Are You Making These Mistakes In The Japanese Market?
“7 Keys For Unlocking The Japanese Market” is a free report that draws on what we’ve learned from helping hundreds of companies connect with the right sales partners in Japan.
It can help you avoid the most common mistakes that foreign companies make in the Japanese market.
Here are a few examples.
#1 Trying to sell something that isn’t a good fit for the Japanese market
We are contacted on a daily basis by companies trying to sell products that just aren’t right for the Japanese market.
In some cases, these are products that compete primarily on the basis of low price. In other cases, the products compete directly with similar products manufactured in Japan.
#2 Not adjusting your strategy to the realities of the Japanese market
For example, a strategy based on using agents will be hard to reproduce in the Japanese market as agents are uncommon in Japan, except in a few specific industries.
Also, going direct to retailers won’t work in Japan as large retailers don’t typically buy directly from foreign suppliers.
#3 Not understanding how distribution works in Japan
For example, there are two types of distributors in Japan: those that deal mainly with Japanese companies and those that deal mainly with foreign companies.
Distributors that handle Japanese products are rarely interested in selling foreign products as well
#4 Not properly evaluating distribution candidates
When evaluating potential distributors, it’s easy to ignore companies that don’t have much English on their websites or assume that this lack of English means that they can’t speak the language.
This is a big mistake!
In our experience, there is no relationship between having an English-language website and being an effective distributor.
#5 Not “selling yourself” to potential partners
This is important because the best Japanese distributors are also the most selective.
A quality product and healthy margins won’t be enough to get their interest. You’ll also need to convince them that you’ll be a good long-term partner for them.
Interested in learning more?
Enter your email address in the box below to find out how to avoid these and other common mistakes that foreign companies make in the Japanese market.
And… because it’s based on what we’ve learned from helping hundreds of clients sell their products in Japan… we’re sure you won’t find this information anywhere else.