind is purpose of this blog but not working that way. It just jotting down whatever comes up the mind and get gist hopefully. I remember elementary writing class encouraged to write whatever, because those who are not familiar with writing is not familiar with writing itself so preliminary level encouraged to write whatever without caring grammars and syntax. That's quite write and once get accustom to writing itself then time learn regulations and certain formats to communicate properly. I't been quite a bit means i can remember when i took elementary level class to get used to do writing well i never been good writer anyway but lease i can reach some level of thinking by doing this.