Category: Daily

Introduction of daily columns by our advisor, Teruo Ichiki

Happy New Year!
We look forward to working with you again this year.

I will be teleworking again this year, and I will do my best to be of service to everyone at InfoEye, even if only in a small way.
I have chosen “communication” as the theme for the beginning of the year.

In teleworking, where communication is reduced, I think it is necessary to devise a way to deepen communication.
I hope that by reproducing my own experiences in the field, I can get everyone to think about how they can devise ways to do this.

Why? Why can’t we make 80% of the contracted budget? Why didn’t you tell us earlier, when today is the end of the month?
When are you going to be able to ship this backlog? What? The end of next month? Isn’t it already gone? It may not be ready? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?

This was a common conversation when I was a department head or section manager.
As a section manager, I wanted to get bad information as soon as possible, so that I could quickly catch it, plan countermeasures, and minimize the damage.

I am sure you have heard the word “horenso” before.
Horenso → “reporting, liaison, and consultation.
The basics of communication are reporting, liaison, and consultation.
I think this is a theme that always comes up in training for new employees.

I would like to consider why it is so important.

I think this “horenso” is important because it is necessary work to achieve goals.

What are the important goals of the company?
One important goal is to make a profit.

Our company is in the business of buying and selling fushion products, which are constantly changing. We earn our customers’ trust and generate profits by accurately suggesting products that will sell well in the next season, taking risks, and delivering the products they want in the time they want them.
In order to make a profit, which is one of the company’s goals, it is essential that the planning, production, sales, and delivery processes work together smoothly and without waste.
However, it should be noted that there are many cases where things do not go smoothly.

At each stage, some kind of problem is bound to occur. A customer reports a change in order, a factory informs a customer of a delay in delivery, a supplier is consulted about a change in sewing specifications, and if each of these steps is not carried out smoothly, a major problem will occur, resulting in a large loss rather than a profit.

An organization that can normally perform this “Hou-Rou-Sou” can create a highly productive organization, enhance team power, and create a synergistic effect, which leads to customer satisfaction, profits, and company development.

What happens to an organization that cannot do this?
The organization will become an organization full of waste, with double takes, re-dos, etc. Team power will deteriorate, power will be reduced, customer dissatisfaction will occur, customers will leave, losses will occur, and the organization will collapse.

This “Hou-Rou-Sou” is the key to the fate of the company. This is how important it is.

Even with such importance, it is difficult to establish a culture of “Hourensou” if the recipients do not take it seriously and do not respond to it sincerely.
Even if you do the reporting, no one will do it if they do not accept it and do not draw conclusions.
It will be harder to be criticized or to be offended.

In the aforementioned conversation between the section manager and the section staff, the section staff neglected their duty to report, but the section manager is also to blame for creating an atmosphere that makes it difficult for them to report.
In addition, not checking how sales contracts are progressing until the end of the month is also a
This is a management error. He puts his own mistakes on the shelf and blames the section staff. The relationship between the two becomes increasingly difficult, and the trust between the two becomes increasingly strained.
The Chief said, “Report! Report!” but to put them in the mindset of “I don’t want to report because I will get angry if I do, and even if I do, I don’t know if they are listening or responding, and I can’t come to a conclusion,” creates tragedy.

Subordinates have an obligation to report and supervisors have a responsibility to make it easier for them to report, and both sides, those who do and those who make them do, have obligations and responsibilities, don’t they?
However, not reporting because it is difficult to say is not a reason. If the person does not report, not only will the organization be inconvenienced, but in the end, the person himself/herself will suffer the most.

By the way, what is a report?

A report is a statement of the progress and results of a given task by a person who has been assigned to it. It is more of a vertical information, a lifeline between you and the people around you, a duty as an employee, and also a PR aspect.

Contact is to inform feelings, ideas, and information, rather than lateral information, and since it is about caring for and sharing information with those around you, you need to look at it with multiple eyes.

Consultation is the process of discussing and listening to the opinions of others in order to solve a problem, to present one’s own point of view and to think about it, and to solve problems with the wisdom of those around you.

I think we all know that “horenso” is important, but I think we need a culture in which this is actively practiced on a regular basis.

This is nothing less than a workplace where communication comes naturally.

I would like to see the creation of a corporate culture in which “reporting and communication” is a natural part of the company’s operations because we are a teleworking company.

Introduction of daily columns by our advisor, Teruo Ichirai

Today, I would like to talk about “accurate forecasting” and “speed” as keys to success.
If you do things right away, you will waste time because you don’t do them, you will have problems because you are late, and you will lose profits. Time is finite, and there is no time to hesitate, worry, or dither.
Once you decide what to do, do it immediately without hesitation.
However, the question is what to do immediately.
In our work, we are supposed to respond with speed to objects that are likely to be profitable. So how do we predict what is likely to be profitable?
Predictability
There is a “Faux Leather Riders Jacket” that became a hit product during my time at Company T. After a research trip to Europe, the designer said to me, “I saw a lot of leather. It might sell well in Japan,” I felt that it would sell.
On the spot, I gathered the sales staff and designers and told them, “Do in-store research by the end of this week and buy all the leather products you think will sell well. By that weekend, I gathered samples that would sell well and bought several copies of the same product that would sell best,
We send them to a few of our main manufacturers to collect materials and find a factory that can sew them. At the same time, we begin to study designs and prepare patterns.
In any case, we would prepare for planning and production before our competitors could make proposals, and we would examine ways to reduce costs.
In any case, we believed that speed was the key to making a sale. After having all the materials, factories, quotations, and delivery dates ready to go
We would then start proposing a plan all at once. We are able to respond quickly to questions from our clients, so orders proceed smoothly.
The orders were delivered to the customers, and the orders for additional products started coming in, and the factory began to increase production.
This story would not have been possible if I had not been so sensitive to the designer’s words. If I had checked with every one of my clients to see if they could sell the product, I would have missed the timing.

By trusting my own predictions and being prepared, the speed increases dramatically.
My sequence of operations leading up to this hit product was
I think it goes as follows: forecast→preparation→proposal→taking orders.

But how can accurate forecasts be made?
Kyocera Honorary Chairman Inamori says in his book “How to Work.

If you keep thinking about something so much that you forget to eat or sleep, and keep thinking about it over and over throughout the day, the thought will gradually penetrate into your “subconscious mind.
The “subconscious” is a kind of consciousness that lies deep within a person, unnoticed. It does not usually come to the surface, but it appears unexpectedly or at the most inopportune time, and it exerts immeasurable power.
Perhaps in my case, too, I was thinking intently about what would sell, which is why I was able to respond sensitively to the designer’s words.

It is important, though, to make accurate predictions and deal with them with speed,
It is something that we just have to think about every day.

At any rate, we will seriously tackle and solve the problems in front of us. And then move forward to new challenges that will improve results. Whether you use your time effectively or waste it is entirely up to you.
It is not for the president to judge or decide. I have no doubt that if you yourself have a positive mindset and make time your friend, your work will produce results and your life will be fulfilled.
Especially these days, long working hours are out of fashion, so it is a matter of how much work you can get done in a given time.
This is the same for our clients, so it is obvious that once they decide to do something, they want to deliver it to the storefront as quickly as possible.
If you do not respond promptly to delivery dates and quotations, which are the deciding factors in product decisions, you will fall behind your competitors. The same goes for planning proposals.

However, it is not enough if the proposal is made quickly. If there is laxity in the speed and finalization of the delivery date and estimate, the proposal may be taken and the order may be passed on to another company.
I believe that the decisive factor in the finalization and speed of the proposal is the advance preparation.

I have sent you a column on advance preparation in April of this year.

Introduction of daily columns by our advisor, Teruo Ichirai

Every item has a cost, which determines its selling price, and then it is distributed.
The higher the selling price and the lower the cost, the higher the profit margin and the more profitable. The lower the selling price and the higher the cost, the lower the profit margin and the less profitable. Low-margin management will eventually lead to business failure.
It is natural for a company to aim for high profit margin management in order to grow, but this is difficult.
However, we cannot avoid it just because it is difficult.
Today I would like to consider how to sell at a high price and why it is a low price.

Kyocera Chairman Kazuo Inamori, who successfully restructured Japan Airlines, said, “Pricing is management.

●Pricing is management.

Price fixing is not only a sales issue to sell or to get orders, but also a matter that determines the fate of the business. The price must satisfy both the seller and the buyer, and it is a very important task that must ultimately be decided by the management.
I have always said, “In business, anyone can sell if the price is low enough. If the price is lower than that, you can get orders as much as you want, but if the price is higher than that, orders will run away. We must find the best price at which customers are willing to buy and sell at that price. The determination of the price is an important task directly related to management, and it is the job of management to determine it.

____Quotes from “The Real Learning of Kazuo Inamori” ____.
●Values, supply and demand

I know that Company T’s fabrics are expensive, but I often had no choice but to buy them because they are differentiated from other products in the world or because I can buy them in kind. It does not matter if it is more or less expensive than the cost. Prices vary depending on one’s view of value and supply and demand. It is important to make people think that although the price is a little high, if it can be done with this quality and in this delivery time, it is not expensive.

●Why sell at a discount?

In your OEM business, when a product is selected and a price is discussed, it is already at the stage after the decision has been made that the product will “sell,” not at the stage of “I’ll buy it because it’s cheap” or “I won’t buy it because it’s expensive,” and the price negotiation is merely based on the intention to “want to buy the product. Salespeople who think they cannot sell unless they make a low price may have the illusion or delusion that they will lose customers if they do not lose the price. The type of person who loses the price is the one who gets carried away by the pace of the customer’s conversation, and as he talks too much on the sly, he is dragged into the other side and is unable to put a certain distance between himself and the customer. In negotiations with different interests, opinions are to be listened to as opinions, and apart from that, one should devise ways to make one’s point. Inevitably, good people are too attuned to the other party’s arguments and compromise without being able to keep their own pace. We must only try to draw a line between our arguments and those of the other party and deal with them in a cool manner. To do this, it is essential not to speak too much of what is not convenient.

●Value, price, supply and demand views

Essentially, prices are set based on a value, price, and supply/demand perspective, and should not be set by simply setting the selling price at 20% above cost. However, cost awareness is important. If the company does not follow the sales rules set by the company, the company will not be able to pay its employees’ salaries.
However, if the price is set based solely on a 20% increase in cost, an opportunity loss will be created if the value of the product could have sold for more.
The act of selling clothing involves a variety of services. These include color, pattern, quality, fashion, delivery time, production capacity, delivery, follow-up, risk, and financial capacity. All of these costs are expensive, so from the seller’s point of view, it is natural to sell at a high price.
However, from the buyer’s point of view, the interests are not aligned: they want to buy at a lower price to make it easier to sell or to take a profit. This is where the contradiction arises.
However, it should be recognized that the seller is in control of the price.
The true reality is that “the seller determines the price,” and the true competitiveness lies in how much service one is able to provide in order to get this price approved.
「The price is “determined by the seller” and it is the buyer who determines if it is appropriate for his/her business convenience, not “the price is determined by the buyer”.
The selling price is determined by the view of value, price, and supply and demand, while maintaining cost consciousness.

To realize the sales price you have decided on, you will need to use sales techniques, bargaining, persuasion, patience and determination, and other martial arts. Martial arts are acquired through serious competition in many fields.

Selling at a low price is never the way to improve your reputation with your clients. Salespeople who sell at a discount should be considered more likely to be considered naive by their clients. Salespeople who sell at a fair price should be considered “solid salespeople. They should be able to pass on the price, but also follow through.” Such a sales person is a trusted sales person.

The following is a talk for employees titled “Management Classroom” by Masahiro Okafuji, Chairman of ITOCHU Corporation.
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿Masahiro Okafuji, Chairman of the Board, quoted from his “Management Classroom”: ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
↓↓↓↓↓↓
The more people who can’t do something, the more they complain.
After all, there are many people who blame internal rules or the external environment for their inability to do their jobs.
In my experience, the more people who cannot do their jobs complain about the rules in detail.
They just keep coming up with reasons why they can’t achieve their budgets. There are those who still make excuses like “the impact of the Lehman Shock.
The conditions under which we all fight will be the same. And yet, blaming internal rules or the external environment as the reason for lack of results is not even funny. Both sports and work are interesting because of the rules, right?
If you really think the rules are wrong, you should insist on getting results first.”

↑↑↑↑＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ quoted from Chairman Masahiro Okafuji’s “Management Classroom” ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

I think he is speaking harshly, but I think he is stating the obvious.

The yen is weakening now, but exchange rates are also the rule. The weak yen is the same throughout Japan. Since we are doing business under the rule of the weak yen throughout Japan, it is no reason for us not to make money. I remember when the exchange rate was 140 yen, and I was grumbling with my colleagues that the exchange rate should be at least 130 yen. At that time, there was extreme competition within the 80-yen rule.
Since we cannot change the exchange rate, we have to keep our wits about us and do our best elsewhere. People who blame the company, their bosses, their subordinates, or the environment for their work not going well will not grow. If you don’t believe that it is within yourself that things go wrong, you will not be able to improve yourself. The fun of business lies in how to fight with all one’s wisdom in a difficult environment.

Chairman Masahiro Okafuji said, “If the rules are really wrong, we should get results before we insist on them.”
But I think that is the president’s real intention. I think he doesn’t want to listen to or acknowledge someone who hasn’t even produced results. The company has to pay salaries no matter what the results are. Even if the company is in the red, it has to pay. However, if the company is in the red, it will go bankrupt and the employees will be left on the street. The company needs to produce good results both to protect its employees and to protect the company. Each and every employee needs to have the resilience to survive through hard work and wisdom in any environment.
I believe that by adhering to the profit margin, the company’s structure will improve. I am prepared to accept a decrease in sales, but as a result of my insistence on improving the profit margin from morning to night, all year round, the quality of planning, production, and delivery improved, and not only the profit margin but also sales increased. On the contrary, if you allow cheap sales, not only will the company’s structure be weakened, but the quality of employees will also decline. I believe that profit margin is a barometer of the quality of a company.

Introduction of daily columns by our advisor, Teruo Ichiki

In the last issue, we talked about how pricing is management in “The Concept of Selling Prices”. Today.
This is my experience with my obsession with numbers. You may be fed up with all the talk about numbers, but please bear with me.

The Truth About Increasing Gross Profit by 3

In FY2001, Section 59, of which I was the section manager, had broken out of a five-year performance slump and achieved sales of 2.08 billion yen, 110% of last year’s level, gross profit of 17.74%, 115% of last year’s level, and operating income of 150 million yen, 148% of last year’s level, and I was proud that we had achieved a good performance.
However, at that time, the Product Department’s goal was to achieve a gross profit margin of 20%. However, I was aware that there was no way that this section, which handled casual products, could achieve such a high gross profit margin. Since 17.74% gross profit margin was the highest gross profit margin in the past 15 years, I went to the president’s interview with my heart pounding.
However, as I was expecting praise from former President Akihiro, I could not believe my ears when he said something I did not expect. He said, “What do you mean? I told you to aim for a gross profit margin of 20%. Why can’t you do it?
I replied, “It is impossible to achieve a gross profit margin of 20% for a young, casual product line. If we force ourselves to achieve it, our sales will be cut in half. If you do that, you won’t be able to make a profit.
I countered.
The former president said, “Sales can be halved! If you can’t make 20% gross profit, I won’t recognize you as a section! I won’t even recognize you as a section manager.
I was halfway to saying, “Let me show you what will happen if sales are cut in half,” and halfway to saying, “I understand! I will make sure to achieve a gross profit margin of 20%! I’ll make sure to achieve a gross profit margin of 20%!

I had pride in the fact that I had challenged myself in a new field that no one else in the company was doing, started a section from scratch, and had done so for 15 years without a single loss.
It was a shock to me to be told by the president that he would not recognize me as a section manager.

I will achieve 20% no matter what! With this in mind, I declared to my section staff from that day on.
The staff said, “Your sales will be cut in half. They were bombarded with claims of impossibility and impossibility: “It’s impossible with our current customers,” “It’s impossible with our current products,” “It’s impossible with our current suppliers’ grades.
I said, “I don’t care if sales are cut in half. I don’t care if sales are cut in half, I will change my clients, suppliers, and products if necessary, and I will do whatever it takes to achieve a gross profit margin of 20%. I demanded that not only the sales staff but also designers, pattern makers, clerical staff, and delivery staff, be diligent, make efforts, and take action in order to achieve a gross profit margin of 20%.

We will be calling for 20% gross profit margin from morning to night. Of course, the Monday morning meeting is about how to achieve 20% gross profit margin. Every week, every day, from morning to night, we only talk about 20% gross profit margin.

The sales policy was simple and clear: stop doing business with clients that are inconvenient for achieving 20% gross profit margin, stop doing projects that do not allow us to earn 20% gross profit margin, and stop doing business with suppliers that are not worthy of 20% gross profit margin. We also cut back on other expenses, such as name-attaching and labeling, which had been done domestically, by using cheaper overseas factories, and reducing transportation fees by consolidating shipments as much as possible.

I became an ogre of 20% gross profit margin and thoroughly implemented this for one year.

As a result, one year later in 2002, we achieved a gross profit margin of 20.71%, an increase of 2.97%, or approximately 3%. And sales, which had been poised to decline by half, were able to increase 104% to 2.17 billion. Operating profit increased by 80 million, and unrealized profit increased by 90 million. The only decrease was in overhead (90.1%) and inventory (67.5%). As for clients, low-priced specialty mass merchandisers and apparel, which were the top five in 2001, declined sharply, and the top five were all SPA apparel, which was very strong at the time.

The challenge to increase gross profit by 3% not only brought good results, but also forced changes in planning, production, sales, and delivery, and brought about a transformation in sales.

I thanked the former president and the section staff. I struggled to find a way to express my gratitude to the former president, but not to the section staff. And, although I thought it was a bit of a quip, I wrote a letter of thanks to the wife of a wife-beater, saying, “With your support, your husband has done his best and achieved excellent results. I sent her a thank-you letter and a rose flower, saying, “I sincerely appreciate your support.

Confident sales would increase by 440 million to 2.61 billion the next year, while maintaining a gross profit margin of 20%. And until I retired as section manager in 2007, the gross profit margin never fell below 20%.
This single-minded focus on gross profit led to changes in everything. The challenge to increase gross profit by 3% was to force change: ……. This was the truth.

I think the former president saw that I was falling into a rut after 15 years as a section manager. If it had not been for the blackmail at the president’s interview, Section 59 would not have been de-morphed.
I am still sincerely grateful for that blackmail.
When you were saying it was impossible or impossible, it was because it seemed impossible or impossible with your ability at the time, but it was possible if you could change yourself. The real thrill of work lies in setting a goal that seems impossible, persevering to reach it with persistence and never giving up, and turning the impossible into possible.

Introduction of daily columns by our advisor, Teruo Ichirai

In the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election held on April 4, the LDP came out on top, winning 33 seats, up from 25 before the election. However, the LDP and New Komeito, which cooperated in the election, won a combined 28 seats, falling far short of the majority target, and the LDP and New Komeito together fell far short of the majority target.
The reason for the defeat was the government’s response to the coronavirus and its aversion to hosting the Tokyo Olympics, which is about to start.
Vaccinations were delayed, which could be called SUPER SLOW, and the declaration of a state of emergency was repeatedly postponed and re-imposed,
Many people are fed up with delays in aid payments and the continuous drinking and not drinking.
In addition, Finance Minister Aso said, “You sowed the seeds yourself,” referring to Governor Koike, who is resting due to overwork.
Koike, who heard Aso’s comment on his sickbed, must have grinned.
Governor Koike has previously been slammed by the media as a “green raccoon” since his “exclusion” comment.
He must have thought that the “self-inflicted” comment was a favorable comment to the TMF.
There is a Japanese sentiment called “hanko biyaku” (to support the weak).
It is a feeling of wanting to support the weak.
It is a feeling of pity for Governor Koike, who collapsed from overwork in dealing with Corona and the Tokyo Olympics.

It is a longing for the pure, the innocent, the single-minded, and an aversion to arrogance and cowardice.
I believe this is the sentiment of the Japanese people. We cannot ignore this feeling in our business.
We cannot ignore this feeling in our business.

There is a former subordinate of mine, T-kun, who is now a high-profile section manager at Company T.
He was one of the three main salesmen when I was section manager.
All three were among the best salespeople in the entire company.

One of them is a fast salesman who is to the point, handles paperwork quickly, and has a sense of speed,
He was quick-witted and I rarely had to scold him.
I was concerned that the only thing that bothered me was that the relationships within the company were not very good.

The other is a sales representative who is good at his job but has a habit of deception.
He is known for his planning and proposals, and has a keen intuition, but for some reason he tells trivial lies.
I had warned him severely on numerous occasions.
However, he was a mysterious character who was endearing to certain customers, including his habit of deceit.

In Mr. T’s case, he was a salesman who was never to the point, but had a reputation for integrity and a strong sense of justice that abhorred cowardice and arrogance. He was the type of salesman who gains trust through steady, down-to-earth sales.
He had many fans among both suppliers and customers, and I envied him.

After I left the company, all three of them worked as section managers, but two of them failed to achieve any results.
T-kun is now working for Company T as an excellent section manager.
My subordinates, supervisors, and clients all remember T’s “pure and dedicated attitude, and a sense of justice that does not allow any deception, even by his superiors.
He has a sense of justice that does not tolerate deception, no matter who the boss is.

Stopgap strategies and schemes may succeed temporarily, but they will not last.
After all, “Keep your word, call in advance to apologize if you can’t keep your word, and make another appointment.
This attitude is important.
The most important thing is to build relationships of trust, both internally and externally.
We must do the work in front of us every day with sincerity. I believe that building trustworthy relationships lies beyond the accumulation of such efforts.
I believe that this is the key to building a relationship of trust.

I humbly accept the fact that we were unable to achieve a majority in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly elections,” the prime minister told reporters about the results.
Every time an election is over, he speaks of “humility.
I think this is because he fears that his “arrogant” comments will destroy the relationship of trust.

No one will trust you if you talk the talk. Trust comes only when it is accompanied by action.
If you think you are trusted and forget to be humble, you will be disliked.

Act with sincerity, keep your promises, and be prompt in your actions. Even when you succeed, always be humble and never forget to reflect on your success.
I thought this is an important commonality in “building trust” for both politicians and businessmen.

Introduction of daily columns by our advisor, Teruo Ichirai

When do you want to refuse an order?
When a client is so demanding that it is difficult to fulfill the contract if you accept the order.
In such cases, do we force ourselves to accept the order or decline it, and if so, what method should we use to decline?
When it is difficult to guarantee quality or delivery date
There are many cases when accepting the order would not be profitable, but it is important to refuse so that the relationship of trust can continue in the future.
This is an episode that an alumnus of Company T told me about, in which he was consulted by a sales representative of Company A.

A trading company’s sales representative consulted with Company J about a 3-way coat that sold well,
Company J asked for an order of 15,000 pieces for the next fiscal year at this price.
The salesman of Trading Company A asked for this price because he wanted to order 15,000 units of 3-way coats for the next fiscal year,
He said he was getting more and more worried.
Should I refuse or accept?
The T Company alumnus who consulted with him said that he should first refuse and then negotiate to accept the offer at this price.
The result was that they raised the limit price and the order quantity was doubled to 30,000 pieces.
The sales representative then negotiated with the Vietnamese manufacturer and was able to lower the purchase price by 5%.
I believe that this sales person’s reputation with the section manager improved.

I think my client had decided to place the order with Company A, which we did last time, because of the quality.
I gave them a limit price because it was a large order, but I didn’t think they would reject it.
I think the rejection increased my trust that this sales person was solid.
I believe that they negotiated with other manufacturers, were satisfied with the raised price, and confidently put it to the planning meeting, which resulted in an order for double the quantity.

This is an example of how well it worked out, but refusing is what leads to trust.
Think about it, which would you rather buy from: a sales person who is humble and says he will do whatever it takes, or a sales person who answers your questions and clearly states that he cannot do what he cannot do?

There were two types of applicants at Company T: the type that would take anything and the type that would take everything with a lot of thought and consideration.
The type that takes anything and everything is always in a rush, and although they are extremely busy, they don’t get results,
The type that takes on everything is always in a flurry of work, but never produces results.
It is only natural that salespeople who take orders after taking steps in advance to deal with problems such as late delivery, defective products, and pricing will produce better results.

At Company T, there was a discussion about the importance of who takes the initiative, the seller or the buyer.
Of course, this is because the one who has the initiative can carry out business negotiations more favorably.
In the previous example, Company J had overwhelmingly taken the initiative in placing the order, but when the order was rejected, the initiative shifted to Company A’s sales force.
Buyers and sellers have a fifty-fifty relationship.
If the buyer does not buy, sales will not increase, but if the buyer does not sell, sales will not increase either.
If it were me, I would trust a salesman who clearly says he can’t do what he can’t do, rather than a salesman who says he will do whatever it takes.
I understand the effect of saying no, but how should I say no?
If you say, “I can’t do it,” your client, who thinks he has the initiative, may be upset.
After all, there is a way to say no.
You should always say, “I’m very grateful to you for taking the time to contact me.”
and tell them that you are always 1) grateful to them and 2) explain the reason for your refusal.
Then, 2) explain the reason for your refusal.
In Vietnam, where we manufacture, labor costs have skyrocketed and materials have risen due to environmental regulations. After much consideration, we are unable to make the project profitable. I am truly sorry. ………. The customer expresses his or her apologies, for example, “If it weren’t for this, we wouldn’t be able to do it.
It is not nice to say, “If you don’t do this, we can’t do it,” as if you are telling them off.
It is necessary to be considerate so as not to offend the other party’s feelings. If you say, “I’m sorry, but could you please do it this way?
It is very difficult to refuse, but you have no choice but to decline, for example, “I am very sorry, but I would like to ask you to do this.
This is to express your own feelings.

And 3) Propose alternatives.

It is important to make realistic suggestions such as replacing the material, changing the design, or changing the delivery date or price.
It is important to have an alternative proposal that can be done this way, not that it cannot or will not be done.

Refusal will lead to the next business development.
By refusing, you gain trust.
By refusing, we take the initiative.

Refusing is denying the other party’s request, so if you use the wrong words, you may lose their trust.
It is important that your conclusion is based on sincere consideration of your client’s request.

Here is a story about an excellent manager of a retail store in Gifu named M. He said, “I know all the tastes of my regular customers.
He said, “I know all the tastes of my regular customers. But even if I know that a customer buys something because he/she likes it, it is important to be clear about it if I think it doesn’t suit him/her.
But even if I know that a customer likes what he buys, it is important to clearly tell him if I don’t think it looks good on him. By doing so, they feel that the store is serious about me. The other day, a customer told me she didn’t have to buy an item she was going to buy.
He said, “Go home and look in your wardrobe, there are many similar products.
The customer was impressed that you know me better than I know myself.”
This store is not a store that sells anything. It is important for me to make them think that I will really work with them to find clothes that suit me.
Refusing with sincerity leads to trust.

It is necessary to convince the other party that the refusal is not based on salesmanship or only for the benefit of the company, but that you are refusing for the sake of both parties.
It is necessary to convince the other party that you are refusing for their mutual benefit.

The product sold well, so we received an additional order, but the delivery date is a month later, which is an unreasonable delivery date, but we can certainly predict that the product will remain unsold unless it is delivered in a month.
If you fail to deliver on time, your customer will have a pile of bad inventory. It is wise for both parties to refuse.

The customer may say, “If you know you can sell it, why can’t you do it? You are an unreliable supplier,
However, if a relationship of mutual trust has been established, the customer may say, “I know I can sell the product if it goes up in a month, but the production site must be very tight because that sales person said so.
If the delivery date is delayed, there will be a mountain of inventory. If we delay delivery, we will end up with a mountain of inventory, and the next time we place an order, we should place a larger initial order.

Even the negative act of refusal can lead to further trust building if there is a “relationship of trust in the ordinary”.

Introduction of daily columns by our advisor, Teruo Ichirai

I believe that health is an absolute prerequisite for anyone who works, including not only businessmen but also managers.
It is true what they say, “A healthy mind is a healthy body.” It is impossible to come up with good ideas when you are not in good physical condition, and it is impossible to do hard work when you are not in good physical condition. If you are always in poor physical condition, you will not be able to overcome difficulties. And it is important to be healthy not only physically but also mentally and physically.
Now that people are going out less and less because of Corona, why don’t they think once again about how to stay healthy and enjoy their work?
I believe that President Seido Doi understands very well the importance of good health, which is why he is providing funds to support gyms and other facilities.
Today I would like to focus on mental health.

For serious businessmen, stress is a nuisance. There was once an NHK special program called “Killer Stress. It talked about how stress causes a “runaway stress response” in the human body, which destroys brain cells and blood vessels and drives people to death, and introduced ways to control one’s feelings as a countermeasure against stress.

When I was a businessman, I once almost lost my life due to stress.
It was a hot summer day in July 2005.
On the Monday after taking a large amount of work home on my day off and working late into the night, I had a morning meeting early in the morning. On the train to work, I collapsed with severe dizziness and was taken by ambulance. The blood pressure measured in the ambulance was abnormal, so I was prepared for a serious problem.
However, the result was a blessing in disguise, and I was able to leave the hospital three days later, but one wrong move and I could have been in danger.
The cause was that the patient had high blood pressure that was left untreated and was under intense stress, leading to a spike in blood pressure, which may have also caused an acute stroke. It is important to manage blood pressure, but it is also important to handle stress.
Strong external stress may induce disease, but it is impossible for people today to avoid stress. Without moderate stress, bodily functions would degenerate, and extreme stress can paralyze bodily functions. I still think it is necessary to deal with stress in a good way.
But how do we deal with stress?

Isn’t it a matter of changing one’s mind (mood swings)?
I too often dwell on small things, but there is nothing more unproductive than worrying about inconclusive issues. If you are dwelling on your failures, then you should spend your energy on the path to success.

I think it is also an effective way to change your mind on vacation by taking up a hobby.
Before Corona, I used to compete in ballroom dance competitions throughout the year. At competitions, you can’t think about work, so you focus on the competition. Concentrating on something other than work is a good way to change my mind.

I know some of you may not have the time for such a hobby, but it is because you are so busy that you need a change of pace and need to make time for it. The presidents of Nidec, Softbank, and First Rite Rings are extremely busy people who work on private jets, but it seems that they make time to play golf.
To improve work efficiency, it is necessary to change one’s mindset, not to escape from one’s work.

For example, a moderate amount of alcohol after work may give you energy for tomorrow, but excessive drinking to forget about work or to escape can have a negative impact on tomorrow’s work. Instead of vitality for tomorrow, it can create a negative cycle for tomorrow. A change of scenery means that you need to reset to avoid work bias or getting stuck in a rut, not to escape from work.
A change of scenery is important to create a healthy state of mind and body.

I believe that laughter is good for one’s mood and good for one’s health.
I once heard a rakugo storyteller who was a doctor turned rakugo performer.
The rakugo storyteller said that even a young and healthy person’s body produces 3,000 to 5,000 cancer cells a day, and that natural killer (NK) cells are the ones that kill them. There are 5 billion NK cells in the human body, and it is said that when they are active, we are less susceptible to cancer and infectious diseases. When we laugh, we activate NK cells. As a result, NK cells attack cancer cells, viruses, and other sources of disease one after another, thereby enhancing the immune system. In other words, if we laugh a lot, our resistance to cancer and viruses increases, and at the same time, it leads to the improvement of immune disorders. It is probably best to laugh from the bottom of the belly, but even a fake smile is said to activate NK cells as the brain recognizes that you have laughed. Since smiling at work makes you feel uncomfortable, you might as well make up a smile in the restroom.
This is “how to change your mind” that I found on the Internet.
＜How to change your mind at work＞

1) Stretch
2) Meditate and take deep breaths
3) Stand up and leave the area
4) Clear off your desk.

<How to change your mind at home>

1) Take a drive alone
2) Take a leisurely bath at a lukewarm temperature
3) Traveling
4) Watch an emotional movie and cry or laugh as much as possible

I believe that each person has his/her own way of changing his/her mood.
Would you be interested in introducing your own way of changing your mind?