It’s quite common in Japan for many companies to have sales teams but no dedicated marketing teams. Even among large companies with 1,000 employees, it’s not unusual to find 100 sales staff but no marketing department. At most, there might be a “public relations” department responsible for press releases and advertisements. Interestingly, website production often falls under the IT department’s purview rather than public relations, which many find unreasonable.
In contrast, Western companies of similar size often not only have dedicated marketing departments but also further specialize with roles like SEO specialists, branding experts, and web advertising managers. This indicates a significant investment in marketing efforts.
In Japan, the typical business development sequence often starts with hiring essential administrative support, followed by salespeople. Depending on the industry, a product or service specialist might be added. Consequently, it’s not uncommon for a company to scale up to 100 salespeople without ever establishing a formal marketing team.
However, prioritizing marketing can potentially double a company’s sales effectiveness. By investing in effective website development, SEO strategies, and web advertising—activities that could be handled by the salary of one salesperson—sales effectiveness can be enhanced three or even fourfold.
To enhance productivity, Japanese companies would benefit from placing greater emphasis on marketing strategies and integration.
