Page 2 - Doing business in Japan - Learn to speak Japanese and the business etiquette
Doing Business in Japan - Meeting and
Greeting
More than any other country, Japan has a heightened sense of
formality. In our opinion the Japanese seem to do eveything with a
sense of urgency and this certainly applies when doing business in
Japan. Your suitability in respect to conducting business will be
assessed during an initial meeting, so always ensure that you
maintain a sense of professionalism. The idea of not wearing a tie
or jeans and a jacket is really more of a UK-USA entrepeneirual
image that the Japanese will certainly respect but dont necessarily
adopt themselves, so avoid this dress style - again, err on the
side of caution!
Now for the fun part, the Japanese bow! The Japanese bow is an integral part of Japanese society. It is used when meeting, getting attention, to show gratitude, to express sympathy or as an apology. Whilst doing business in Japan as a Westerner, you would not be expected to bow, but we think that you should. As a Western you will most likely be greeted with a handshake combined with a slight nod of the head - but we say bow! One thing we will say is that if you do bow, bow with confidence as do it with a sense of purpose. The reason we say this is because if a bow is done in a weak manner it will show and you might make yourself feel uncomfortable.
Introduce yourself with your full name followed by your company name. It is important to use proper titles when addressing someone, so always establish the position of the other person. (Our students cover this in the course syllabus) when they lean to speak Japanese with us!
Doing Business in Japan - The exchanging of business cards when doing business in Japan involves ceremony. The business card is seen as an extension of the individual, and therefore must be treated with respect. Before travelling to Japan for business, make sure that you have plenty of business cards with one side translated into Japanese. Include your position within the company on it. Invest in a carry case to store cards and keep this in the inside pocket of a suit jacket.
When exchanging, offer your card with both hands or just the right hand. Present Japanese side up. Ensure there is no barrier between you and the recipient such as a table, chair or plant. When accepting always use two hands as this shows deference. We have another article devoted to Japanese business card etiquette - have a read!
Doing Business in Japan - Building
Relationships
When doing business in Japan a successful relationship with a
Japanese colleague or client is based on three factors:
sincerity
compatibility and
trustworthiness.
Sincerity means that you are compromising,
understanding and you want to conduct business on a personal level.
Compatibility is established when you are seen to
be concerned about the personal relationship, the well being of the
company and not just focused on financial gain.
Trustworthiness relates to the faith put in you to
protect from loss face.
Doing Business in Japan
- Page 1 Japanese business culture and the 'group'
Doing Business in Japan -
Page 1 The Japanese hierarchy in business
Doing Business in Japan -
Page 1 Respect in the Japanese business sense of the word
Doing Business in
Japan - Page 3 Communication
Doing Business in
Japan - Page 3 Meetings and Negotiations
