AJINOMOTO TRADING, INC. | Food Product Department

9:00
Check email upon arrival.
Confirm today's schedule and messages.

10:00
Administrative work.
Respond to requests from domestic and overseas customers.
Provide estimates to inquiries.
Communicate deliveries.
Submit standards documents.
Communicate with manufacturers.

11:00
Group meeting.

12:00
Lunch time
Take a break, eat lunch while chatting with colleagues.

13:00
Meeting with customs clearance agent.

15:00
Meet customer for discussion and product presentation.

17:00
Return to office, administrative work.
Customer meeting report preparation and report to manager.

Please tell us about yourself.

I'm a salesperson in the Food Product Department. This will be my 13th year working in the company.
I am responsible for domestic and export sales to overseas customers primarily in China and Asia for products used in processed foods, including Ajinomoto seasoning products, and food additives and spices made by other manufacturers − whatever the customer needs.
I try to be enthusiastic, energetic and always willing to improve myself while leveraging my experience in trading operations to meet the needs of our customers.
When necessary, I go directly to customers no matter how far away they may be.

What kind of work are you typically responsible for?

In addition to product development and supporting import/export operations, I coordinate with product development managers of manufacturers and propose arrangements for the procurement and shipment of secondary materials to meet the needs of end users overseas.

Tell us about your career.

Since joining the company after graduating from college and until March of last year, I was a sales assistant. Over time, I wanted to go out and meet with customers and eventually I was formally made a salesperson. Now, I work hard to meet our customer's expectations while receiving advice from my superiors and seniors.

Has your interest in and attitude toward work changed since joining the company?
What has triggered that change?

For about three years after joining the company, I was a just a normal inhouse administrative assistant, basically a support person, and I guess you could say I wasn't as motivated as I am now (laughs).
At the time, I didn't have any contact with customers and my daily routine was executing tasks as directed by my supervisors inside the company, without really taking any initiative and working independently.

After my third year, my interest in work picked up and I started taking on work under my own initiative. That's when I started working as a "sales assistant" in the true sense of the word and my job become much more interesting.

What changed my attitude was when I became able to respond to customers in the absence of salespeople when they were out of the office or traveling. As I communicated with customers via telephone and email, my relationships with customers deepened and my interest in the work grew.

Please tell us the secret to increasing your motivation.

I believe that increased motivation comes from always having an interest in what you do and not being afraid of trying new things or being in new surroundings.
Once while on a personal trip, I thought since I've come this far I should make an appointment and call upon one of my overseas customers. The customer was happy that I'd come from Japan to visit them and shared many insights into their business. That really piqued my interest in my work.

What does "OYAKUDACHI (Valuable and useful service)" mean to you?

Understanding the customer's perspective and providing outstanding service. Always trying to create additional value in our service to the customer. For example, not just getting the job done but always being ready to provide additional explanation so that the customer won't run into trouble in a downstream process.
To be able do that even better, I want to acquire more practical specialist knowledge.

For me, going that extra step is what“OYAKUDACHI(Valuable and useful service)

What kind of specialist knowledge do you want to acquire?

You can't export if you don't know the situation in the customer's country. Depending on the country, importation of certain items is prohibited. I want to study hard and learn about the laws and regulations related to importation. And I want to be able to provide the best possible solutions that match the regional and market conditions of our customers.

One last thing.
If it were possible to give yourself advice when you joined the company, what would it be?

If you have interest in your work and apply yourself thoroughly, not only will you have more ideas, you'll enjoy the job much more! I wish I could have told myself that earlier! (laughs)