The entire company comes together to create a "product that sells"
After working in planning and sales for a toy manufacturer for seven years, I joined Izawa Towel in 2011. Since joining the company, I have consistently worked in planning and sales, taking charge of everything from product planning to delivery and sales.
In the field of daily necessities, which has a stable demand, I was strongly attracted to the style of "creating from scratch together" according to the needs of each customer, rather than simply selling products developed in-house. Rather than "selling" products, we are partners who "create" together. I felt that this was an environment where I could work in this way, so I decided to join the company.
My job is to reliably deliver "saleable products" to our retail customers. To that end, I research market and sales trends, work backwards from schedules and budgets, and carefully structure proposals and make internal adjustments.
It's not just about thinking about what will sell, but about supplying it at the right time. I think that's where your skills as a salesperson really shine.
Our company has excellent manufacturing capabilities, including technical development and design. We need to communicate the appeal of our products and turn them into trust. Our current challenge is to further improve our sales proposal capabilities.
The sales group is divided into field and office staff, but both have the same goal of "ensuring sales."
We work as one sales team, complementing each other's strengths and quickly sharing information about sales negotiations and progress. Our internal sales staff are also proactively involved in negotiating with customers and developing new business, and we have established a system of "joint struggle" rather than division of labor.
Never giving up, we continue to search for the best towels
When the products I planned are on sale in stores and the results are visible in numbers, that's the moment I feel the most rewarding.
There are some projects that start moving forward more than a year in advance, and I feel a great sense of accomplishment when a product that I have been preparing for a long time is finally released. When I happen to be visiting a store on my day off and see a towel that I proposed, I naturally look at the customer's reaction on the sales floor.
In addition to the manufacturing sense I developed in my previous job, my strengths now include "negotiation skills" and "tenacity."
There are many conditions that a salesperson must adhere to, such as delivery dates, costs, and specifications, but for each of them, I never give up and keep looking for the best. I learned this attitude at this company and it came naturally to me.
If there's something you don't understand, just raise your hand and someone will be sure to teach you. That's the great thing about Izawa Towels.
I myself was greatly helped by the study sessions held by senior employees immediately after joining the company. Now I provide careful support to my junior employees so that they can start with peace of mind. In addition, I have regular career interviews with my superiors and senior employees, and we have the opportunity to think about future goals together, so it is an environment where I can steadily grow.
Izawa Towel has evolved a lot since I joined the company. We have more employees and I feel that our products are more well-known. In the future, I want to create a hit product that will change the industry. I want to continue to evolve step by step, flexibly and surely, while valuing the daily experiences I make.