Welcome to our Professionals series, where we delve into the experiences of top-tier professionals working at the PayPay Group. For this issue, we welcomed the three key leaders in the Sales Support Division and asked them about their respective missions, initiatives, and thoughts on promoting the departments they lead.
Harunori Tabuchi
Senior Manager, Enterprise & Partner Support Department, Sales Support Division
He joined SoftBank Corp. as a new graduate and has accumulated many years of experience in sales. He has been a part of PayPay since the launch of its sales operations in September 2018, where he was in charge of setting up offices in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions. In 2021, he was appointed Senior Manager of the Sales Support Department, Sales Support Division, Sales Group, and he took on his current role in April 2024.
Yuki Yoshida
Senior Manager, Sales Support Department, Sales Support Division
He joined SoftBank BB Corporation (now SoftBank Corp.) and managed sales for Yahoo! JAPAN BB and SoftBank shops (sales agents). He then joined PayPay in June 2018 and was responsible for the Fukuoka office before taking charge of the Kyushu Block. He has been in his current position since April 2024.
Takashi Torii
Senior Manager, Sales Promotion Department, Sales Support Division
After joining SoftBank Corp. and gaining experience in in-store sales at mass retailers, he took on the responsibility for Talent Strategy. He joined PayPay in January 2019, and after working on management operations in the Talent Strategy Team, he has been in his current position since September 2020.
Sales Support Division: Providing highly specialized and powerful support for sales activities
What are the duties and missions of each department under the Sales Support Division?
Torii:
The overall mission of the Sales Support Division is to support sales activities and develop sales strategies to achieve PayPay’s business goals. The division is composed of six departments, each providing specialized support for a wide range of sales-related tasks. The responsibilities of each department are as follows:
Recently, the entire Sales Support Division has been focusing on promoting AI and data utilization. In addition to us, PayPay has several other sales-related departments, such as the Sales Strategy Department, which conducts market analysis and formulates investment criteria for sales promotions , and the Sales Planning Department, responsible for building a company-wide sales management system. Among all, the Sales Support Division works closely with the Sales Strategy Department to provide extensive sales support to the frontline sales staff.
What are the policies of your respective departments and the appeal of your jobs?
Yoshida:
The main mission of the Sales Support Department is to provide sales support to facilitate smooth business negotiations with merchants. We frequently prepare materials and data in response to requests from sales representatives. While this role can be reactive, we strive to create materials that anticipate and lead to insights for the sales representative in charge. Our department includes over a dozen people, most of whom are proficient in data infrastructure, such as SQL and queries. However, having a willingness to tackle challenges is more important than just having knowledge.
In steering the department, we place great importance on adding value. For a company to continuously grow, individuals must also grow and consistently link their development to results. We believe that without a mindset of adding something extra to the work we are involved in and the tools we provide, our achievements will not accumulate effectively. We encourage our members to maintain a high perspective. In order for the team to produce maximum results, each individual must accomplish their own mission. I believe that if each person maintains this elevated perspective, the organization’s collective awareness will increase, enabling us to take proactive steps as a team.
Torii:
The mission of the Sales Promotion Department, which I lead, is to foster business growth and increase the company profits by creating an environment conducive to effective sales activities for the frontline members facing merchants. In order to achieve this mission, our main tasks include designing sales strategies and developing ROI improvement measures for labor costs. Within the department, we are divided into teams responsible for planning sales tactics for the East-West Sales Division and coordinating with internal and external stakeholders. Our work is dynamic, and we are always looking for ways to improve what we can do.
Having a background in sales, I prioritize the company’s profit in my actions. I aim to be the frontrunner and I value speed. Since the establishment of our department, we adhere to three guiding principles: The first is to “turn efforts into results.” While we are an indirect department, we strive to take actions with a strong awareness of sales results that support the company’s profit growth. The second is to “work proactively,” to identify issues independently and take initiatives to solve them. The last is to “follow the rules.” Since we are in the financial business, we absolutely must follow the rules of the times. However, we should not only follow the existing structures, rules, and systems, but also adapt some of them as the company’s business evolves. These three guidelines are constantly communicated within the department.
Tabuchi:
The mission of the Enterprise & Partner Support Department is to provide logistical support to the teams in charge of enterprise accounts and comprehensive agents, working alongside them to achieve sales targets. The department frequently engages with new services and solutions offered by PayPay, providing the opportunity to promptly interact with these innovations. We relish the challenge of analyzing large volumes of data from various perspectives to offer support that enhances the performance of the sales representatives. Additionally, we enjoy devising ways to improve the efficiency and automation of sales administrative tasks and operations.
We often receive consultations from sales representatives and offer guidance. Based on my own past sales experience, I ensure that the entire department understands the perspectives necessary for a sales support member, facilitating smooth collaboration and support. I also strive to maintain harmony within the department by considering work balance, skills, and the compatibility of each member with their tasks. If issues arise, I am always available for consultation, fostering an environment where everyone can work comfortably.
Our department handles diverse tasks, but many of our members act with speed and agility. Since we are also working on sales promotion using transaction data, you can leverage your skills in data analysis and automation in this environment. We often act as a hub between the sales field and the business development team, requiring the ability to take informed action.
Can you tell us what each division is doing regarding the Sales Support Division’s emphasis on “AI & Data Utilization”?
Torii:
The Sales Support Division is focusing on automating operations using AI and data to improve sales efficiency. The Sales Promotion Department, for example, employs a data-driven approach to local government support. As a result, we can make proposals quantitatively tailored to the demographic composition and consumption trends of each local government.
Yoshida:
Previously, the only way to simulate the effectiveness of coupons in the Sales Support Department was manual calculation, which was time-consuming. To solve this problem, we have developed a system that can automatically generate numerical data by inputting only the necessary information. We are currently working to make this kind of simulation more intuitive, so that we can easily produce imagined figures. PayPay’s environment makes it easy to come up with new ideas that make full use of data, and in fact, new members often express surprise at our data capabilities.
Is there a challenge you will never forget?
Tabuchi:
I will never forget being involved in the introduction of PaaS (payment SDK solution) to merchants in 2023. Although we initially had success with a major convenience store chain, extending it to other companies was challenging, and we had a difficult time for about a year. Reporting to the management was particularly stressful. However, continued proposals made by sales representatives to potential merchants motivated me to promote our solution fervently, and I continued updating the proposal materials with our team members to convince these merchants of its projected benefits. After our persistent efforts paid off and we secured an agreement with the second company, we were able to reach agreements with two more companies for implementation, which gave us a strong sense of accomplishment.
Yoshida:
My unforgettable challenge was successfully holding our first awards program for initiatives in the Sales Support Division in the first half of FY2024. We were considering how to elevate the performance of the entire division by deploying the best practices. Although it had been already decided to conduct the event, the execution required various adjustments with team members after I was transferred to my current position. We managed to hold the awards event successfully as a united team, and the presentations by each department were well received. As a department, we aim to actively continue pursuing such initiatives in the future.
Torii:
The two-month self-imposed sales restraint due to the 2020 COVID outbreak severely handicapped our annual goals. Frankly, it was unsettling as the future seemed uncertain. But together with members in the frontline, we returned to the basics, increased the frequency of meetings for sales managers to identify issues, and accelerated our cycle of sales process analysis to problem identification and implementation of countermeasures. Although in a supporting role, we ensured every member was aware of the progress towards the overall sales targets every day, maintaining focus on a single target number. As a result, we were able to achieve our full-year targets without having to make downward revisions to our sales plan formulated at the beginning of the fiscal year.
Hybrid work style is more conducive to communication
What is the work style within your team?
Torii:
During the pandemic, some companies required their sales-related teams to come to the office, but I feel that mandating employees to come to the office places too much emphasis on face-to-face communication. At PayPay, we offer a flexible hybrid work style that allows our teams to perform at their best—whether from home or the office—while leveraging communication tools such as Zoom and Slack. We focus on optimizing collaboration and performance rather than placing emphasis solely on physical presence. I work from the office once or twice a week, and the members of the Sales Promotion Department average less than once a week. Of course, we recognize the importance of face-to-face communication and arrange it regularly as needed.
Tabuchi:
Like Torii-san, I come to the office once a week, but some members find it more productive to work in the office and come around three times a week. In the Enterprise & Partner Support Department, it is up to the discretion of each individual to decide whether or not to come to the office, so the office attendance rate varies quite a bit.
Yoshida:
Members of the Sales Support Department live in Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. When working in the office, Tokyo employees go to the Takeshiba office, while those in Osaka go to the Osaka office. For cross-departmental coordination, we gather at the Takeshiba office where the head office is located roughly bi-weekly. The Department also holds an office day about once a month at either the Takeshiba or Osaka office for socializing.
Torii:
This flexible work style enables team members—including those raising families—to better balance their personal and professional responsibilities. As a results-oriented company, PayPay encourages autonomy and supports diverse ways of working so that each individual can deliver meaningful outcomes. We are often asked about the degree of consideration we provide. To ensure that important routine work does not prevent members from taking their feverish child to the hospital, we always assign a substitute. We have a system in place that allows members to take unexpected leave without issues.
What do you value for the growth of your members?
Tabuchi:
PayPay is a fast-growing company, and we are expected to grow autonomously. Members can choose to pursue either management or expertise in a specific field. Regardless of which direction you choose, the organization continues to change and develop along with the company, offering numerous opportunities to shine. I use the KPT tool together with my team members to align short-, medium-, and long-term goals.
Yoshida:
I often ask members, “What are you working for?” Whether it is for personal growth, family, or other reasons, we confirm this through regular communication, understanding individual directions to nurture their strengths and expertise while respecting their career aspirations.
Torii:
自I want the members of our team to be valuable in the job market. To this end, I conduct regular interviews to confirm their skills and provide them with work opportunities that will lead to their growth. In addition, I assign tasks with an awareness that each person’s growth will lead to the growth of our business, but I also create an environment in which members can voluntarily participate in projects on their own. I also keep my antennae up for new developments in the world and consciously look for things that will contribute to the growth of our business, and share my insights with the rest of the department as needed.
Continuing to take on challenges at high speed for the “triple win”
Finally, do you have a message for our readers?
Tabuchi:
In the Enterprise & Partner Support Department, we aim to deliver ever-better services, ensuring a “triple win,” for users (society), merchants, and PayPay. I am looking forward to working with anyone who has the mindset to keep up with PayPay’s rapid growth.
Yoshida:
Many of the services offered by PayPay, including the digital salary payment, are unprecedented, so the ideal candidate for the Sales Support Department is those who can continue navigating challenges even without past examples or correct answers.
Torii:
In the Sales Promotion Department, it is important to be able to move actively with a challenging spirit. As is common in both Tabuchi-san’s and Yoshida-san’s departments, after the initial training, an experienced senior member will accompany the new employee as a mentor and provide support through classroom lectures and on-the-job training until the employee reaches the level of knowledge and skills required for the job. We ensure newcomers integrate quickly, facilitating an environment for success. We have an environment where you can grow together with the best colleagues, so we encourage newcomers to take the plunge!
Current job openings
Business level Japanese is required for all the following positions below.
*Job openings and employee affiliations are current as of the time of the interview.