Japanese Business Etiquette – 3 Important business Rules

When doing business in Japan or with Japanese, there are few rules that must be followed. Japanese Business Etiquette are often compared with an Iceberg.  Following are the three essential rules that you must follow before you have your first Business Encounter. Get your business relationship off the right foot.

Japanese Business Etiquette 

1. The Importance of Business Cards (Meishi)

Japanese place a great importance on the presentation and exchange of meishi. Here's what you need to know. At your first business counter, stand and introduce yourself while presenting your business card with both hands outstretched. Likewise, when receiving a meishi, do so with both hands, and handle carefully. 

After receiving the meishi, spend a few moments studying the info on it, and then, and this is important, DO NOT stuff it in your pocket or even put it away. Keep it out on the table in front of you during your meeting, and then carefully put it away at the conclusion of the meeting. You must have a meishi when doing business in Japan!

2. Proper Use of "-san"

Japan has a very complicated system of honorifics built into their language and culture that dictates how people address one another. Here's what you need to know. It's perfectly acceptable to address your Japanese counterpart(s) as "XX-san," but, and this too is very important, NEVER address yourself and anyone on your own party's sign as "-san." 

The use of "-san" is reserved for people outside of your own group or people above you or at least equal to you. In a Japanese business meeting, using "-san" to address yourself or members of your own group amounts to a cultural faux pas that even the most tolerant Japanese will have a hard time overlooking. 

3. Gift Giving (Omiyage)

When traveling to Japan for business, it is customary to bring a gift from your country (om-mi-ya-ge). Consumable goods like chocolate, cookies, and so forth, make nice gifts. Alcoholic beverages are also a good choice if your Japanese counterpart enjoys them (most do!). The best omiyage are those that come from and represent your own place of origin. The main thing is to make sure that the gift is of sufficiently high-quality while not being so elaborate as to cause discomfort to your hosts. 

If you are thinking of doing business with the Japanese, contact us for a custom designed course that can help you learn the nuances of Japanese business etiquette and maximize your chances of success in dealing with Japanese firms!

Visit : http://irikai.com/Japanese-Business-Etiquette

10 points to remember while preparing for an interview

1. Remain confident – remember that you have been called for the interview because you fit the profile, not because of luck or fluke!
2. Find out about the company – use the company’s website, or better yet, talk to someone who works there. This demonstrates your keenness to join the company.
3. Find out about the role – ask someone who knows, or do research on the internet. Before going to an interview, make sure you have a good idea about the role.
4. Avoid being negative – “I am keen to join your firm because it is a leader in the field and would offer great opportunities for me to use my existing skills and acquire new ones” sounds MUCH better than “I want to join your firm because I hate my current job!”
5. Know why you want the job – ideally, it should tie in with something you have done in the past, or your current skillset, or relate to a set of skills that you are keen to acquire in the future
6. Know why you are perfect for the job – figure out at least one quality that you bring which makes your profile stand out for this job and would benefit the firm if they hired you
7. Avoid canned answers – for example, do not say “I work too hard” when asked for your weakness! Instead, be honest about a real weakness but make sure you highlight the steps you have taken to overcome it.
8. Rehearse your “Tell me about yourself”. It should be long enough to tell the interviewer about you, but short enough not to bore him / her with your life story! One way to do this is to break down your introduction into 3 parts – educational background, professional experience and interests. Ending with your interests gives the interviewer a lead into asking questions about a topic you are familiar with, thus helping to break the ice.
9.  Ask questions, where relevant. These can be about the role or about the company. This gives the interviewer a chance to speak as well, and shows that you are interested in the company and the role.
10. Practice, practice and practice! Take as many mock interviews as you possibly can, with qualified panelists. Identify and work on your weaknesses so that you can correct trouble areas before the actual interview.

Need more help? Sign up for iRikai’s online interview preparation course!