Outbound Sales in Japan

Introduction

Creating an inbound funnel takes time. SEO efforts take months to show results, and building a local brand can take even longer. Outbound sales in Japan can be a good way to get leads while the inbound funnel develops (a combination of both is ideal to build a robust funnel). Cold emailing and calling are the two most common ways to approach outbound. These initiatives can be great for initial lead generation.

Outbound Sales Initiatives

There are general best practices for outbound sales like having a captivating subject line. When it comes to outbound sales in Japan, following formal business communication is important. It is also important to make sure that the product is localized with Japanese sales collateral for smooth engagement once the lead comes through.

Cold Emailing

It is important to have clear messaging is important in any outbound campaign. Best practices specific to the Japanese market are to use professional language, include clear value propositions, and highlight social proof (case studies). Assuming the best practices are being met, you can expect about a 20% open rate. The average response rate ends up being about 1-3%. Depending on the sector and the target audience, the response rate may vary. If the product resonates with the potential buyer, you may see response rates ranging from 3-5%. These are responses so the conversion rate is expected to be lower. The conversion rate for booking a meeting will likely fall between 0.5% and 2%.

Cold Calling

Similar to cold emailing, cold calling requires formal business language to get the initial conversation going. Assuming the call script and the elevator pitch are vetted, the expected conversion rate is about 2-4%. The formal prospecting will have to happen on the follow-up call or demo, so the conversions may all be qualified. Though the conversion rates may vary based on the industry, the following can act as a rough benchmark:

100 Targeted Calls

Connections: 20-30

 Meaningful Conversations: 5-10

 Meeting Requests: 2-4

 Potential Opportunities: 1-2

Outsourcing Outbound

Navigating through the outbound best practices can be difficult. Navigating through the formal Japanese business language is an initial hurdle. Speaking in formal business language is an assumption and anything shy of it only hurts the probability of the conversion. Another aspect is the tools and platforms. There are tools readily available like ZoomInfo in the global market. Unfortunately, ZoomInfo doesn’t have the best data In Japan. A few local alternatives have come up in the last few years, but these tools are only offered in Japanese. Accessing the right tools can be a challenge, followed by another challenge of communicating in formal business Japanese.

Implementing an outbound sales motion in Japan has a high barrier to entry. Fortunately, some professionals provide outbound sales as a service. These companies have access to lists and can execute on the formal Japanese. Unfortunately, most of these companies can only work in Japanese. Communicating effectively is extremely important to make sure the call script and the pitch are effective. Nihonium can coordinate working with these outbound sales services.

These outbound sales services offer different pricing. Some have fixed fees while others only charge based on the number of booked meetings. Services that charge based on booked meetings charge anywhere between 5,000 to 30,000 JPY. This translates to roughly $33 to $200 per meeting booked, which can be cheaper than other channels.

Conclusion

Implementing an outbound sales motion can be highly rewarding, but the barrier to entry of putting one in place can be relatively high. Finding the using the right tools can be a little challenging, as they are only offered in Japanese. Even if you’re able to find the right tool, you’d need a native Japanese speaker to conduct the outreach and call in formal business Japanese. Working with an outsourced solution can be a way to reduce this barrier to entry. These services will execute with formal Japanese as long as the script and pitch are formalized. Successfully executing the outbound sales motion can be achieved through outsourced solutions as long as the relationship is properly managed. Tapping this lead acquisition channel can provide short-term results while the inbound funnel warms up. If you are looking for support implementing an outbound sales motion, book a free consultation here.