| Do evasive and mealy-mouthed responses cause | | | | 2) It's difficult for me to say in English. |
| you irritation? Then you had better scratch Japan | | | | 3) We need time to think about it. |
| from your business plans.One aspect of dealing | | | | 4) Is that so? |
| with Japanese, which can totally frustrate a | | | | 5) We will need a few months to consider your |
| newcomer (and a veteran like me!) to this | | | | plan. |
| island-nation, is the lack of straightforwardness in | | | | 6) Can we continue this discussion in the future?I |
| communication. Evasiveness is a national past time | | | | can hear many of you ready to pounce on me |
| here and that can infuriate an impatient foreign | | | | now. Well, Mr. Posner, each of these sentences |
| businessman wanting results in a New York | | | | questions gives a ray of hope. Why do you |
| minute.If you can't tame your desire for specific | | | | interpret their respective meanings as a sign that |
| responses and quick results, then I already know | | | | matters are falling apart or have even failed? |
| the exact outcome of your business trip even | | | | Aren't you being negative and pessimistic?No, |
| before you arrive at Narita Airport. You will fail | | | | experience has been my teacher. Twenty-five |
| and you may never know why.Despite the | | | | years of dealing in business in Japan - many as a |
| maddening "silent treatment" style of the | | | | language trainer at large Japanese concerns - |
| Japanese people, I want to reassure you that you | | | | have given me a keen sense for the meaning of |
| can penetrate the Japanese psyche and know the | | | | English words as spoken by a Japanese. I could |
| truth behind a plastic smile in due time.For those | | | | write a concise dictionary of Japanese English, if I |
| of you tapping your collective feet and wanting to | | | | was idle.I have one final note of caution. It is |
| cut to the chase before you bite every fingernail | | | | often said that our Maker gave us two ears and |
| to the elbow, may I offer some cautionary | | | | one mouth so that we could listen twice as much |
| advice:An outright "No" from your Japanese | | | | as we speak. Japanese in business circles have |
| counterpart is as rare as a planetary realignment. | | | | mastered that art, plus alpha.Bite your tongue and |
| The more you push for decisiveness and | | | | let the Japanese counterpart take a little of the |
| definitiveness in the initial stages of negotiation, | | | | initiative. They will respect you more and most |
| the more ambiguous will be the response.The | | | | likely find a place in their business budget for your |
| following words spoken by a Japanese to the | | | | product, service or proposal...eventually.Richard |
| uninitiated foreigner can usually be interpreted as | | | | Posner is an author, trader, English-language trainer |
| meaning "No," or "It is no good," or "It is too | | | | at major Japanese corporations, and an internet |
| expensive," or "You are embarrassing me," or | | | | entrepreneur. He has resided in Japan for 25 |
| "Why are you in such a rush?" and a host of | | | | years and has a depth of experience dealing with |
| other rejection statements or questions which | | | | the Japanese in business and pleasure. |
| remain unspoken:1) That's so difficult. | | | | |