Many Australian exporters come home from Japan with a full notebook, a stack of business cards and a feeling that it went well. Then nothing happens. It is rarely because the buyers were not interested. In Japan, the first meeting is the start of a process, and the follow-up decides the outcome.
Why the first meeting is not the decision
Japanese companies often make decisions by consensus. The person you met may need to share your product with colleagues in purchasing, quality, marketing and management before anyone says yes. That takes time, and it takes information. Every gap in what you have provided slows the process down.
Japanese buyers are also polite. Positive, encouraging comments in a meeting are not the same as a commitment. A buyer who says something "looks interesting" or will "consider it" is telling you the conversation can continue, not that an order is coming.
The follow-up that works
Within a day or two
- Send a short thank-you email to everyone you met, ideally in Japanese.
- Summarise what you discussed and list any questions you promised to answer, with a date for each.
Within a week or two
- Answer every question in full, in writing. If an answer will take longer, say when it will come.
- Send samples quickly if they were requested, with complete product information.
- Provide specifications, pricing and terms in a format the buyer can share internally.
Over the following months
- Stay in regular contact without being pushy. Share relevant news, such as a new harvest, an award or a new product.
- Ask what else the buyer needs to move forward, and provide it.
- Plan your next visit and let the buyer know when you will be in Japan again.
Respect the buying calendar
Japanese retail runs on seasons and promotions planned well ahead, including the summer and year-end gift seasons. A buyer may like your product but be planning months in advance. Ask about their timing and plan your follow-up around it.
Expect a trial before the commitment
When an order does come, it is often small: a trial to test the product, the paperwork and you as a supplier. Deliver it perfectly. A smooth first order, followed by prompt service, is what leads to the second order and the long-term relationship.
Consistency is the message
What wins Japanese buyers is not one great meeting but a pattern: you do what you say, when you say you will, every time. That is also why language matters. Following up in Japanese, and understanding what a buyer is really saying, removes friction at every step.
Following up across languages and time zones is a large part of what we do. If you have Japanese contacts that have gone quiet, or a trip coming up, book a free call. Our guide to Japanese business etiquette is a good place to start before you go.