Overseas companies that succeed in Japan decide first who they are selling to.
When entering Japan, it is tempting to start with translation and localization. But what really determines results comes first: deciding who you sell to, what you sell, and why.
"It succeeded at home, so it should sell in Japan too." We often hear this from overseas companies considering Japan. The product is strong, no doubt. Yet many still struggle to get the results they expect here.
The cause is usually not the product but the assumptions behind how it is sold: bringing the same customer profile, the same message and the same sales approach straight from the home market.
Where companies stumble in Japan
Japan has its own business customs and decision-making processes. These situations are common in the early stages of market entry.
- The home-market customer profile is applied as is, missing the companies in Japan that actually have the problem
- Messaging focuses on features and fails to convey the value for Japanese customers
- Sales plans do not account for longer decision cycles, such as formal approval processes and cross-department consensus
- A lack of Japanese-language websites, materials and case studies leaves too little to build trust
Decide your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) first
The first step is not translation but defining the customer profile most likely to drive results in Japan: industry, company size, the problems they face, and who makes the decision.
Once the ICP is set, channels, messaging and target prioritization all line up. Expand activities while it is still vague, and results will not build up no matter how much time and budget you spend.
Turning GTM strategy into an executable plan
Starting from the ICP, we design in this order.
- Value proposition and positioning: articulate why customers will choose you over Japanese competitors
- Pricing and sales channels: choose the routes that work in Japan, such as direct sales, distributors or partners
- Sales process and KPIs: define the flow from lead generation to closed deals, with targets for each stage
- Target account list: identify companies that match the ICP and approach them in priority order
Strategy and execution, one team
In Japan market entry, there is a big gap between drawing up a strategy and actually generating deals. GRIP supports you end to end, from GTM strategy to ads, SEO, content, outbound sales, meetings and proposals. Most of our team works in English, so we can work closely with your headquarters too.
If you are considering entering Japan, tell us where you are today.
