Episode #392: Preparing RFPs in Japan

Why do RFPs in Japan feel harder than elsewhere?

In Japan, responding to an RFP (Request for Proposal) often feels like sending your best ideas into a void. You’re translating intangible outcomes—trust, behavior change, leadership presence—into a document that will be judged by people you may never meet. Unlike relationship-led deals, RFPs can feel low-control because the decision makers aren’t always the people who understand your value.
Mini-summary: Japanese RFPs are challenging because they replace human trust-building with document-only judgment.

When you work through a champion—someone inside the client company who believes in your solution—you can shape the conversation. Your champion can guide you through internal approval, manage stakeholder concerns, and build momentum. This feels more controllable than relying purely on a written submission. In Japan, internal processes can be complex and hierarchical, so a strong internal advocate is priceless.

Mini-summary: A champion helps you navigate internal complexity and keeps the deal human, not just procedural.

Even with a champion, a higher-level stakeholder may override the chosen plan. A common pattern: leadership demands a trial or pilot before approving full implementation. This isn’t always about doubt in your solution—it’s often about risk reduction and aligning with internal norms. Your champion might be frustrated, but the pilot becomes a necessary step to preserve consensus.

Mini-summary: Senior stakeholders may add pilot requirements to reduce risk, even after internal agreement.

In Japanese firms (日本企業 nihon kigyō — “Japanese companies”), RFPs are reviewed by multiple groups: procurement, compliance, HR, and often indirect stakeholders. Many of these reviewers haven’t met you, haven’t felt your passion, and may not understand your training language or frameworks. That means the document must do the emotional and educational work you usually do in person.

Mini-summary: Your RFP must persuade a wide internal audience, many of whom lack direct context.

Japan leans heavily toward detail because stakeholders seek certainty. But too much completeness can backfire: a perfectly airtight proposal can become impenetrable, while a competitor’s simpler submission feels easier to approve. The real challenge is balancing precision with clarity.

Mini-summary: Dense detail is expected in Japan, but over-complexity can cost you the deal.

A “version within a version” works best:

• Executive summary: Clear outcomes, rationale, and decision logic for busy leaders.

• Detailed body: Full methodology, timelines, risks, and measurement for reviewers who need depth.

This dual-layer approach respects Japan’s detail preference while still enabling fast approval.

Mini-summary: Pair a crisp executive summary with deep technical detail to serve mixed audiences.

Supporting documents—flyers, catalogs, white papers, case studies—add credibility. Even if no one reads every page, attachments signal rigor and organizational strength. In Japan, this “depth evidence” reduces perceived risk and shows you’re prepared for long-term partnership.

Mini-summary: Attachments demonstrate authority and reduce risk perception, even if lightly read.

Japanese decision-making strongly favors avoiding mistakes. Reviewers often want all available information because accumulating evidence feels like insurance against regret. This cultural logic means your RFP is not just an offer—it’s a risk-management tool for the buyer.

Mini-summary: More information equals more safety in Japanese corporate logic, so your RFP must reassure.

Why is losing an RFP in Japan so hard to learn from?

In Japan, the RFP process is often a black box. If you lose, you rarely get feedback. The system avoids debate or challenge to the final decision, so vendors are left guessing: Was it price? Content? Timing? Internal politics? This makes improvement difficult without informal insight.

Mini-summary: Limited feedback is structural in Japan, so you must learn through relationships.

How can you get real feedback after a loss?

If you have a trusted champion, try to meet unofficially and ask for constraints and decision drivers. Some champions will share insights; others may avoid risk to themselves. Still, even partial clarity can improve your next bid strategy.

Mini-summary: Quiet, unofficial champion debriefs are often the only real learning channel.

• Japanese RFPs are document-heavy because they substitute for relationship context and reduce risk.

• A strong internal champion remains the most reliable path to approval.

• Use dual-layer proposals: executive summary + deep detail to satisfy varied reviewers.

• Add supporting materials to demonstrate authority and lower perceived decision risk.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.