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What 424 meetings showed us

Our own numbers from supporting two US companies, why one of those close rates should not be taken at face value, whether the Japanese market is worth entering now, and answers to the questions we are asked most.

Updated 28 August 2026 · SpiderWave · 4 minute read

In this part

  1. What 424 meetings showed us
  2. Is the Japanese market worth entering now?
  3. Frequently asked questions

1. What 424 meetings showed us

We have supported two US companies entering the Japanese market, generating 424 meetings in total and converting 164 of them into closed deals. First results came in five weeks and one month respectively.

424
Meetings generated
164
Deals closed
5
Weeks to first results
2
US clients (ongoing)

One of those engagements recorded a 95% close rate, but that figure should not be read as a measure of selling ability. The product involved was free to adopt, so the customer faced no upfront cost and no budget approval. In other words, almost none of the ringi and pricing obstacles that normally arise in enterprise sales were present. A close rate has to be read together with the product and the commercial terms that produced it.

We publish the reason behind that high close rate so that a number is not credited with more than it deserves. When you choose a partner, including us, look past the headline figures to the conditions under which they were achieved.

Across both engagements, the biggest single factor was this: meeting acceptance depended far more on who made the approach than on what the message said. Improving the copy moved the numbers only slightly; changing who reached out, and through which introduction, moved them a great deal. In Japan, how much trust you carry into the first contact matters more than how well the message is written.

2. Is the Japanese market worth entering now?

Japan is not the right market for every foreign company. But where a Japanese company's problem lines up with what you offer, the opportunity is larger than most people expect. What matters is not the size of the market but whether your company can genuinely win in it.

In a JETRO survey of 1,520 foreign-affiliated companies conducted in autumn 2025, 61.6% expected to be profitable and around 60% planned to strengthen or expand their Japanese operations. Roughly 46% expected revenue growth this fiscal year, and more than half expected growth the following year. The most striking finding is that "social and economic stability" was rated highly enough to rank first among Japan's attractions. With geopolitical uncertainty rising, Japan's stability appears to be tipping the decision for European and North American companies.

The same survey also lists the recurring difficulties: currency volatility, securing talent, and finding office and operating space. In other words, the main problem foreign companies face in Japan is not an absence of demand. It is whether they can build an organisation capable of executing here.

And the height of the barrier to entry is, seen from another angle, a large opportunity. Because entry is difficult, many foreign companies give up along the way, and the market still has room for competition. Once you establish a foothold, you can operate in an environment with relatively few rivals. Japanese corporate customers also tend to stay once a relationship begins, which makes long-term business more likely. The difficulty of the Japanese market is not a reason to avoid it. It is the reason the opportunity is still there.

3. Frequently asked questions

What is Japan sales outsourcing?
A Japanese specialist firm carries out the sales activity on behalf of a foreign company. That covers generating meetings, negotiating in Japanese, supporting the internal approval process, and looking after the customer after the contract is signed. Unlike a distributor agreement, the contract with the customer and the pricing decision stay with the foreign company.
How is it different from a distributor?
A distributor buys the product and resells it, so the customer relationship and control over pricing can sit with the distributor. When it carries several products, it may prioritise whichever is easiest to sell. With sales outsourcing, the contract with the customer and the pricing decision stay with you, and the partner concentrates on selling your product.
How long does it take to see results?
With a partner that already has contact with your target companies, qualified meetings can be created within weeks. Closing takes longer, because it requires internal ringi approval and sign-off from several departments. In our own engagements the first results came at around one month, but the time to close and the close rate vary greatly with the product's price and its adoption terms.
Should we hire a country manager or outsource sales first?
Hiring first is the common route, but if results do not come it is hard to tell whether the cause lies with the person, the product or the way it is being sold. Using sales outsourcing first lets you verify which customer segment responds, what blocks a contract, and what price works in the Japanese market. Hire after that, and the country manager starts with a proven sales approach and live deals to inherit.
What does it cost?
Fee structures vary: a monthly retainer, a per-meeting fee, commission on results, and often a combination of these. What matters is not the price relative to other agencies but the comparison with the total cost of hiring one salesperson in Japan. Once salary, bonus, social insurance, recruitment fees and the ramp-up period are included, the first year can exceed twenty million yen.
Do we need Japanese-language materials?
Yes. Not only for the person you meet, but so that they can explain your proposal internally to their manager, IT, legal and finance. Preparing material they can share internally without editing makes the ringi and internal approval easier to move.
Will our product fit the Japanese market?
Fit cannot be judged from market research alone. What matters is meeting prospective customers and finding out where they see value and what prevents adoption. Do not judge from a single “it is too expensive” reaction; work out from conversations with several customers what conditions make it sell in Japan and what needs to change.
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Sources: JETRO, Survey on Business Operations of Foreign-affiliated Companies in Japan (FY2025). Engagement figures are SpiderWave's own, covering two US clients between 2025 and 2026.