Strengthening Sales Capabilities and Improving Sales Efficiency

「Development of sales channels in the sports, beauty and financial-services sectors is progressing smoothly, and the number of seminars held is increasing. Going forward, we will introduce new sales tools and increase our sales workforce to further expand sales.」

「In the direct sales divisions, revenue in the core workplace sales division, DS Division, increased 4.0% from the previous fiscal year. As the most efficient sales channel among the direct sales divisions, the division's expansion is a priority. Measures including appropriate personnel allocation, the launch of new products and a review of sales prices proved effective and led to higher earnings. Development of sales channels in the sports and beauty fields and through financial institutions is also progressing steadily.」

「In addition to developing sales channels centered on the sports and beauty fields, results are beginning to emerge from business matching with financial institutions, which has been a focus since the current fiscal year. We have also begun updating sales tools to strengthen sales capabilities, and will continue working to improve sales efficiency and increase personnel to further expand the water ionizer sales business.」

「In the workplace sales division, development of sales channels in the sports and beauty fields continues to progress steadily alongside an increase in the number of seminars. Recruitment of sales personnel, which has been a focus since the previous fiscal year, has not yet reached the target, but recruitment of candidates who meet our requirements is progressing through closer cooperation with recruitment agencies, and we will continue to focus on it. Efforts to strengthen sales capabilities have also produced some improvement in sales efficiency.」

「Company-wide adoption through proposals centered on corporate wellness initiatives, together with expansion into the sports and beauty fields, which we have focused on since last year, is contributing to higher sales efficiency, and progress is in line with the plan. Efforts to increase personnel are also producing results, and we are working diligently to further expand sales. In the HS Division (installation and referral sales division), units sold per person increased, while in the SS Division (in-store events sales division), the number of orders increased as attendance at exhibitions and other events grew. Both divisions are progressing steadily.」

「In the workplace sales division, sales activities returned to normal, and the number of seminars recovered to pre-pandemic levels. In addition, new sales channels were developed in the sports and beauty fields. The installation and referral sales division resumed events for users, while attendance at exhibitions and other events in the in-store events sales division returned to pre-pandemic levels.」

「After recording a record high of 5,064 monthly orders in June this year, the workplace sales division continued to secure more orders than in the corresponding months of the previous year. Price revisions also contributed, resulting in revenue substantially exceeding the year-earlier period.」

「Since last year, we had worked to strengthen sales capabilities with the aim of establishing a structure capable of selling 5,000 units in workplace sales and 1,700 units in installation and referral sales by June this year. As a result, in June, the workplace sales division not only achieved its target but also recorded a record high for monthly orders. Although the installation and referral sales division fell slightly short of its target, it recorded its highest number of orders since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and, together with the workplace sales division, drove the water ionizer sales business.」

「In June this year, we aim to sell 5,000 units in the workplace sales division and 1,700 units in the installation and referral sales division.」

「We are also pursuing a new initiative using recruitment agencies to secure workplace seminars consistently. Although this initiative is still in its early stages, we believe it could provide a major catalyst for the rapid growth of workplace sales.」

「In June 2023, personnel increases and stronger sales capabilities aimed at establishing a structure capable of achieving 5,000 units per month in workplace sales and 1,700 units per month in installation and referral sales」

「Meanwhile, we continue to improve the skills of individual sales staff and increase personnel to establish a structure capable of achieving 5,000 units per month in workplace sales and 1,700 units per month in installation and referral sales.」

「The review of sales scripts undertaken from the third quarter to strengthen overall sales capabilities is beginning to improve sales efficiency. In parallel, we are increasing personnel to establish a structure capable of achieving 5,000 units per month in the workplace sales division and 1,700 units per month in the installation and referral sales division.」

「We will continue increasing personnel and strengthening the sales structure to establish a system capable of achieving 5,000 units per month in workplace sales and 1,700 units per month in installation and referral sales after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.」

「The recovery of the direct sales divisions through stronger expansion to local small and midsize companies, together with growth in the wholesale division, helped water ionizer revenue turn positive, rising 8.5% year on year in the third-quarter consolidated accounting period.」

「In the water ionizer sales business, the number of workplace sales seminars in April and May fell to approximately 20% of the year-earlier level under the state of emergency. However, stronger expansion centered on leading local small and midsize companies through the corporate wellness proposals described above proved effective, and seminar activity has now almost returned to pre-pandemic levels. Water ionizer sales are expected to turn positive year on year in the second half.」

「In addition, sales efficiency per seminar has increased substantially as seminar participants have become more health-conscious.」

「In the current fiscal year, as of the end of December 2019, water ionizers had been installed at 1,443 corporations, totaling 2,269 units, and the initiative is being expanded from there to individuals. The initiative expanded to approximately 400 corporations over the 3 months from October 2019. Examples include one company installing 87 water ionizers and another purchasing 40 units for employees' homes as part of its employee benefits program, showing that our initiatives are steadily bearing fruit.」

「Sales proposals for corporate wellness initiatives steadily expanded to 1,055 corporations and 1,598 units on a cumulative basis through the second quarter, while sales efficiency per person also increased.」

「In the water ionizer sales business of the Water Healthcare business, proposals for corporate wellness initiatives, our focus for corporate customers, expanded during the first quarter to 445 companies and 655 units, and we are working to expand them further.」

「An article published in the 1 January edition of The Distribution Industry Shimbun featured Hyogo Toyota Motor Co., Ltd., which had installed our water ionizers at all 36 of its locations. The article described the company's active use of water ionizers as part of its corporate wellness initiatives, including installations at all locations and at the homes of more than 300 employees. We are actively developing sales to expand such examples. Our new initiative to develop large corporate accounts that we had previously been unable to approach has also begun producing results.」

「The number of units sold per seminar and per sales employee, which we use as measures of sales efficiency, has increased year on year. From October, we have been testing a new initiative in workplace sales to develop large corporate accounts that we had not previously been able to approach. We will also work to increase the number of sales employees.」

「In the workplace sales division, starting with the installation of 172 units at an automobile dealer following a corporate wellness proposal and expanding to the dealer's employees, we have achieved results involving more than 500 units in total. Our intended expansion from B to B to C is taking shape. We will expand similar initiatives going forward.」

「Company-wide implementation based on corporate wellness initiatives is producing steady results, including the installation of 172 units at a major automobile dealer.」

「In the direct sales divisions, comprising the workplace sales division (DS of the DS・HS Division), the installation and referral sales division (HS of the DS・HS Division), and the in-store events sales division (SS Division), company-wide purchases are increasing in the workplace sales division, including the purchase of 44 units by an automobile dealer following a corporate wellness proposal. In in-store event sales, we are rejuvenating our sales staff by using staffing agencies, and the results are beginning to emerge. Although gradually, the business is returning to a virtuous cycle. With restoring sales efficiency as our top priority, we will also strengthen sales support by updating sales tools and conducting sales training.」

「We continue to shift toward a B to B company-wide sales approach based on proposals to companies centered on corporate wellness initiatives, while working to restore sales efficiency through measures such as sales training. In the second half of the current fiscal year, we will focus on strengthening the sales structure with subsequent fiscal years in mind.」

「In the water ionizer sales business, we continue to shift from the previous B to C broad-market sales approach to a B to B sales approach involving corporate-wide adoption, using corporate wellness initiatives as the entry point. Several successful examples of company-wide implementation have emerged.」

「In the water ionizer sales business, sales efficiency declined due to a series of negative reports concerning hydrogen water, including the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan's December press release on hydrogen water. Various specific measures have already been implemented, and sales efficiency has been gradually recovering since May.」

「However, in December last year, the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan issued a press release concerning hydrogen water, resulting in new adverse publicity. Following the announcement, the media broadly reported that the benefits of hydrogen water amounted to no more than hydration, which caused sales efficiency to decline. As one measure to restore sales efficiency quickly, we are currently focusing on introducing electrolyzed hydrogen water to companies through proposals for corporate wellness initiatives.」

「Sales efficiency temporarily declined due to negative publicity concerning hydrogen water, but is gradually showing signs of recovery. The number of companies adopting or considering corporate wellness initiatives using electrolyzed hydrogen water is increasing steadily. Media exposure has also increased as a result of stronger public relations and advertising, and we are working to further improve sales efficiency.」

「In the workplace sales division, DS (DS・HS Division), the number of units sold per briefing, a measure of sales efficiency, continues to set record highs. The number of units sold per person also reached record highs in both the installation and referral sales division, HS (DS・HS Division), and the in-store events sales division (SS Division), resulting in strong performance across all direct sales divisions. We will continue working to improve sales efficiency by proposing and promoting corporate wellness initiatives using electrolyzed hydrogen water and strengthening public relations and advertising.」

「The number of units sold per briefing, a measure of sales efficiency, reached a record high. The number of units sold per person also reached record highs in both the installation and referral sales division, HS (DS・HS Division), and the in-store events sales division (SS Division). As described above, the direct sales divisions performed well throughout the fiscal year, supported by the results of efforts to strengthen sales capabilities, growing awareness of hydrogen water and highly favorable business conditions resulting from market expansion.」