Episode #8: How To Market Yourself In Under One Minute

Are we all really in sales and marketing now?

Yes—and that reality is reshaping how business gets done in Japan and globally. Even if your title doesn’t say “sales” or “marketing,” your success depends on influencing decisions: winning clients, gaining internal support, securing budgets, or moving ideas forward. Professionals in finance, law, engineering, consulting, healthcare, and analytics now compete on how clearly and confidently they present their expertise. This shift is the “new black” of the professions: if you don’t master it, your competition will.

Mini-summary: Every role today involves persuading others. Treating sales and marketing as “someone else’s job” is a competitive mistake.

First impressions form in seconds—often before you finish your first sentence. Once someone has a negative initial view, reversing it takes real effort. In crowded professional settings like Tokyo networking events, that first snapshot becomes your brand. If you leave it to luck, you’re gambling with every future opportunity.

Mini-summary: People judge fast and remember long. Your first impression is a business asset you must design, not hope for.

Most people start by talking about themselves. That feels natural, but it wastes the moment. People love to explain what they do, and listening gives you two advantages:

1. You learn their needs and context.

2. You earn trust by showing genuine interest.

This is where many professionals—especially from the so-called “professions”—struggle most.

Mini-summary: Talking first is a common habit, but listening first is the winning strategy.

The Wow & How is a simple three-step way to introduce yourself so the other person asks for more—rather than feeling pitched.

1. Start with a problem they instantly recognize.
   Example: “You know how companies often struggle to get real behavior change from training, and they get frustrated because results don’t stick?”

2. Pause, then drop the bold result.
   “Well, we fix that completely.”
   Then stay silent.

3. Let them react and ask for the How.
   Their mind goes: “Wow… really?”
   Then: “How do you do that?”

Now you respond to their curiosity, not your own agenda.

Mini-summary: Wow & How flips the dynamic. Instead of pushing, you create pull—and that’s far more persuasive.

How do you tailor your message to different personality styles?

Listening first helps you spot how they prefer to communicate. Then you adapt—without changing who you are.

• Analytical: detail-driven, precise, wants facts.

• Driver: fast, direct, outcome-focused.

• Expressive: energetic, big-picture, story-oriented.

• Amiable: calm, relationship-first, consensus-seeking.

Adjust your pace, detail level, energy, and spacing. In Japan, this matters even more because subtle tone and behavioral mirroring strongly influence trust.

Mini-summary: Match their style to reduce friction and build rapport quickly—especially in high-context business cultures like Japan.

What should your 30-second explanation sound like?

After they ask “How?”, give a short “what we do” answer—clear, credible, and memorable. Save the detailed “how” for a follow-up meeting.

Example:
“Dale Carnegie has been developing people for over 100 years globally and over 60 years here in Tokyo. We use proven methods that create measurable behavior change, so staff performance improves and business results follow.”

Keep it tight. Practice until it’s effortless.

Mini-summary: Make your explanation short, practiced, and outcome-focused. Clarity beats complexity every time.

For 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) operating in Tokyo, networking skill is not a “nice-to-have.” It directly affects market access, partnerships, internal alignment, and talent influence.

By applying the Wow & How approach, professionals become more confident representatives of their organization, improve credibility faster, and open doors to follow-up conversations that lead to real business.

Mini-summary: In Tokyo’s relationship-driven market, a strong first impression and clear value story are critical growth levers.

• Everyone is in sales and marketing now—whether you admit it or not.

• First impressions form in seconds; design yours intentionally.

• Lead by listening, then use Wow & How to spark curiosity.

• Adapt to personality styles to build trust and momentum quickly.

• Accept that influence is part of every role.

• Let them explain what they do before you introduce yourself.

• Listen for their preferred communication style.

• Deliver your “we fix that” Wow line with confidence.

• Create a reason to meet again for the deeper How discussion.