JAPANESE COMMUNICATION CULTURE IN BUSINESS
Japan is a vertical society, so Japan does not have the concept of “equality”, Japanese relationships tend to be people over the bottom, the owner or the boss is compared to parents. and employees are considered children in the family. Loyalty is seen as a very noble quality, subject to discipline within the company and respect for superiors. When they want to establish a relationship, they need to know the person’s rank in order to behave properly, so they need to exchange business cards.
With the largest and second largest economy in Asia and the world, Japan is a potential market for Vietnamese enterprises and labor supply for labor export. Therefore, understanding Japanese communication culture and business personality will help Vietnamese businesses communicate and do business successfully like them. Therefore, when communicating with Japanese businesses, we must understand their cultural identity.
1.The outstanding feature is that when working with Japanese business people is to keep your trust, even the smallest things.
The Japanese are very disciplined in terms of time and commitment. When Japanese people promise to finish their jobs at this right time, they will certainly execute on time and ensure quality and are not generous, easy to forgive mistakes for others when they make mistakes. Because they value the first impression of their meeting, if the Vietnamese business fails to fulfill their promise, the first thing to do is apologize, no matter what the reason. Then find the right opportunity to explain.
- Exchanging information, negotiating very long and carefully, working very mechanically
Even if it is a purely trading company, in the vast majority of cases, Japanese customers still ask your business partners to take them to the production site to see your organization, your production capacity or the manufacturing partner for you. But when they started officially, Japanese companies were known for being stable and loyal to customers.
3.The time for trial order, small quantity takes a very long time
This is also a challenge for Vietnamese businesses, when dealing with small quantity orders, Vietnamese enterprises lack persistence and enthusiasm in communication, leading to loss of customers in the future. Therefore, when doing business with Japanese businesses, it is necessary to persevere and trust in doing business to overcome the challenge of bringing trust and long-term cooperation from the other side.
- The Japanese attach great importance to meeting before cooperation and are very considerate in taking care of customers.
· Getting acquainted: starting from the first encounter, this time should not be hasty. The sitting position as well as the way it is presented depends on the ranks from high to low. After this meeting, they often invite you to have dinner with them.This is also a way to build a more intimate relationship.
· Gather information: tell the top person and his assistant the purpose of the meeting, this is also a sign that the negotiation is about to begin. We gather information from our partners and prepare in great detail for our proposals, so we are ready to answer questions from their side. The Japanese did not make a decision for this meeting.
· Jokes are not accepted in negotiation: they are very serious at work so they never joke around without showing their ability. They just joke around after finishing work or after work.
Verbal agreement: Japanese people believe in verbal agreement and for detailed preparatory contracts that will cause distrust from both sides, the dispute is considered to reduce harmony.
· Japanese businessmen love to take pictures in conferences, especially in the form of emblem, national flag and leaders of host countries. And for the invitation to eat, welcome and see off the airport will cause good sympathy, especially pay attention to the meal inviting guests, we should actively pour drinks for guests, avoid the case of customers pouring drinks for themselves. For business meals, they should not bring wives, Japanese banquets are usually men because Japan is more important than women, so they will never bring their wives. And we rarely meet female business partners, parties are often held in the evening with lots of food and wine. This is when they say their true feelings. It is considered abnormal to pour soy sauce directly into the rice.
5.Culture handing over business cards
Japan is one of the countries that use the most business cards in the world, so when you do business with them to avoid a bad impression of not having or running out of business cards, you must prepare your business cards carefully, hand over the business card at the first meeting. Business cards must be given and received with both hands, during the meeting business cards must be left on the table. After meeting, be respectfully placed in the wallet and never put in the back pocket.
6.Like it when the partners can use Japanese because they feel closer.
Because Japanese people value their cultural identity, so when a partner can use Japanese, it is both an advantage and a good impression. Because for small and medium enterprises, the number of people who can speak English is very small.
Besides, the Japanese were very friendly and welcomed English speakers as a native language. Just by observing, you will see the girls and boys who often say “hello” to any European or American guests they see, and visitors are well welcomed at the mall.
Japan is a disciplined country, so it is very safe, but not so that tourists are not alert and should not be economical when using the safety services of resorts, hotels or tour companies.
7.Japanese take appointment very seriously
When going to work with Japanese, one must actively choose the reasonable means of transportation and guarantee time to avoid being late for any reason. It is best to be at the meeting place 5 minutes in advance, this is also considered to respect and value the appointment with them.
The person with the highest rank will be the one who enters the room first, the host will be the one who introduces the participants and according to the ranks from high to low.
“Last name” is used to introduce with rank instead of name.
· In communication, there must be distance, when introducing bows, bow low or high depending on rank.
· When shaking hands, do not squeeze and make no eye contact, the important guests are usually the ones who leave the room first.
The main spirits in celebrity culture:
o Entrepreneurs serving the country.
o Quang minh is righteous.
Agree by consensus.
o Humility.
o Strive to rise.
o Paying back the favor.
8.Send a greeting card on the occasion of the company’s founding
We can send New Year or Christmas greeting cards, but be careful that they arrive before holidays. This is also a culture in Japanese companies in the communication culture, so understanding the unique culture is also an important link in business and communication brings trust, success and long-term cooperation.
- Harmony
In communication, the Japanese do not want to confront, they trust compromise and reconciliation. Absolutely trust some decisions of the team, do not say true feelings because you want to maintain harmony. Friendliness in business is more important than logic, Japanese people often talk socially before discussing and look at partners to decide when to start work discussions. The Japanese are often confusing, rather complicated. Their “yes” can mean “no” if accompanied by phrases like We will think about it (we’ll think about it), We will see (we’ll see again) or Perhaps (perhaps). It can take three meetings and possibly a year for their business relationship to become formal.
Japanese people appreciate consensus and synergies, leaders are the ones who make decisions after listening to the staff. The final decision must be strictly observed by everyone because it shows the unanimity of all people.
No controversy: the Japanese are not used to arguing because they never separate themselves from the collective. Showing disagreement is considered crude, they like to speak softly and politely.