The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show Podcast Por Dr. Greg Story arte de portada

The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show

The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show

De: Dr. Greg Story
Escúchala gratis

For succeeding 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 Economía Gestión Gestión y Liderazgo
Episodios
  • 381 Why Japan's Talent Crunch Makes Retention a Core Strategy

    381 Why Japan's Talent Crunch Makes Retention a Core Strategy
    Dec 22 2025
    Why is "recruit and retain" becoming the central talent strategy in Japan? Japan faces a demographic crunch: too few young people can meet employer demand, and this shortage has persisted for years. Since 2015, the shrinking youth population has pushed competition for early-career talent higher. With a smaller talent pool, every hiring decision carries more risk, and every resignation hits harder. Turnover among new recruits has started climbing again. A few years ago, more than 40% of new recruits left after training; the figure now sits around 34%, and it may rise further. Companies spend heavily to train early-career hires, so losing them soon after onboarding forces employers to pay twice: once to train and again to replace. Mini-summary: Japan's talent pool keeps tightening, and early departures turn training spend into replacement cost. How does the traditional April intake model still shape recruiting in Japan? Major firms still run large-scale April intakes at the start of the financial year, with uniformed new recruits seated in rows. That model remains visible and important, but it no longer tells the whole story. As demand for young workers intensifies, companies can't rely only on a predictable, annual graduate cycle. Mid-career hiring of younger workers is moving into the spotlight. In practical terms, HR teams shift from one big annual intake to continuous recruiting throughout the year. As the labour market grows more fluid, firms compete for talent in real time—not just once a year. Mini-summary: The April intake remains, but year-round mid-career hiring becomes strategically central. Why will mid-career poaching intensify, and what does that change for employers? Younger employees increasingly know their market value, and recruiters actively scout them. As a result, more young workers will likely move jobs more frequently. Recruiters lean into poaching because high volume can make the model profitable even when individual fees stay modest. Expect a "free-agent" rhythm where people recycle through roles every two to three years. That churn reinforces itself: recruiters place the same cohort repeatedly, younger workers normalize frequent moves, and employers feel instability as a default condition. If you want stability, you must treat retention as a core strategy—not an afterthought. Mini-summary: Poaching becomes systematic because volume pays, and frequent moves become a market norm. When should retention start, and who should it target? Retention starts earlier than many leaders assume—right when a candidate says "yes." Accepting an offer triggers second thoughts for some people, especially when competing messages, family opinions, or pressure from a current employer shows up. So retention doesn't only apply to current employees. It also applies to new hires who haven't started yet. Stay in contact, reinforce the decision, and remove the space where doubt grows. Mini-summary: Retention begins at "yes," not on day one, because buyer's remorse can derail hires before they start. How should employers respond to counteroffers and the rising cost of replacement? Incumbent employers will counteroffer more aggressively because replacing people costs more than paying to keep them. Don't wait for a resignation to act. Increase pay and improve conditions before people decide to leave, rather than matching numbers after they quit. Replacement costs stack fast: lost time, reduced productivity, internal friction, recruiting effort, and onboarding load. If you wait until resignation to respond, you often choose the most expensive option overall. Mini-summary: Proactive pay and retention reduce costly churn; reactive counteroffers arrive too late and drain productivity. What is different about onboarding mid-career hires in Japan, especially in large firms? Mid-career hires arrive one at a time, not in large cohorts. In big firms, HR teams typically manage onboarding, paperwork, and training, but routine can hide weak execution. When teams run a process on autopilot for years, quality slips without anyone noticing. Treat onboarding like something you continuously inspect. Review how you bring people in, and ask recent hires what worked and what didn't. In a retention fight, onboarding becomes a front-line capability—not a box to tick. Mini-summary: Large firms need to audit onboarding quality, because autopilot processes can quietly undermine retention. What do smaller firms need to change to retain mid-career hires? Smaller firms often provide only the basics: payroll setup, insurance, a desk, and a phone. That approach doesn't protect retention. Busy leaders sometimes avoid investing time in a new hire, but that "time-saving" move often backfires. Under-support raises the risk of early departure—right when the hire matters most. Owners and senior leaders need to show up more than they used to. Treat talent like gold because the market won't supply easy replacements. ...
    Más Menos
    12 m
  • 380 Control the Narrative: What Buyers See Before You Meet

    380 Control the Narrative: What Buyers See Before You Meet
    Dec 14 2025
    Why do clients "check you out" online before the first sales meeting? Buyers now assume that everything about us is only a few mouse clicks away, so online "checking you out" happens before the calendar invite becomes real. Because this scrutiny is routine and increasing, therefore your credibility is being scored before you speak a word in the meeting. The script frames this as a certainty for salespeople: prospects will look at your social media and search results to decide who you are and whether you are worth their time. Because the check happens before the conversation, therefore it can either lift trust early or create doubt that you have to fight through later. Mini-summary: Pre-meeting research is inevitable. Because it happens first, therefore your digital presence shapes the starting trust level. What should salespeople assume buyers will find when they search? Buyers may use a standard search engine, or they may search using tools driven by artificial intelligence, and the question is whether the results look random or controlled. Because random results can misrepresent you or hide your expertise, therefore the recommended aim is "content within your control." The script does not argue for perfection; it argues for intentionality. Because prospects are forming an impression from what is easiest to see, therefore you want the first page to reflect business credibility rather than accidental content. Mini-summary: Buyers will search. Because first-page impressions form quickly, therefore you should control what appears. How does "content marketing" function as pre-selling for sales professionals? Content marketing is described as putting your wares up for free on social media to demonstrate you provide value. For sales professionals, the instruction is to be clinical about what you publish. Because your job is to earn trust before the meeting, therefore your content must help buyers solve problems, not merely announce your existence. This is "pre-selling" in a practical sense: your expertise does part of the persuasion before you arrive. Because value is visible, therefore trust is easier to earn when you finally meet. Mini-summary: Content marketing is proof-of-value in public. Because it is visible before the meeting, therefore it pre-sells your credibility. What kind of content builds credibility without triggering buyer resistance? The script recommends articles about issues in the industry or market and how to fix those. It warns strongly against propaganda for your company, product, or service. Because audiences disengage at the first blatant hint of gross self-promotion, therefore credibility-building content must sound like useful analysis rather than a brochure. A further advantage is distribution: these articles may also suit industry or business magazines because editors want high-quality free content. Because third-party placement signals seriousness, therefore good articles can multiply your authority beyond your own channels. Mini-summary: Lead with market problems and fixes. Because overt self-promotion repels attention, therefore keep the value educational and practical. How can one idea be repurposed into blogs, podcasts, and video? The script outlines a simple repurposing chain: write a blog, then read it into a microphone, record, add light production such as music, and turn it into a podcast. Because many people multitask while learning—walking the dog, running, commuting, or training—therefore audio makes your expertise easier to consume. The same blog can also be delivered on camera to create video content for YouTube, either live-streamed on a phone or recorded with higher-quality gear, including teleprompters, if you choose. Because different buyers prefer different formats, therefore one core idea can become multiple discovery doors. Mini-summary: One idea can become text, audio, and video. Because audiences consume content differently, therefore repurposing expands reach without inventing new topics. What if you do not like writing but still need to publish? The script uses Gary Vaynerchuk as an example of someone who relies on video as the main delivery channel and then strips audio for podcasts and turns transcripts into text posts. The practical lesson is not celebrity; it is flexibility. Because some people communicate better by speaking than writing—and many salespeople can certainly talk—therefore recording yourself can be a faster path to consistent publishing. You can then use support to shape transcripts into readable text if needed. Because the medium is a tool, therefore choose the channel that keeps you producing credible content. Mini-summary: If writing blocks you, speak first. Because spoken content can be repurposed, therefore you can still build a strong footprint. Why do "voice assets" matter for discoverability? The script flags a shift: search is not only text; voice search is part of the game, supported by artificial intelligence. It...
    Más Menos
    12 m
  • 379 Why Your Posture Is Important When Presenting

    379 Why Your Posture Is Important When Presenting
    Nov 30 2025

    Why does posture matter for presenters on stage and on camera?

    Answer: Posture shapes both breathing and perception. A straighter posture aids airflow and spinal alignment, while signalling confidence and credibility. Because audiences often equate height and upright stance with leadership, slouching erodes trust before you say a word.
    Mini-summary: Straight posture helps you breathe better and look more credible.

    What posture choices project confidence in the room?

    Answer: Stand tall with your chin up so your gaze is level. Use intentional forward lean and chin drop only when making a strong assertion—do not default to a habitual lean that reads as weakness. Treat posture as a conscious tool that directs energy toward the audience.
    Mini-summary: Neutral tall stance for credibility; deliberate lean for emphasis.

    How does age-related posture drift affect credibility?

    Answer: As we age, hip flexion and a bent back can make us appear physically weaker. Audiences read that as diminished authority. Counteract the effect by elongating through the spine and avoiding any default stoop.
    Mini-summary: Counter "older = weaker" perceptions with upright alignment.

    What common online posture and camera mistakes destroy authority?

    Answer: Two frequent errors: (1) excellent posture but a low camera that looks up at you, which reads as distant or aloof; (2) correct camera height but rounded shoulders leaning into the lens, which reads as uncertain. In both cases, the message suffers because the image signals the opposite of expertise.
    Mini-summary: Bad camera angle or rounded posture undermines expertise online.

    How should you set up for online authority?

    Answer: Raise the lens to eye level; stand to present if possible to unlock full body language. If seated, sit tall a few centimetres off the chair back, remain vertical, and keep your gaze in the lens. Never slump into the back support, which looks casual and disengaged.
    Mini-summary: Eye-level lens + upright body = authority on screen.

    Why do filler sounds and posture interact so badly?

    Answer: Hesitation ("um" and "ah") plus a rounded, forward-leaning posture compound into a single signal of uncertainty. Clean alignment and calm pacing reduce verbal fillers and raise perceived expertise.
    Mini-summary: Upright posture helps your voice sound more confident.

    What is the low-cost posture checklist before you present?

    Answer: Straighten through the spine, level the chin, square the shoulders, lift the camera to eye line, and commit to looking into the lens. If you can, stand to present; if not, sit tall, avoid the chair back, and hold posture for the full session.
    Mini-summary: Five fixes—spine, chin, shoulders, camera, commitment.

    Author Bio

    Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, he is certified globally across leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programmes, and has authored multiple best-sellers including Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery, alongside Japanese editions such as Za Eigyō (ザ営業) and Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人). He publishes daily blogs, hosts six weekly podcasts, and produces three weekly YouTube shows including The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show.
    Más Menos
    11 m
Todavía no hay opiniones