Previously Vice President, Head of APAC Development, Head of Japan, Vice President Colt DSC: Head of Japan Pembroke Real Estate; Executive Officer, Bovis Lend Lease; Architect, Takenaka Komuten; Harvard University Graduate School Of Design; University Of Manitoba Architecture

We are all pretty average on recalling events, people’s names, locations, sequences, inanimate objects, etc., but we are geniuses on remembering feelings. We are especially good on how people made us feel and what super memories we have developed in this particular department. Business is deemed to be logical – cool, balanced, unswerving on the roa…

Previously Ahbijay was Vice-President of Development for IHG Japan, Australasia and Pacific Region, Director of Development Planning AMEA for Whitbread PLC Singapore, and Director of Development Middle East, Africa and South Asia for the Jumeirah Group. He has a Master’s Degree from Erasmus University’s Rotterdam School Of Management…

The Master of Ceremony (MC) goes to the microphone to get the programme underway but the audience are simply oblivious, caught up in their own riveting conversations. The situation is much worse at receptions where alcohol is already flowing and the people down the back are generating a roar, a positive din, that drowns out the speakers. Here are s…

Prior to her Japan posting Simone was VP Marketing International Business Unit in Indianapolis, VP and General Manager Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Chief Marketing Officer Japan, Managing Director Austria, International Marketing Leader Cardiology Indianapolis, National Sales Director Germany, Austria and Switzerland, New Product Planning Mana…

Usually this isn’t even a question for most presenters, because the organisers have already set up the room when you arrive. Our speaking spot has been designated for us. But have we been designated a spot by experts in public speaking or by the venue crew who usually just haul chairs, lug tables around and set up the stage? Sadly the coalescence b…

David has been with Bain his whole career, starting as an Associate to Partner, becoming a Partner and HR Leader Switzerland, Partner and Healthcare Practice Leader, Senior Partner and Regional EMEA Practice Leader for Transformation and Change, Senior Partner and Global Leader Change and Implementation Practice.…

To succeed in our own business, we need three critical skills: the ability to master our time, to clone ourselves and to be persuasive. Time: Poor time control leads to inefficiency, wasted efforts, stress and missed opportunities. Entrepreneurs are geniuses at trying to do too much. This means they are run ragged with time demands and no good solu…

Prior to starting the Swiss Prime Brands company in Japan, Luca was an Assistant Manager at Masuda Infinity Japan, a Junior Associate at Goldwyn Partners Group AG, a Consultant at Het Buitenhuis. Be honest – are you a great leader or are you a mediocre leader? How can you become a leader people actually want to follow? How can you be the leader who…

There is an old truism in sales, “sales is nothing more than the transfer of the enthusiasm of the seller for the product or service to the buyer”. What are we doing when we are speaking? We are selling! “Hang on a minute there Greg. I am a professional, I am not a car or vacuum cleaner salesman”, you might be saying to yourself. That sort of self-…

Eddie’s coaching of Japan to defeat South Africa against their hometown advantage in South Africa, was a breakthrough moment for Japanese rugby, which until that point had never managed to win a game at that level. Eddie started his coaching career at Randwick as an assistant coach in 1994. He coached Tokai University as an assistant coach in 1995-…

Having a buying need and doing something about it can often be quite disparate ideas. When the buyer is looking at the gap between where they are now and where they want to be and they judge it is pretty close, they don’t feel any urgency or need to buy. They will have certain drivers pushing them along in their role in the business, but this gap p…

Previously Gaspard was Port Cities Managing Director Mexico, Managing Directors Indonesia, Ethnicraft Project Manager, Carmeuse Group Supply Chain Analyst. Gaspard Graduated from the Louvain School of Management, Universite Catholique De Louvain

Sadly, not everyone is like us – wonderful, charming, amusing, attractive. Despite our best efforts to be a role model of perfection, setting them a good example, others persist in being a major pain. Here are some selective tips on negotiating with the difficult amongst us. 1. Meet on mutual ground Try to meet, rather than engage in a protracted e…

Jean Pierre has spent most of his career at L’Oreal. Previously he was Senior Vice President L’Oreal Luxe APAC, Managing Director L’Oreal Luxe Europe, General Manager L’Oreal Luxe Thailand. He is an MBA Graduate of emlyon business school.

The chances of speaking to a 5000 person business audience happening and happening regularly in Japan are remote for most of us. Nevertheless, in case you find yourself in front of a very large audience, here are a few hints on how to adjust to the increased size of the event. Get there early and go and sit in some of the most far-flung locations. …

Geoffrey has started his own company Shining Prince Entertainment, currently he is Japan Representative for Drylab Media Tech. Previously he was Co-Founder and Head of Sales for V-Net Solutions Japan, General Manager HBO Max Japan, Japan Country Manager for IMAX, Strategic Advisor for 20th Century Fox Japan, Advisor to LAIKA LLC, Advisor to Netflix…

In sales in Japan we chill, cruise and take the foot off the pedal. We get lazy. We start cutting corners. We get off our game. The temptation is when we get to a certain level of success we think well, we have done enough. We have to facedown “average is good enough” self-talk. We need to make sure we are doing the basics like a demon on fire. The…

Maxime founded his company in 2007 in China and now has offices in Tokyo, Paris, Vancouver and New York. Before starting Ekohe, he was the R&D Manager at Labbrand in Shanghai. He has a Master’s Degree in Engineering from Centrale Lille Institute and another Master’s Degree in Artificial Intelligence and Pattern Recognition from Shanghai Jiao Tong U…

The classic movie half-time locker room Churchillian oratory from the coach, whipping the team into a frenzy for the coming onslaught is now gathering dust in Hollywood’s archives. Today’s most successful coaches are masters of human psychology, combining insight with superb communication skills. What about leaders in business in Japan? In my exper…

Guillermo has spent most of his career at Chanel as Country Manager Singapore, Regional President SE Asia, Global Marketing Director (cosmetics), Japan Cosmetics General Manager, Japan Fashion General Manager. He graduated from the University of the Basque Country (Spain) and is also a graduate of the EU’s Executive Training Programme in Japan (ETP…

When we stand in front of an audience, we are representing our personal brand and our firm’s brand. People evaluate us and our companies based on how we perform. Think back to the presentations you’ve seen and I’m sure you’ll agree that many speakers are missing passion and commitment to the topic. Don’t be like that. Typically, we speakers enter a…

Derek previously was Country Manager Japan for Tourism Australia. He has spent over 31 years working for Qantas, in a variety of roles including: Senior Manager Qantas Business Rewards, Head of Commercial, Commercial Manager Pacific and Japan, Manager Pacific and Japan Routes, Marketing and Management Services Manager Japan. He has a Degree in Asia…

Often the first reaction to hearing no from the buyer is for the salesperson to panic and go harder. They somehow imagine they can force the buyer to buy. The immediate impulse is to go straight to the answer to counterpoint the objection. This is mainly an emotional reaction based on the adrenalin flooding the brain with the fight response. We nee…

Gavin has been working for Baker McKenzie since 2001, rising from Foreign Associate, to Senior Associate, to Senior Foreign Associate and then to Partner. He has a Bachelor of Law from Bond University and an SMU Certificate in Fintech & Innovation from Singapore Management University

Bosses are often oblivious to the idea of diversity. I don’t mean diversity as mainly considered in Japan, which is usually about lack of inclusion of women in the workplace. Diversity here means variations amongst the team in terms of communication preferences. Here are two decisions to determine the best communication style to deal with your boss…

Previously Marton was a Partner at KK Sherpa, Assistant Vice President at Aozora Bank, and a Fund Manager at Nomura Asset Management. He has an MBA from Waseda University, a degree in Finance from Budapest Business University and a BA in International Marketing from Avans University of Applied Sciences.…

The usual frequency for most people for giving formal presentations is once in a blue moon. In other words, we don’t do so many in a year. This presents a problem, because as we know, repetition is key to learning and improvement. Instead of hanging around waiting for someone to invite you to speak, you need to get out there and beat the bushes for…

Previously Alfonso was Japan Country Manager, Regional Director North Asia, Oracle Advertising; Business Director Acxion; Deputy Managing Director, Bandai; Overseas Marketing Team Manager, Sega; Senior Consultant Japan Office, Hall Kinion. Alfonso is a graduate of the University of Navarra and has a Masters degree from Nagoya University.…

Buyers should buy and not quibble, hesitate or question. That at least is what salespeople hope for. The reality is we want buyers to object. If we don’t get a commitment to buy right then and there, the next best case is they give us an objection. No objection then no sale. Let me explain why. If we are giving our presentation and at the end the b…

Previously Bostjan was Executive Officer, Director of Global Sales And Special Projects Compass Group, Commercial Director, Tupperware, Vice President UK and Ireland, earlier Sales Director Japan and Korea, Steelcase, Sales Representative Architecture & Design Tokyo.

Joe Peters, Managing Director, iSearch Worldwide Joe previously was President Transamerica Direct Marketing Japan, President AXA Life Singapore, Regional VP Group Life & Health AIG, VP Japan Marketing Mutual of Omaha, Manager A&H INA (Cigna), Manager MetLife

You are at an event, it could be internal presentation or an industry event and you are been chosen for a prize or recognition. Award awarded and now you have to speak. This is where we are genius at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, as we make a dog’s breakfast of our remarks. Very depressingly, we go from hero to zero in rapid order. It …

Previously Brian was an Advisor to Curvegrid, Advisor to Cerego Japan, Principal Advisor In Japan Kelly Slater Wave Company, Co-Founder & Director Weatherly Japan, Advisor Salesforce, Advisor to the Board FPG co., Ltd., Advisory Board Member Japan Burton Snowboards, Director NBO Group, Chairman Value Commerce Co., Ltd. Director James Harvard Intern…

The hardest sales job in the world is selling something you don’t believe in yourself. The acid test is would you sell this “whatever” to your grandmother? If the answer is no, then get out of there right now! It is rarely that clear cut though. The more important test is whether what you are selling solves the client’s problem or not. Selling clie…

Previously Eriko was President GE Japan, Director American Medical Device & Diagnostics Association of Japan, Director For Policy Outreach, Legal and Corporate Affairs Microsoft Japan, Marketing Communication Specialist, Sony Euroope, Germany. She is a graduate of Keio University.

Getting the team motivated is hard enough without us screwing it up. Here are seven things we should eliminate: Showing a lack of common courtesy You are a super busy boss. Are you barking out commands like a tyrant, with no thought to say “please” when requesting action or adding a ”thank you” when it is completed? Do you come to work full of worr…

Previously Ted was the Chief Operating Officer at Picsel UK, Senior Managing Director Fidelity Investments, Chief Marketing Officer at Vodaphone Japan, Executive Vice-President Japan Telecom, President Comuwizards, Area Marketing Vice-President Verizon Wireless, Managing Director Marketing J-Phone, Director of Strategy Ai Touch, Consultant Bain and…

Why are so few business leaders good communicators, given all the education they have received, starting at varsity and then later, through their workplace organisations? Leaders are often told they need to be “authentic”. That means to some, that it is fine to be dull, obtuse, monotone and forgettable. While dramatic oratorical flourishes are not …

Previously Martin was the General Manager, Global Treehouse Inc., Director of Operations, North Asia, Oakwood Asia Pacific, Executive Partner Fritz Consulting, General Manager Norfolk Mansions, General Manager Garden Plaza Hotel, General Manager Saigon Floating Hotel, Project Manager Park Hyatt Tokyo, Project Manager EIE International, Food and Bev…

Building rapport in the first meeting with a prospective client is a critical make or break for establishing likeability or trust. The first three to thirty seconds is vital, so what do we need to do? Here are three things we need to get right: Pay attention to our dress and our posture! Looking sharp and stand straight – this communicates confiden…

Previously Paul was Adjunct Industry Fellow In Mobile Software at Swinburne Uinversity of Technology, Founder of Long Weekend, IT Director enworld group, CTO and Founder Thomson Reuters cvMail. He has a BA in Business, Banking & Finance from Monash University.

There is a lot to do and once you get to a certain scale you realise you can’t do it all by yourself. This is when you need your staff. That is fine, but they didn’t start the business or if it is an established business, they are not the boss on much better money. How do you get your people to actually really care about the business? There are fou…

Kevin played a number of roles at GPlus Media incuding Sales Director and General Manager. Previously he was a recruitment consultant at Optia Parrners, Training and Development Manager Human Resources at Model Language Studio.

Cold calling is dead! No cold calling is not dead! Lots of debate and advice on this subject and many a fortune funded as a result no doubt. For Japan it is not dead but it is diabolically hard. We need to select ideal prospects who are not presently clients. We need to list companies up who are look-a-likes for current clients or fit into our swee…

Prior to his posting in Japan, Bob was working for Evernex in Hong Kong as a Senior Account Manager. Previously he working in Italy as a Sales Manager for Fwebcreative. He has a Masters Degree from the University of Rome Tor Vergata and a license, Administrative and Social Economics from the Universite Paris-Sorbonne and an Undergraduate degree fro…

There are a number of common structures for giving presentations and one of the most popular is the opening-key points/evidence-closing. We consider the length of the presentation, the audience, the purpose of our talk and then we pour the contents into this structure. Generally, in a 30 minute speech we can only have a few key points we can cover,…

Prior to heading Wipro in Japan, Dhruv was at Tata Consultancy Services in Japan in a variety of roles: Manufacturing Vertical Deputy Head, Head of Automotive Engineering, and Consultant. He originally came to Japan with Wipro as a Product Development Engineer. He has an MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies and an Undergraduate De…

Sales cannot run like a manufacturing production line. We are not making industrial cheese here. This is more like an artisanal pursuit, closer to art than science. Yet, every sales force on the planet has targets which are usually uniform. Each month, the sales team has to deliver a specified amount of revenue, rolling up into a pre-determined ann…

Prior to this position Erwann was Trading Department Director at Saint-Gobain Japan, Vice-President Glass Japan at Saint-Gobain, Sales Planning Director at MAG-ISOVER Japan, North and South Asia Pacific Sales and Marketing Leader at Owens Corning, Sales and Marketing Director NSG Vetrotex Japan, and Commercial Attaché at the French Embassy in Tokyo…