The Japan Business Mastery Show cover art

The Japan Business Mastery Show

The Japan Business Mastery Show

By: Dr. Greg Story
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 For busy people, we have focused on just the key things you need to know. To be successful in business in Japan you need to know how to lead, sell and persuade. This is what we cover in the show. No matter what the issue you will get hints, information, experience and insights into securing the necessary solutions required. Everything in the show is based on real world perspectives, with a strong emphasis on offering practical steps you can take to succeed.Copyright 2022 Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • 272 Why Bosses Must Keep Learning to Lead

    272 Why Bosses Must Keep Learning to Lead
    Oct 16 2025
    Education doesn’t end with graduation. Leaders may attend induction sessions, compliance programs, or even prestigious executive courses overseas, but these experiences are too infrequent to sustain long-term growth. In Japan and globally, too many bosses stop learning once they hit senior ranks, focusing only on routines that keep the business running. But standing still in today’s world is as dangerous as making mistakes. Continuous learning is not optional—it’s the fuel that keeps leaders, teams, and companies alive. Why isn’t one-time executive training enough? Business schools and executive programs can be stimulating—case studies are fascinating, the networking is inspiring, and global perspectives broaden thinking. But the problem is frequency. These are often “one-shot” experiences, occurring once in a career. Leaders return home excited, but implementing new ideas proves difficult in day-to-day operations. Without continuous reinforcement, old habits resurface, and inspiration fades. Growth stalls because education was treated as an event, not a rhythm. Mini-summary: One-time executive courses inspire but don’t sustain growth—leaders need continuous, not occasional, education. What modern learning opportunities do leaders have today? We live in an era of abundant resources. Podcasts, TED Talks, YouTube, online courses, and audiobooks can turn commutes or downtime into classrooms. Platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and Udemy provide structured modules, while practitioners share real-world insights through blogs and webinars. Many of these resources are free or low-cost, making access easier than ever. The real issue isn’t availability—it’s whether leaders have the discipline to use them consistently. Mini-summary: Learning resources are everywhere; the challenge is discipline, not access. The trap is routine. Leaders often spend all their time working in the business rather than on it. They minimise effort by narrowing focus to daily operations, convincing themselves they’re too busy for study. Over time, this creates stasis. But the world doesn’t stop—technologies shift, competitors emerge, and markets evolve. In Japan, where lifetime employment and rigid routines are common, this tendency to fall into comfortable habits is especially dangerous. Mini-summary: Routines trap leaders into working in the business, leaving no time to work on their own growth. How dangerous is standing still in business? Stasis can be fatal. Consider iMode, once a global pioneer of mobile internet in Japan, now irrelevant. Blackberry dominated professional phones but collapsed. MySpace once led social media, but disappeared. Nokia’s CEO famously said, “We didn’t do anything wrong,” yet the company still fell. The lesson: even without mistakes, standing still is enough to destroy a business. Leaders who stop learning repeat this error—they allow yesterday’s success to blind them to tomorrow’s risks. Mini-summary: Standing still is as dangerous as making mistakes—stagnant leaders risk organisational decline. How does generational change affect the need for learning? Generational perspectives shift rapidly. Leaders raised with telephones view the world differently from those raised with faxes, computers, or smartphones. Today, immense computing power fits in the palm of our hands. What was cutting-edge five years ago may already be outdated. This means knowledge has a shorter shelf life than ever. If a company has made its last formal investment in a leader’s development, then the responsibility to keep up rests squarely on the individual. Mini-summary: Knowledge expires quickly—leaders must take responsibility for staying relevant across generations. What should bosses do to keep learning alive? Leaders must block time for deliberate study every week. Skimming newspapers or glancing at reports isn’t enough. Deep engagement—through reading, listening, structured courses, or reflection—is required. Just as they expect their teams to grow, bosses must first stimulate themselves. Organisations mirror leadership. When the boss stops learning, the company’s culture stagnates. But when leaders prioritise growth, they inspire their teams to follow, building resilience and innovation. Mini-summary: Leaders set the tone—if they learn and grow, their teams and businesses do too. In Japan and worldwide, bosses who stop learning stop leading. Executive courses and OJT provide valuable boosts, but they are not enough. Today, resources for continuous learning are abundant, affordable, and accessible. The barrier isn’t availability but mindset and discipline. History shows that standing still destroys even the strongest firms. The same is true for leaders. Growth starts at the top, and in 2025, leadership without learning is not leadership at all—it’s decline.
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    8 mins
  • 271 Avoid These Mistakes in Online Presentations

    271 Avoid These Mistakes in Online Presentations
    Oct 9 2025
    Video conferencing is now standard in business, but that doesn’t make online presenting any easier. Thanks to Covid, platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Webex are familiar, and technology has improved dramatically. Audio and video sync well, slides are easy to share, and features are stable. But while the tools have caught up, presenters often haven’t. Delivering with impact through a screen requires discipline, planning, and technique. Why isn’t online presenting easier despite better technology? The technology may work flawlessly, but the presenter still makes or breaks the session. Poor preparation, weak delivery, or sloppy habits quickly undermine credibility. Unlike in-person presentations, online environments magnify small mistakes: muffled sound, awkward framing, and distracted eye movements are instantly obvious. In Japan, where clients and executives value precision and professionalism, these slip-ups signal carelessness. The reality is that the platform is only a tool—the presenter must still dominate it. Mini-summary: Technology doesn’t save poor presenters; discipline and preparation still determine success online. What preparation ensures a strong online performance? Preparation starts with the basics: check sound and video in advance. A headset and external microphone usually provide better quality than a laptop’s built-in hardware. Use a second screen or tablet to see yourself the way your audience does. This avoids surprises with unreadable slides or poor framing. Rehearse on the actual platform—Zoom, Teams, Webex—and record yourself. Playback reveals distracting habits like fidgeting or speaking too fast before the audience ever sees them. Mini-summary: Strong preparation—equipment checks, second screens, and rehearsals—separates professionals from amateurs. How does camera placement affect authority online? Most laptop cameras sit below eye level, so presenters look down at their audience—an angle that weakens presence. Raising the laptop on a stand, or better yet, using an external camera at eye height, creates stronger visual authority. Good posture reinforces this presence, and standing while presenting adds even more energy and freedom for gestures. These small adjustments transform online delivery from casual to confident. Mini-summary: Proper camera height, posture, and standing elevate authority and presence in online presentations. Why does voice matter more online than in person? In online presentations, slides often dominate the screen, reducing the presenter’s visual impact. That makes voice the real star. Pacing must be slower than in person. Pauses give participants time to absorb the message. Vocal variety—emphasising key words, modulating volume, and even using silence—keeps attention high. Long gaps after asking questions may feel awkward, but often participants are just deciding who will answer. Patience, supported by vocal control, becomes a leadership tool. Mini-summary: Vocal variety and patience transform voice into the main driver of engagement online. How should eye contact and gestures be adapted for virtual settings? Online, eye contact means speaking directly into the camera lens—not at the audience’s faces on screen. It may feel unnatural, but it creates the sense that each participant is being addressed personally. Gestures should be smaller and more deliberate, held slightly longer than in person. This prevents them from looking rushed or chaotic within the tight video frame. Practising these skills, as many YouTubers and online presenters in Japan have learned, makes virtual presence more convincing. Mini-summary: Direct eye contact into the lens and deliberate gestures establish credibility and presence online. What if the presentation is audio-only? Audio-only presentations are even more demanding. With no visual reinforcement, every detail of the voice matters. Rehearse and record to check pacing, clarity, and energy. Pauses are critical, giving listeners space to process content. Don’t rush—even if participants are scrolling ahead in the deck. Success here is not about visuals but about vocal authority, rhythm, and confidence. Mini-summary: In audio-only presentations, clarity, pacing, and vocal strength replace visuals as the key to impact. Better technology hasn’t made online presenting easier. The fundamentals remain the same: rehearse thoroughly, check the technology, and keep control of the medium. Camera placement, posture, and eye contact reinforce authority. Voice takes centre stage, demanding variety, pacing, and patience. Gestures must be deliberate, and audio-only formats demand even more vocal skill. In Japan and globally, audiences judge presenters not by the platform but by their professionalism. Master the basics, and your online presentations will have as much impact as any face-to-face performance.
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    8 mins
  • 270 Why Salespeople Can’t Wait for Marketing

    270 Why Salespeople Can’t Wait for Marketing
    Oct 2 2025
    Marketing plays a vital role in generating leads—through SEO campaigns, databases, white papers, and ads. But for salespeople, relying solely on marketing is a recipe for starvation. In Japan, where competition is fierce and decision-makers are shielded by layers of formality, sales professionals must take control of their own destiny. Success doesn’t come from waiting—it comes from disciplined activity, persistence, and a clear understanding of the numbers that drive results. Why can’t salespeople rely on marketing for leads? Marketing is powerful, but from a sales perspective it’s never enough. Even at major firms like Salesforce or Oracle, marketing produces part of the pipeline but never all of it. Salespeople who sit back and wait risk missing targets and losing control of their income. In Japan, where long sales cycles are common, the risk is even greater. To succeed, sales professionals must generate their own opportunities through proactive outreach. Mini-summary: Marketing supports the pipeline, but salespeople must generate their own leads to survive and thrive. What are KAIs, and why are they critical? KAIs—Key Activity Indicators—make sales measurable and predictable. If the average sale is one million yen and the annual target is thirty million, KAIs reveal exactly how many meetings, conversations, and calls are needed to get there. Yet many salespeople in Japan drift without this clarity. Without KAIs, sales feels like guesswork. With KAIs, it becomes a roadmap. Just as CFOs at firms like Hitachi or Sony use KPIs to track financial health, sales teams must rely on KAIs to ensure progress. Mini-summary: KAIs provide the roadmap for sales success, replacing drift with discipline and accountability. How can Japanese salespeople generate their own pipeline? Control comes from disciplined prospecting. That means cold calling, re-engaging past clients, and attending networking events. Salespeople know what an ideal client looks like, so they can aim directly at those prospects. In Japan, a single client win can open doors to competitors. For example, if you’ve helped one hotel chain, you can leverage that case study with others in the industry. This strategy is a proven way to multiply success across a sector. Mini-summary: Proactive prospecting and leveraging client wins create momentum and multiply opportunities in Japan. Why is cold calling in Japan so difficult—and how can salespeople break through? Cold calling is tough everywhere, but in Japan it’s brutal. Receptionists—the so-called “call killers”—are highly trained to screen out salespeople. They politely ask who you are, why you’re calling, and then promise to call back… but rarely do. Most salespeople quit at this stage. Winners persist. A script that works is: “We’ve been helping your direct competitors achieve strong results. Maybe we could do the same for you. Could I speak with your sales manager to explore this?” Then call back, again and again, until you connect. Persistence separates the successful from the average. Mini-summary: Cold calling in Japan is tough, but persistence, smart scripts, and discipline break through the “call killer” barrier. How does discipline turn prospecting into a habit? The biggest secret is treating lead generation like a client meeting. Salespeople would never cancel on a customer, but they cancel on themselves all the time. Prospecting time gets pushed aside for “urgent” tasks. The discipline is to block it in the calendar, defend it, and stick with it. At companies like IBM Japan and Panasonic, top salespeople treat prospecting as sacred time. Discipline turns cold calling from dreaded drudgery into predictable pipeline-building. Mini-summary: Protect prospecting time like a client meeting—discipline creates consistency and control. What mindset should salespeople adopt to succeed? Sales is about control. If you leave your future to marketing, you surrender your income to someone else’s performance. But if you generate your own leads, you own your future. In Japan, where rejection is constant, persistence and mindset matter most. Every call is one step closer to a meeting, and every meeting is one step closer to a deal. Success belongs to those who decide to control their pipeline instead of waiting for it to be filled for them. Mini-summary: A proactive, persistent mindset puts salespeople in control of their pipeline, income, and future. Marketing is a valuable ally, but it will never deliver enough leads on its own. Salespeople in Japan and worldwide must take control by knowing their KAIs, generating their own pipeline, breaking through gatekeepers, and protecting prospecting time with discipline. Persistence, smart strategies, and the right mindset separate those who wait for success from those who create it. In 2025, the path is clear: sales professionals who take ownership of lead generation will control not just their ...
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    8 mins
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