Webinar 140: Cross Cultural Issues: Negotiating with Japanese business people: getting to a yes that means yes

How can managers in EU-based SMEs achieve clear and confident outcomes in their negotiations with Japanese business partners?

Earlier Webinars in this series have illustrated how Japanese and European business cultures differ. In European cultures it is normal for people to express individual preferences and concerns directly and explicitly, while in Japan there is a shared expectation that these should be stated indirectly and implicitly, perhaps in order to avoid causing embarrassment or conflict. In Europe, parties to business negotiations tend to express their interests forcefully, the objective being efficiently to achieve an outcome that appears clear and unambiguous. In contrast, styles of business communication in Japan tend to be implicit: business negotiations might progress slowly and be characterised by what appear to be expressions of non- or partial commitment. As a result, European managers might come away from negotiations asking: ‘Was that a ‘yes’? Do we have an agreement?’ Misunderstandings can arise; business opportunities can be lost. This Webinar offers practical advice to European managers as they prepare to negotiate with Japanese partners, guiding them towards ‘getting to a yes that means yes’! 

The webinar is targeted to EU companies seeking to do business in Japan and wishing to attract interest from Japanese consumers.

Registration deadline: 27/05/2019

In 40 minutes from your desk, discover how to:

• Take practical steps towards preparing for negotiations with Japanese business partners
• During negotiations, identify and affirm shared business interests
• After negotiations, distinguish between an ‘agreement’ and a ‘commitment to act'
• Overall, gain practical insights into situations where ‘yes’ means ‘yes’ in negotiations with Japanese business partners

Programme:

• Introduction
• Expert’s presentation
• Q&A Session
• Conclusion

Speaker: Keith Jackson, SOAS University of London (UK) and Kobe University, Japan
Moderator: Gwenael Beauvais - Business Support Coordinator, EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation
Organiser: EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation - Brussels Office

After Event Information