今週は海外出張に来ておりまして・・・
Cosmoprof ASIA (コスモプロフアジア)2022 の視察でシンガポールへ来ています。
Cosmoprof ASIA (コスモプロフアジア)については以前にもこのブログで紹介しましたが
アジア最大の国際美容展示会です。
シンガポールで数日過ごした私の勝手な印象ですが、日本と違いシンガポールは街の雰囲気も明るくコロナによる閉塞感を感じることもなく２年半のコロナを経てアフターコロナの新たなステージへ変化をしているように感じます。
今回の出張は商材の発掘も目的の一つですが、
現地シンガポールや隣国のマレーシア・インドネシアから視察に来るお得意先とお会いするが今回のメインテーマです。
コロナによって当社の担当営業も海外へ訪問できなくなりリアルなコミュニケーションをとるのも実に3年〜4年ぶりです。お互いに再び会えたことの喜びを分かち合うことができました。
ZOOMでは感じることのできない、まさに人と人の心の温度が肌感覚で感じることができる瞬間です。
もちろんお会いするだけではなくそのまま商売のお話に
コロナを経て未来志向で前向きにビジネスを展開していくそんなエネルギーと熱量も肌で感じ
数年後の楽しみになるような前向きなお話も数点あり有意義な商談をすることができました。
実際のところ会場視察はほとんどできないまま３日の会期の内２日が過ぎて残すところあと１日
じっくりと時間を取って会場視察をする予定です。
今回の出張にあたり当社のお取引メーカーのT社長から直接来た一通のLINEメッセージ
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こんなメッセージのやり取りがあり会場で急遽お会いすることに
T社長とはお取引開始から面識はありましたがお互いに表面的なご挨拶程度で深いお話をしたことはありませんでした。
展示会場でお会いして話をしている中で到着当日のフライトとホテルの話に
T社長、シンガポール到着の当日にホテルが取れず空港で寝られたそうです(笑)
それを聞いて勝手に親近感を覚え、夜の食事へお誘いしました。
しかも地元の方が利用するホーカーセンター（屋台が集結したところ）へ
私より８歳年下のT社長は現在４１歳で３３歳の時にこのメーカーの社長に就任された超やり手です。
タイガービールを飲みながら今までのご経験や社長のあり方、やりたいこと、ビジョン等をお聞きして強い刺激をいただきました。
お互い熱い話で盛り上がっているとあっという間に時が過ぎてお開きに
２時間ちょっとの間でしたがとても有意義な時間でした。
海外のお得意先からと同時にT社長からも大きなエネルギーや刺激をいただけたこの２日間
この大きなエネルギーや刺激を原動力としてコロナ後の変化に沿った新しい形も取り入れながらでビジネスを展開していこうと思います！
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First overseas business trip in three years Cosmoprof ASIA 2022
• November 18, 2022
I am in Singapore this week on an overseas business trip to visit Cosmoprof ASIA 2022.
Cosmoprof ASIA has been mentioned on this blog before.
It is the largest international beauty exhibition in Asia.
My own impression after spending a few days in Singapore is that unlike Japan, Singapore has a brighter city atmosphere and I do not feel a sense of stagnation caused by Corona, and after two and a half years of Corona, Singapore seems to be changing to a new stage of after-Corona.
One of the purposes of this business trip is to discover commercial products.
However, the main theme of this trip is to meet with clients who are coming from Singapore and neighboring countries, Malaysia and Indonesia.
It has been three to four years since we last had face-to-face communication, as our sales representatives were no longer able to visit overseas due to Corona. We were able to share the joy of being able to see each other again. This is a moment when we can feel the temperature of people’s hearts, which we cannot feel on ZOOM meeting.
Of course, we not only met, but also talked about business.
After passing through Corona, I was able to experience firsthand the energy and enthusiasm with which they are developing their business in a forward-looking and future-oriented manner.
We had a meaningful business meeting, with several positive stories to look forward to in the years to come.
In fact, two out of the three days of the exhibition have passed with very little time left for site inspections, and there is only one day left!
I plan to take my time and make an inspection of the venue.
On the occasion of this business trip, a LINE message came directly from President T of a manufacturer with whom we do business.
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We exchanged messages like this, and we met at the venue in a hurry. Although we had known President T since the beginning of our business relationship, we had never had an in-depth conversation beyond a superficial greeting.
We met at the exhibition hall and talked about the flight and hotel on the day of arrival. President
T said that he could not get a hotel on the day of arrival in Singapore and had to sleep at the airport.
Hearing this, I felt a sense of affinity with him and invited him for an evening meal.
And we went to Hawker centre (where all the food stalls are gathered) used by the locals.
President T, who is 8 years younger than me, is now 41 years old and is a very successful man who became the president of this manufacturer when he was 33 years old.
Drinking a few Tiger Beer, I was strongly inspired by his past experiences, how a president should be, what he wants to do, his vision, and so on.
The time passed quickly as we talked about our passion for each other’s work, and then it was time to go.
It was a very meaningful time, even though it lasted only a little over two hours.
I received a great deal of energy and inspiration from the President as well as from our overseas customers during these two days!
I will use this great energy and inspiration as a driving force to develop my business, incorporating new forms in line with the post-Corona changes!