Coastal Angler Magazine Editor: How to NOT Win Friends and Influence People

I often get emails out of the blue from people asking for help with business in Japan. They usually want an introduction or want information. I usually try to help them too. 

In fact, I think I could give out an entire list of people who've I helped with their business in Japan and haven't asked them for anything in return. (I'm hoping that some of them might comment and give confirmation of that fact at the end of this blog.)

I'm the kind of guy that wants the economy to get better (funny, that!) and think that if I can help my friends or connections to make more money, and create jobs that benefit everyone, then where's the downside? I am sometimes offered monitary reward and, of course, am eager to accept it, but I think just about everyone I've helped can attest to the fact that I have never been pushy about money.

I think people should be honest and pay what they think is fair. 

Until now, I've helped at least a good three dozen people (It's a two-way street). I made connections for them because I have a good reputation and vice versa. You don't live, as a foreigner in Japan, for nearly 30 years unless you build a reputation of someone who works hard and is trustworthy.

Ask any of the old-timers in Japan and they'll tell you the same thing: "About 97% of all foreigners in this country are undependable and shady. All the ones who have been here a long time and have a good reputation all know each other and trust each other." This reputation is as good as gold. 

I use my reputation and trust to help people. I am not bragging but because of who I am and how I operate business, I think that's why I can call up the president or ranking executives of major Japanese and International corporations directly on the phone and make appointments with them; they know if I call, I am not wasting their time and that I have a reason or idea that has mutual profit potential.

Mutual profit potential? Those are the key words here. When the business idea is good for everyone all around, people listen. I never bring along business ideas that are one-way streets.

Of course, there have been a few who used me to get connections then dumped me. But that's OK. My connection, that I took over a decade - sometimes over two in many cases - to build are loyal to me and not to the people I introduced. I'll get my just rewards sooner or later. Long-term business partners take care of each other.

That's just the way it is.

The other day, I got another letter from a guy who runs a fishing magazine in the USA. He wanted me to basically work for him for free. It's OK. I get lots of those. But I thought, "What the heck? I'll see if I can find someone who this can be mutually beneficial with and introduce them." 

I wish I hadn't done that.

The guy's name is Ben at Coastal Angler Magazine (I'll hide his last name because, well, you'll see why later). He seems confused. He is rude and certainly doesn't know how to write business letters. Ben, who began by asking me for help, started becoming rude as time went by and it was quite obvious, from his emails, that he seemed not to understand his own business. Finally, I became irritated at his bad attitude and asked him not to write to me anymore.

I think you'll find this exchange a great example on how to NOT do business in Japan - or anywhere else for that matter. Ben's mails will be in yellow. My responses in blue. And I will also add commentary between.

Here it is:

___________________________________________________________

Hi Mike,

Coastal Angler Magazine is one of the largest outdoor publications in North America, with a circulation base of 500,000 copies per month. There are countless Japanese manufacturers who seek to sell their products to our readership, but we don't seem to be able to bring them in as advertisers. I'm looking for a liaison that can rep our publication to the Japanese marine (fishing) industry.

You seem to be an adman much like myself. Why don't you visit our website at www.coastalanglermag.com and either let me know if there's a direct fit or if you can advise us on finding an "on the ground" Japanese representative. I assure you the potential advertiser base is huge and that this will be a very lucrative endeavor for the right person. By the way; do you like to fish?

Most sincerely,

Ben 

Editor In Chief
Coastal Angler Magazine
The Angler Magazine

888.800.9794

Well, he starts off nice enough. I like to fish. So I answered. This sounds like it could be a fun job for one of my Japanese friends who might need some business - in this day and age, who doesn't need some business? So I answered:

___________________________________________________________

Ben,

You kiddin’? Before I left the USA to move to Japan, I went fishing 4 or 5 days a week, every week for 6 months (I was a stock broker and had already earned my commissions for the next 6 months and, since I was leaving, there was no reason to keep selling as I wouldn’t have received the money.... So... Why not go fishing everyday?)

I was fishing off the rocks in my secret hole along the California Coast about 15 minutes drive from Camarillo. It was a hairy climb down the rocks but the fishing was awesome and there was never anyone else there (maybe it was too dangerous and they were too smart and I was too fishing crazy!)... I got so good at it that I knew just by the way the weather conditions (direction of wind, temperature, tides, etc) were if I would catch a lot of fish or not (but, you being a pro yourself, you already know that!)

I love fishing. I dream about fishing.... In fact, I dreamt about trout fishing in Oregon last night (seriously!) Here’s a humorous article I wrote on Lew Rockwell that mentions how I had a major gout attack and could hardly walk, yet that didn’t deter me from fishing: http://www.lewrockwell.com/rogers/rogers237.html

Interestingly enough, also last night I had dinner with the biggest tuna dealer in the United States, David Leibowitz, and advised him on selling his Tuna Jerky into Japan. His tuna are all line caught so I suspect that, while a tad bit different, I’ll bet he has connections to makers like Shimano and Daiwa.

Let me look at this and get back to you over the weekend when I have more time.

Best,

Mike

Well, so far, so good, right?

_______________________________________________________________

Mike, 

David has appeared on numerous covers in our Boston edition. Where are you located? Have you seen our publication?

Ben 

Editor In Chief
Coastal Angler Magazine

Wait a minute? "Where are you located?.. Have you seen our publication?" What? Isn't this the guy who wrote to me saying, "I'm looking for a liaison that can rep our publication to the Japanese marine (fishing) industry"? My address clearly states that I'm in Tokyo... What does he mean "Where are you located?" 

Here I began to get a tad bit suspicious that this guy drinks too much. Nothing wrong with drinking. Nothing wrong with fishing and drinking; definitely something wrong with drinking and writing business correspondence though... Still... I ignored this bizarre part... (Like I wrote, "I love fishing!")

Hi Ben,

I'm in Tokyo. David lives about 35 minutes away from me.

I haven't checked the magazine yet... I will tomorrow...

Mike in Tokyo Rogers

______________________________________________________

My son and me on the cover of Coastal Angler Magazine. By the way, I asked David Leibowitz if he knew Ben and if he was ever on the cover of this magazine. David replied, "No!" 

_____________________________________________

Hello Mike,

I am still in need of Asian sales representation. I am certain that a strong market exists, I just need someone there to go get the money. Let’s talk further to see if this project is of interest to you.

www.coastalanglermag.com

Ben 

Editor In Chief
Coastal Angler Magazine

____________________________________________________________

Woah! Wait a minute! First off, initially, the guy wrote that, "I'm looking for a liaison that can rep our publication to the Japanese marine (fishing) industry (emphasis mine)….and either let me know if there's a direct fit or if you can advise us on finding an "on the ground" Japanese representative." But now he says he wants "Asian sales representation"??? I wonder if this is one of those people who thinks that 'Tokyo is the capital city of China'? (Really, I have been asked that question many times). 

Second, he wrote that he wanted a "Japanese representative." Now, I know that many people have a hard time with written English, but when I see "Japanese representative" that says to me, "A Japanese national to represent his company" not "Some guy (foreigner included) to represent his company in Japan." This is kind of a waste of my time, now. It seems there is a huge difference, to me, between a "Japanese representative" and a "Japan representative." If there are any third grade English teachers out there reading this, could you please confirm that?

Nevertheless, I ignored that part (again) and I had asked two of my friends who work at fishing magazines about it (hell, I don't know. They are Japanese. They work in the business, I figured they might know something). They gave me a very common sense answer that made me think, "Oh? I kind of thought so.... Sorry to bother you guys!"

Hi Ben,

I sent your materials to two friends that I know that might be of assistance... The basic reply I got was that they said the local businesses (Daiwa, Shimano, etc.) are de facto different businesses than the ones operating in the west even though they have the same names. I get the impression that what they mean is that the US distribution of "Shimano" is actually a different company in that it is a subsidiary. This means that the domestic side wouldn't set aside a budget to advertise in a foreign magazine because sales there do not benefit them.

Of course, I don't know the details, but I reckon this is true.

For advertising in the USA concerning, Shimano for example, you'd have to talk to these people: http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/about_us.html#

Not Japan.

For example, Shimano in Japan does all sorts of stuff like sports bicycling, etc. You need to talk to the USA reps.

Wish I could be of more help.

Mike

_____________________________________________________________________

I don't know. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought I was being polite and professional.

  

Ben	Feb 26 (5 days ago)
to me

I am very familiar with Shimano. There are 100's of manufacturers there who do make US ad buys.

Sent from my iPhone

o Ben _____________________________________________________________________ Ben seemed like he didn't like what I wrote and got a bit pushy and most definitely  rude. This is, after all, Japan and one doesn't write short and curt mails to  people they are asking favors of. Faux Pas Ben! I wonder why he can't see the contradiction in what he wrote, "There are 100s of manufacturers there who do make US ad buys"? Well, of course, for one, he is exaggerating... For two, if that were true and he knows  that, then why can't he make the sales himself? As Homer Simpson would say, "Doh!" Still, once again, I tried to be polite... _______________________________________________________________________

Thanks Ben,

Can you tell me the names of some of these companies? I don't know. 

I am under the impression that the Japanese companies sell all their products to USA subsidiaries or they sell by a "No return" policy. A no return policy would mean that some middleman company buys these products and would handle the advertising.

I'm not arguing with you at all, just trying to understand this situation... 

Right after sending this email to Ben, I decided to call one of my friends directly at the fishing publication to get his two cents. Then I wrote back to Ben again... Basically my pal said, "Mike, think about it. Why would a business that is trying survive in the domestic market advertise overseas when there is already an overseas branch with a budget and sales team to handle that market? It's a jurisdiction issue."

_________________________________________________________

Ben,

I just talked to my friend, Hiroshi, who is an executive at this publisher that is the biggest fishing/water sports magazine in Japan... 

He seems to think that what you are saying is incorrect; that domestic manufacturers wouldn't advertise in the USA unless they had representation in the USA... And if they had representation in the USA, they'd let them handle it.

This seems to make very much sense to me as I know this is the same situation in other businesses due to tax laws in the two countries.

I am willing to ask again for you, but I need more specifics rather than "100's of manufacturers."

_____________________________________________________________

It's true. I know that. The big Japanese manufacturers have US subsidiaries for tax and other business reasons. Companies structure this way and territories fall under different jurisdictions. There is no reason why the, say, Japan branch of the company, who is only concerned with sales and profitability in Japan, would advertise to foreign countries... Sales in those foreign countries benefit the local subsidiary. Shimano World, for example, might annually set aside a budget for their US branch, but the US branch would have jurisdiction on how that budget is used. The Japanese branch would not. It's not like we're talking about some little family private company that is run out of someone's garage; Shimano is a publicly traded international corporation on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Shimano Inc. Symbol: JSX:7309) and the US operation, a separate entity is, sold on US stock exchanges as: Shimano Inc. SHMDF. 

Still, Ben won't have it. I guess it is understandable that a guy who works at a fishing magazine wouldn't have a clue as to how jurisdiction over territories works in international companies... Why should he? He knows how to edit print and tie a hook. He doesn't know jack about how big companies - especially big Japanese companies - work.

Yet, still being a nice guy (dumb guy?) I ask that he furnish me with leads on this "100s of manufacturers" as I don't work for free (nor am I interested in 'letting my fingers do the walking - for a few hours for no pay - in the Yellow Pages') and, if they do exist, then he should at least tell me who they are....

Ben then writes me a very dumb question that is a sort of challenge, I suppose:

Why then would these same manufacturers attend expensive trade shows in the US.

Ben Martin
Coastal Angler Magazine

Frankly speaking, I couldn't believe that Ben wrote this. Ben! Dude! I am merely relaying to you the opinion of someone who is in management at a fishing publication in Japan and has worked there for a very long time. The guy is an expert, I reckon. Why are you writing this stuff? You want me to go back and be as argumentative with him as you seem to be with me? Well, not in Japan, you don't.

I think or purpose here is that we want the guy's help and opinion and to not to get in a argument with him, no? 

And what is this nonsense; "Why would these same manufacturers attend expensive trade shows in the US"???? Are you kidding me? Ben! Have you never worked at or with a manufacturer? Are you serious that you don't know why they attend trade shows? 

They certainly don't do it for fun, you know. They do it as it is part and parcel of their business; they need to know what's going on in the market and what other manufacturers are doing and going to do. They go to see new products. Have you never been to a trade show? Hell, if not, no wonder you have a hard time selling advertising to these people; you don't bother to get to know them and understand what they want! I've been to lots of trade shows, maybe one hundred of them by now (I've even been to the big fishing trade show in Tokyo). I know why these people attend. It's obvious.

This really made me convinced that Ben is fishy (sorry for the pun) and may not have a clue as to what he's doing when it comes to sales (or human relations). Of course if you want to sell something to someone, you have to get to know them and understand what their needs are. It's called "Needs selling" and a very basic concept for any salesman: "Get to know the client. Understand their needs and sell them a solution for those needs." Ben doesn't understand his clients enough to know why they attend trade conventions?

Well, with that, I figure that I've wasted enough time with Ben... If his understanding of his own business - and business in general - is so rudimentary, then I can't help him. If he's going to be argumentative, I don't want to help him. I wrote:

__________________________________________________________

Ben, 

You're kidding with that question, right?

Of course they attend these trade shows (like all manufacturers in all businesses do - not just fishing related - because they want to see what other manufacturers are doing. And, maybe, make business connections! Pretty basic, stuff. Ben.) 

It shouldn't come as any big news to you, should it, that the Japanese have traditionally been accused of copying (stealing) ideas.  

I am surprised by two things, Ben;

1) If you know that the Japanese are coming to these trade conventions? Then why the heck don't you guys approach them for sales? Why are you asking me?

2) You are asking a stranger to help you (me) but your arrogance and bad attitude are certainly a big minus for you.

No wonder you have a hard time getting clients. 

Please don't bother me anymore.

  ________________________________________________

Ben	2:19 AM (3 hours ago)
to me

No problem dick head

Sent from my iPhone

______________________________________________________________

Wow! He calls me "dick head"? WTF? I thought I was dealing with an adult, not Beavis and Butthead. 

If I want to deal with these two I can go to that office whenever I want.

In his initial email to me, Ben wrote:

"There are countless Japanese manufacturers who seek to sell their products to our readership, but we don't seem to be able to bring them in as advertisers."

Is there any wonder why he can't bring them in as advertisers? Well, Ben, from my point of view, there's no surprise there. Hell, that Ben, with an attitude and lack of knowledge like that, has any advertisers at all at his magazine is a point of wonder

And there you have it, folks. Seriously  is there any wonder why Ben's magazine can't get advertisers? Is there any wonder why he can't get any help selling his magazine? Nope. I hope that Ben has competent sales people because if they are depending on Ben, they are in trouble.

Is there a good lesson here for the rest of us? Yep. 

It's a great lesson in how NOT to be a good salesman and it's a great lesson in "How to NOT Win Friends and Influence People." 



1st NOTE: I placed Ben's name and contact here as a favor to him. Hopefully some fishing manufacturer will see this and contact Ben for advertising. If Ben does get any ads from this, I get 18% commission, the Japan standard rate for selling advertising. - Signed "dick head"

2nd NOTE: I really did ask David Leibowitz if he knew Ben and if he was ever on the cover of this magazine. This is David's real reply: 


Maybee also
"Hustlers and  Ho's"
"Pimps - The real life"
"Makkin and Jacking" 
"12 inch plus"
"steroids today"
"bald is best"
But not "bass fishing jerk off" it's a scam 

Driver's Licenses Have Zero to Do With Safe Driving: They Are a Back-door Tax!

There's a discussion about drunk driving going on amongst my friends now. I think drunk driving laws are ridiculous and should be struck from the books. Why? Because pre-crime is not a crime. John maybe driving after two beers or ten beers and be perfectly fine. But if the cops stop him they can arrest him for some arbitrarily set number on a Breathalyzer test. That's crazy. Still many people think "drunk driving" should be a crime... If they haven't hurt anyone, how can that be a crime?

I think people have some very strange ideas these days.

人力車 Jin Riki Sha (rickshaw)

A while back a friend wrote to me about some subject and claimed that he had the weight of the United Nations on his side of the argument. When I didn't reply, he insisted that the UN were proof positive of the truth in his beliefs. He challenged me. I responded that I had no respect at all for the United Nations and wrote, "The UN has zero credibility in my book and I think it is a tool of US imperialism... Witness how the UN supported the US in the American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan..."

I hate voting too, but at least in a local election, you do get to vote. Did you vote for your UN representative? Nope. The UN is just like the EU: a bunch of unelected bureaucrats that have zero to do with my life and absolutely no authority to pass laws and dictate to us what we should or should not do.

But I digress. Here I'm talking about the strange ideas people have... I should be talking about licenses and taxation...

A guy wrote to me the other day who is pro-gun control. He wrote, "If you need a license to drive, then why don't you agree that you need a license for a gun?" 

See what I mean? VERY strange ideas! I wrote back,

"You might be surprised but I don't agree at all. I don't think you need a license for a gun JUST as I don't think you need a license to drive a car.... I don't even see for a moment why anyone needs a license to drive at all. Licenses are hidden taxes, don't you know that? 

Just like I don't see why there are laws for wearing seat belts or wearing helmets when riding motorcycles. We know that wearing seat belts can save a life in a car accident but if some guy doesn't want to wear a seat belt, then what business is it of yours or mine? It most certainly is not the government's business either. And it definitely is not a reason to tax you or me more money to put more cops on the road to stop drivers who drive without their seat belts on. If Tom, Dick or Harry want to drive without a seat belt, then let them. I don't care and it is none of my business...

Drivers licenses have zero to do with protecting the public. Haven't people  figured that out yet? Drivers licenses and license fees (for passports, filing papers, dogs, cats, fishing, open fire, killing bugs, you-name-it, etc.) are all merely a form of taxation. 

Just to illustrate how f'ing ridiculous drivers licenses are AND to point out how they have NOTHING to do with safe driving and EVERYTHING to do with another form of taxation, let me tell you the story of 人力車 (man powered vehicle) or what westerners call, "Japanese rikishaw" (rickshaw) - you know the old style carts that were used in Japan long ago that were pulled by one skinny Japanese guy running in front? 

Well, my friend, it used to be, when rickshaw were quiet prevalent on streets and alleyways in Japanese towns and cities, one needed a license for each rickshaw...This went on for a hundred years! There was even an organization (probably filled with retired cops) who handled the licensing of these vehicles all in the name of protecting the public (as if some guy could out run the cops in some high speed chase with his unlicensed rickshaw!) Now that these rickshaw are NOT popular and NOT in much use, there is no requirement for licensing, though the rickshaws still exist! If the licensing procedure for rickshaw were for safety of the public, then this procedure would still be in practice. But it is not. This proves that the licensing was merely to fill government coiffures.

"Oh, but that was Japan!" You say? Check your US and UK history and find the EXACT SAME story about horse drawn carts in the cities up until about 1910 or so."

Rikishaw in Malaysia... Yep. They all had license plates! 

That was discussing rickshaw to get people to see that no matter the geographical zone, government will always look for new ways to tax... Did you know that you need a license in Japan to be a sushi chef? You can bet that if the sushi restaurants in the USA were so popular and on every street corner, to become profitable for the government to increase taxes on them (businesses are already taxed up to the gills as is) then they'd lump on another  tax for slicing fish if they could do it...

And that's the way it is, folks. If, someday soon, flying vehicles become popular and there's one in every garage, do you think that the government will be licensing them for our safety? No way! They will license them because they will see it as just another profitable revenue stream. Just like fining people for driving without a license, no seat belts, no helmets, burnt out lights, out of date stickers on their car, blah, blah, blah....

Would you get behind the wheel of a dangerous vehicle that could kill you if you didn't know how to drive one? I doubt it... (and "dangerous vehicle" goes for automobiles and flying cars)... No one would drive without practice and the fact that we still have 2.9 million people injured in accidents annually (the number of accidents is MUCH higher than that) shows that the current system leaves much to be desired.  

If someone wishes to risk their life by driving without a seat belt or driving drunk, then that's their problem...There is no reason why you or I should be taxed in a effort to implement some sort of pre-crime prevention scheme. In America on average, nearly 12,000 people die every year in DUI-related accidents. 900,000 are arrested each year for DUI/DWI and a full 1/3 of those are repeat offenders.

Get that? The cops are out arresting almost 1 million people a year for drunk driving... I wonder how much that is costing us in tax dollars? And, yet, still with all these arrests, 12,000 people die, and 300,000 of those arrested are repeat offenders! Obviously this doesn't work too well; it wastes tax dollars and doesn't stop the problem. 

I'd guess that we have an alcoholism problem that needs to be addressed. That is, a health problem here, folks. Not a problem of locking up people. 

And on top of that, drunk driving is not even the biggest cause of traffic accidents. Drunk driving is only responsible for 30% of all fatal crashes. Here are the six most common causes of car accidents. 

Anyway, this is not an argument for decriminalizing drinking and driving. That subject is much better covered here. This is just a post to show that licenses (for driving, dogs, animals, etc.) are a form of taxation. Once people can accept that truth, then we can go on to discuss the next issues.