【日本の営業生産性を飛躍的に上げる方法】商談準備に時間がかかりすぎる／UI UXが使いにくい／いい人材が集う3つの理由／コンパウンド戦略とは？／2035年に１兆円狙う【ナレッジワーク麻野耕司】

Summary

The video script is a detailed discussion on the importance of business productivity, particularly in the sales department, and how companies can improve efficiency and profitability. The conversation highlights the significant number of companies lacking a strategic focus on sales productivity. It emphasizes the need for a shift in mindset towards a more systematic approach, as seen in successful companies like CyberAgent and Keyence. The transcript also covers the rapid growth of a company called 'ナレッジワーク' (Naruhodo), which has managed to secure significant funding and is focused on developing a knowledge-sharing platform for sales personnel. The platform aims to streamline the sales process by making it easier to find and utilize sales materials and know-how, thereby increasing the pure sales time. The discussion also touches on the company's user interface and user experience (UI/UX), which is inspired by BtoC products like YouTube, and the strategic approach of focusing on large enterprises right from the start. The founder shares his vision for the company's future growth, including plans for an IPO and the development of new products to expand their offering beyond just the sales domain.

Takeaways

• 📈 The company, Knowledge Work (ナレッジワーク), has experienced rapid growth, securing 4.5 billion yen in Series B funding to expand its functionalities beyond knowledge sharing for sales personnel.
• 🚀 The growth strategy includes a focus on improving sales productivity, which is a significant issue in Japan, with the aim to transform not just the sales industry but all types of work through enabling technologies.
• 💼 The average annual salary of employees is around 20 million yen, with a policy of not leaving anyone behind, reflecting a well-structured support system within the company.
• 🔍 The product is designed to be a high-performance portal site for sales personnel, making it easier to share sales materials and knowledge, which is a significant improvement from traditional file storage methods.
• 📚 The content within the platform is uploaded by the company itself, including product information, customer case studies, and past proposal documents, with 80% being general materials and the remaining 20% being field-specific.
• 👥 The team at Knowledge Work is composed of professionals from various backgrounds, including Recruit, Link and Motivation, Google, and other renowned companies, indicating a strong emphasis on talent acquisition.
• 🌟 The company's mission is to enable any job role, aiming to create an environment where effort is rewarded with growth and results, which is a significant shift from the traditional view of work.
• 📈 The growth of the company is attributed to three main factors: addressing the low sales productivity in the Japanese market, focusing on user interface and experience (UI/UX) to make the product more user-friendly, and building a senior professional team to cater to large enterprises.
• 🎯 The company plans to expand its product line to include 10 new products in the next three years, focusing on areas such as work (ワーク), learning (ラーニング), and people (ピープル) domains.
• 🤝 The strategy involves both vertical expansion within the sales domain and horizontal expansion into adjacent job roles, aiming to revolutionize various work roles through enabling technologies.
• ⏰ The company offers a good work-life balance, with controlled working hours and considerations for employees with families, which is a significant draw for senior professionals.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the company Knowledge Work?

Knowledge Work primarily focuses on developing and providing sales enablement tools, which are designed to enhance the productivity and effectiveness of sales teams.

How does Knowledge Work's product aim to improve the sales process?

The product aims to improve the sales process by making it easier for sales personnel to find and utilize sales materials and knowledge. It offers a portal site that allows for efficient access to documents and information, reducing the time spent on preparation and increasing the time for actual sales interactions.

What are the key challenges that Japanese sales departments are facing?

Japanese sales departments are facing challenges such as low sales productivity, which is a significant issue considering the large labor population involved in sales. The traditional methods of file storage and sharing are also seen as inefficient, contributing to the productivity gap.

What is the concept of 'T2D3' in the context of business growth?

T2D3 refers to an ideal growth pattern where a company's annual recurring revenue (ARR) triples consecutively three times. For example, if a company has an ARR of 100 million yen, it would grow to 300 million, then 900 million, and so on, following the T2D3 growth pattern.

How does Knowledge Work's approach differ from traditional sales enablement solutions?

Unlike traditional sales enablement solutions that focus more on management and administration, Knowledge Work's approach is more user-centric, aiming to support the sales staff directly in their tasks and making their work more efficient rather than just tracking and managing their activities.

What is the significance of the 45 billion yen funding that Knowledge Work secured?

The 45 billion yen funding is significant as it not only validates the company's business model and growth potential but also provides the necessary financial resources to further expand the product's capabilities, enhance user experience, and accelerate the company's growth strategy.

What are the future growth strategies that Knowledge Work is considering?

Knowledge Work is considering a multi-product strategy, expanding beyond sales enablement to provide a broader range of tools that support all kinds of work, aiming to enable any job function to achieve more through better access to knowledge and streamlined processes.

How does Knowledge Work plan to address the issue of low productivity among Japanese sales staff?

Knowledge Work plans to address this issue by providing tools that streamline the process of finding and utilizing sales materials, thereby reducing the time spent on preparation and increasing the time available for direct sales activities.

What is the role of the user interface and user experience (UI/UX) in Knowledge Work's product strategy?

UI/UX plays a crucial role in Knowledge Work's product strategy. The company aims to provide a user-friendly interface that is inspired by B2C products, making it more intuitive and accessible for sales staff, which is a departure from the typical B2B software that often prioritizes functionality over user experience.

How does Knowledge Work's product cater to the needs of large enterprises?

The product is designed to meet the standards and requirements of large enterprises. It has been successfully adopted by major companies like NTT, Toyota, and KDDI, which indicates its ability to scale and cater to the complex needs of large organizations.

What are the key features of Knowledge Work's portal site for sales personnel?

The portal site provides a high-performance interface for sales personnel, allowing for easy sharing of sales materials and knowledge. It includes features like thumbnail previews for quick access to documents, streamlined search functions to find relevant materials, and a viewer for detailed inspection of documents without having to open them fully.

How does Knowledge Work ensure that the content on its platform remains relevant and up-to-date?

The company relies on its users to upload relevant content, which includes product information, customer case studies, and past proposal documents. The platform is designed to encourage regular updates and sharing of materials among team members to ensure that the content remains current.