Account Executive - #5031

For more information, send an email to info@tekizaitekisho.jp
Industry: IT Consulting

AVERAGE Annual Salary: 10,000,000 yen
Japanese: 5 - native
English: 3 - good

DESCRIPTION:

Our company provides market consulting to 60,000 clients worldwide representing 10,000 distinct organizations, deliver 1,500 consulting engagements a year, and hold more than 50 annual events that draw in excess of 44,000 attendees. Our clients include chief information officers and other senior IT executives in corporations and government agencies, as well as technology companies and the investment community. We help clients, one at a time, solve problems and make better decisions. If you are a sales professional then consider joining the leader in the technology information marketplace. We seek the best and the brightest sales talent to continue to grow our business.

Responsibilities:
- Drive revenue growth selling research services within an assigned territory through face to face prospect and client visits.
- Are determined to succeed
- Will develop a conviction about our business and the services we provide
- Are naturally curious and love to learn and be challenged
- Have the resilience required to succeed in 'C" level sales
- Are competitive and have a need to win
- Exhibit high levels of integrity

Qualifications and Experience:
- At least seven plus years of consultative sales experience with a proven track record of success. Experience selling technology products or services highly desirable.
- Desire to succeed in a quota driven sales environment.
- Proven experience in prospecting and developing new business.
- Professional presence required to sell to senior management contacts including 'C' level.
- Excellent communicator who is able to articulate the value proposition of the company.
- Strong knowledge base of technology marketplace and Bachelors Degree preferred.

Sales Representative - Osaka - #5189

For more information, send an email to info@tekizaitekisho.jp
Industry: Sporting Goods

AVERAGE Annual Salary: 5,000,000 yen
Japanese: 5 - native
English: 3 - good

DESCRIPTION:

勤務地：大阪

職務概要：
キャロウェイゴルフ・オデッセイ・トップフライト・ベンホーガン製品の販売を
するとともに、営業活動を通じて、市場でのブランドイメージを向上させるとと
もに、顧客との信頼関係構築を図る

成果責任：
・ 効果的なセールス活動を通じて、担当取引先の目標予算を達成する。
・ 担当取引先との関係を強化し、売上げ拡大に貢献する。
・ 店舗スタッフの製品知識向上を実現する。
・ 担当取引先・エリアの返品、キャンセル、受注ミスなどの削減や社内事務処
理の正確性を高めることにより、利益目標達成に貢献する。
・ 業務効率を向上し、生産性を高める。
・ 的確な販売予測、市場の需要傾向を想定できるような情報の収集および提供
をする。
・ 担当取引先の満足度を向上する。
・ 担当分野での安全性と順法性を高める。

主な業務内容：
・ 担当取引先への定期的、効果的な訪問や商談及び受注活動を行う。
・ 自社製品の認知度向上の為のポジショニング、及びディスプレーを強化する。
・ 店舗スタッフの製品知識の向上を図る。
・ 店舗スタッフとのコミュニケーションを強化する。
・ 取引先販売実績データ他、情報収集と報告を行う。

Sales Operations and Financial Planning & Analysis Manager, Asia Pacific - #5373

For more information, send an email to info@tekizaitekisho.jp
Industry: High Tech Software

AVERAGE Annual Salary: 9,000,000 yen
Japanese: 5 - native
English: 3 - good

DESCRIPTION:

The company is an international, industry-leading provider of digital
audio and video tools for information and entertainment applications.
The company's products are used by a variety of customers worldwide
including film, television and interactive content producers, TV news
broadcasters, corporate communicators and consumers.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
-Assist the sales team to drive the achievement of revenue and bookings
targets.
-Partner with the Asia VP of Sales to advise and assist in achieving and
driving targets.
-Lead the development of quarterly and annual revenue and bookings
forecasts/budgets, providing revenue guidance and recommendations to
sales management. Works closely with the sales operations reporting team
to ensure an accurate and timely weekly flash and commit reporting;
responsible for coordinating the cross-functional team inputs and
managing open issues.
-Collaborate with the Reporting team and Sales Management to develop
standardized reports to meet the daily, weekly, quarterly business needs
of the sales organization ensure consistency and uniformity on a global
basis.
-Drive and support efforts to improve business processes.
-Quota setting and analysis; assist with compensation plan design,
rollout and monitoring.
-Drive weekly commit/forecast process; interact with field sales
personnel to ensure a solid understanding of the numbers to access risk
and upside.
-Direct ownership of daily/weekly meetings to review revenue position
and backlog involving the appropriate cross-functional team members.
-Perform quarter-end war-room management of revenue plan; work
cross-functional issues, ensure appropriate decision making
-Manage the smooth recognition of Acceptance Deals and other large
revenue contracts working with all functional team members ?
understanding and driving resolution of issues, schedule issues, etc.
Forecasting the deals for the right quarter.
-Pipeline analysis - on top of deals that are in the pipeline. Enabling
arrangements to be made with manufacturing or services to meet customer
needs and expectations.
-Develop build plan guidance to Manufacturing in support of the sales
forecast.

QUALIFICATIONS:
-Degree in Accountancy or equivalent (ACCA) with minimum 5 years of
experience in a Financial Analyst and Planning role. CPA is preferable
though not essential
-Meticulous with strong analytical and Excel skills.
-Assertive and able to work with sales in meeting the booking deadline.
-Bilingual with good communication skills
-Ability to manage and work well with a team as well as independently
with limited supervision
-Experience in SAP and Hyperion will be an added advantage.

What Are They Looking For?

One of the biggest new markets in Asia is training.  As companies begin to realize that they must start to think globally they are also realizing that there is a huge lack of human resources out there that fit their expanding needs.  Needs for line managers and staff who can not only work in bilingual and bicultural environments but are also capable of handling the inevitable surprises that any multinational firm will be facing as the world and the market continues to change.

 Training is now being offered by large firms, schools, even individual consultants.  The range of options covers specific skills like how to make a presentation on PowerPoint to how to be more creative in your office.  The hardest question to answer though is which area to concentrate on because nobody has the time to cover them all.  The training needs of an individual seeking to better their position whether it is in their current company or by switching to a different firm tend to have some common ground.

 One of the more obvious areas is language.  If you are monolingual and looking for an opportunity to break into the international job market it is possible, but your career will be limited by your lack of ability to communicate directly.  There are any number of schools and classes available for Japanese or English depending on your need.  Don’t waste too much time deciding though, just get started and stick to it.  Set yourself a goal as well of passing one of the appropriate proficiency exams as that will give you an objective basis to explain your skill level.

 Computer skills are often assumed by companies these days.  Most employers would be surprised if you did not have them.  If you can work your way through a word processor and a spreadsheet then you are probably OK.  However, if you cannot, then it is time to sign up for a class.  These take only a few days and you will be surprised at how quickly you can pick up enough to get you going in most jobs.

 While training can cover a lot of shortcomings on your resume there are also a few traits that are harder to learn in a school.  Attitude and cultural fit are almost as important as your technical skills to a multinational firm.  When you are being interviewed companies will be looking for self-confidence and a strong enthusiasm for the work and industry you are applying for.  These two traits tell a company two very important things about you: 1) You believe in their business and think that there is a future for the company. 2) You believe in yourself.

Money

Salaries have always been a touchy issue with recruiters and candidates alike.  This is the one area where the hiring company and the potential employee are competing almost head to head against each other.  The company, obviously, would like to be able to keep their costs as low as possible and bring the new employee into the company at a discount price.  The employee on the other hand is looking for every chance to get just a little bit more.

 This confrontation actually begins at the very start of the hiring process when the company tries to establish some sort of standard for the position they are trying to fill.  They may base this target salary on their own employee's salaries or on a consultant's salary report.  Once this target has been approved it is hard to overcome.  The concern with an applicant is that by asking for too much you run the risk of scaring the company off when you may have taken less.  The other side, asking for too little and passing up the chance to score a big hike in compensation.  While you may not be able to negotiate with every company, the majority of firms will have some flexibility and if you have what they want they will come up with a reasonable offer to get you (emphasis on the word "reasonable"). 

As a candidate, your first step should be to research your worth.  This is not that difficult to do but it may take some time and legwork on your part so don't wait around, get to it.  Start by asking your friends about their opinions on salaries for the position you are applying to.  Then checkout the Internet, a few sites are now offering salary information for the jobs they post (including www.Asia-Net.com).  These sites will give you a reasonable range to work within.  If you are particularly energetic you can contact a few headhunters and interview with them.  Describe to them the job you are looking for and the salary you would like to get.  They will tell you if you are way off or not.  It doesn't hurt to gather information from a few different sources and then compare the results.  Statistically it will give you a clearer picture of your current worth.

 Do not include your current salary or desired salary in your cover letter or resume.

 During your first interview, if the company has not received your salary information through a recruiter, you will most likely be asked for that bit of data.  The question may be very straight forward such as, "How much are you making now?" or they may approach it from the other point of view and ask, "How much are you looking for?"  Answering either question with a number is risky.  Try to divert the question with an answer like, "This is a great company and the opportunity is the one I am looking for, I am sure that if you decide that I am right for the job you will make me a fair offer."  Or if you are working with a headhunter you can always throw it back to them and say, "My agent told me that you and he would be discussing that at a later date.  I would prefer if you followed up with him regarding compensation questions."  You can try following up your answer by asking what a current company employee in that position is making.  In some cases the interviewer will be very persistent and you will have to divulge some sort of number.  By being too stubborn you can run the risk of being thrown out of the office and being declined for the position so use your judgement when the question comes up.

 If you are forced to give a number then no matter what, do not agree to accept it unless you are already in the 3^rd or 4^th interview.  Some interviewers might try to close you on a low salary before they even decide to hire you. Your and the hiring firm's goal should be the same at this point, coming to a conclusion about whether you are the right person for this job or not. Once that is decided a discussion about compensation can be had.

 The most important thing to remember is that you and the hiring company want essentially the same thing.  You working for them.  As long as you are able to keep your negotiations/discussions moving forward you will find that it is possible to satisfy both sides.

Playing Easy To Get

Part of the job of any headhunter is following up with candidates and clients after an interview.  One of the more frustrating aspects of this part of my job is hearing from the candidate that the interview went well and then hearing from the client that the candidate had the right skills but was missing "something."  This something inevitably turns out to be a lack of enthusiasm and motivation on the part of the candidate.  What makes it frustrating is that the candidate is actually quite interested in the position and the company but is too nervous to express it or even worse, the candidate has the mistaken belief that by pretending to be uninterested or just gathering information they will appear more valuable.  This falls under the category of "playing hard to get" which, while it may help you to find a mate it is generally a bad move when jobhunting.

 There have been times when I have gone against my better judgement and recomended weaker candidates on the basis of their high motivation and enthusiastic attitude.  These candidates, who may lack the required technical skills an employer is looking for, continue to outperform their quieter peers in interviews.  I have had clients hire candidates based solely on their energy level in their meetings. 

 The hardest thing seems to be creating that level of enthusiasm and energy when you are not yet familiar with what the job is all about.  You may be thinking that you are not ready to change and are just gathering information on what is out there.  Regardless of your motivation in attending an interview it is in your best interest to present a motivated and positive attitude about the company and the position.

 The first step is research, either the library or the Internet (my choice would be the Internet due to its convenience).  Spend some time looking for information about the company in the form of corporate home pages, press releases and even stock market information.  Everytime you come across something that looks interesting, write down a question related to it.  Even the least energetic of candidates can fake it by asking questions.

 The next step is to go out and talk with your friends about the upcoming interview and opportunity.  Tell them the job title and what you found out on the Internet and ask them what they think.  You may be surprised at the wealth of information your acquaintances have been hiding.  Speaking to your friends may also help if they are able to imagine some exciting possibilities related to joining your prospective employer.  If they get excited about it you will start to feel more enthusiastic yourself.  It is true what they say about excitement being contagious. 

Ultimately, any employer is going to be more interested in an employee that is truly interested in working for their company.    If you are able to generate a reasonable level of energy in the interview you will give the impression of that interest as well as being a hard worker and a self-motivated individual. 

Look Before You Leap

There are several steps to changing a job.  In my opinion, the most often overlooked and undervalued step is a thorough analysis of one's current situation.  Now, when I say the current situation, I am not referring to the state of the economy but rather one’s personal situation or that of one's present company.

As someone who just recently changed jobs myself, I realized that there is a common thought process among most young professionals in the workforce.  That thought is whether the grass is really greener on the other side of the fence, or as they say here in Japan, tonari no shibafu wa aoi.  A lot of times it will seem greener but that doesn't mean it is always wise to jump when given the opportunity or when things turn sour at your present employer.

Most of the hundreds of job candidates that I have interviewed had not given a lot of thought to what they could offer their current firm.  More likely, they had some problem with the firm rather than their actual work there.  Some common complaints were, "The firm is not as competitive as other firms" or "There is not a lot of upward mobility in my current position."  Both are legitimate reasons but neither one is related to the individual, specifically.  The blame for leaving a company is usually placed squarely on the company's shoulders.

 When you are considering leaving your current firm you should first sit down and work out exactly why you want to leave.  You should decide whether it is in order to focus more on marketing than sales, for example, or if it is because you dislike your boss, or even if you just want to make more money. 

One example that comes to mind is a friend who explained to me that he would soon be out of work due to a slowdown in business in his department.  I asked him what his responsibilities were and he said business development.  I asked him why business was slowing down and he said that nobody in the department was focusing on that particular area anymore.  When I suggested to him that he had nothing to lose in trying to actually develop some new business by himself, he agreed to the idea and is currently in the process of preparing a business plan to jump-start his lagging department.  If he is successful, he will be in a position of higher responsibility and in a growing segment of his own making. 

Now, it will not always work out as it did for my friend, but the point is to take the time to consider the possibilities.  Ask one of your friends to play devil's advocate for you and discuss your reasons for leaving your current firm.  You might be surprised at how excited your current boss would be to let you start something new in the office and build the business in a different direction.