National Tide 1980

To be honest, if Ning Weimin wants to acquire the "Ordinary PANCH" magazine, it is not as simple as one hand for money and one hand for goods.

The Chinese think more simply. Once the company is sold to me, it is mine. I will do whatever I want and how I operate it. I will have no connection with the old boss in the future and have no right to ask. The buyer and seller only need to pay attention to the specific transaction price.

But the Japanese don't think so, and they are more stubborn. They often don't give up easily on some so-called persistence and like to put forward many additional conditions.

For example, they hope that the takeover will make a guarantee to expand the business and maintain the brand, and also guarantee the welfare of existing employees.

For example, when Ning Weimin bought the Huiwentang Bookstore in Roppongi, the heir of the bookstore proposed that Ning Weimin continue to operate the bookstore and hire two employees until they complete their studies.

If Ning Weimin hadn't been looking for the profit of real estate appreciation, he would have been sure that the land price in Roppongi would soon soar.

He didn't want to make more dreams at night, so he agreed at once. It is estimated that the matter would have fallen through at that time.

The stubborn owner may not be willing to sell to him.

So if we use an appropriate analogy, if someone wants to buy a Japanese company, the process is actually very similar to a blind date to find a wife.

You must be patient and accept the other party's interrogation of various questions first.

You must first answer to the other party's satisfaction before there will be follow-up.

After a certain trust and emotional foundation is cultivated, you must also have a certain economic strength and agree to the other party's various specific conditions, so that you can finally succeed.

I have to say that it is indeed quite tiring.

And this kind of persistence of the Japanese is actually very strange in the eyes of most Chinese. There is always a feeling that the Japanese are too arrogant and want to be a whore and want to build a memorial archway.

Even if the company is in business adversity, it is not easy to impress the Japanese with money alone.

For example, Guo Taiming encountered many twists and turns in buying Sharp decades later. It took a long time and countless negotiations before he finally reached an agreement.

At that time, Sharp was losing money for years and was about to go bankrupt.

But it was so miserable that Sharp even refused to contact Terry Gou for a while because of the different cooperation concepts between the two parties. This is enough to show how stubborn the Japanese are.

They would rather go bankrupt than sell.

Moreover, now is the most prosperous time for the Japanese economy, and most Japanese companies are not short of money, so this situation will be more serious.

On the contrary, at this time, the Japanese like to use money to hit foreigners, use rough and willful methods to acquire foreign companies, and attach a kind of condescending contempt.

Anyway, whether the Japanese are smart or stupid, stubborn or persistent, whether this is the difference between the two cultures, or should be attributed to the national characteristics of Japan, it doesn’t matter.

Anyway, these things are enough to show that Japanese companies are not department stores, and you can buy everything you want with money.

And when it comes to the transaction of the magazine "Pingyuan PANCH", the difficulties may be even greater.

Because the first premise is that the suspension of "Pingyuan PANCH" is not due to simple financial problems.

Even though the circulation of each issue has dropped from one million to less than 500,000, it is still profitable.

Moreover, MAGAZINE HOUSE Publishing Group has so many outstanding magazines. The sales of the top magazine "Pingfan" are about to exceed 3 million, and there are no less than five other magazines with a circulation of more than one million.

It is a foolish dream to want to deal with such a publishing group with just money.

They are not short of money!

Let alone how high a price needs to be offered to make them tempted.

Let's say that from the other side's point of view, as long as they are not stupid, they would rather stop publishing than sell it.

Because it is easy to sell, don't forget that MAGAZINE HOUSE Publishing Group has many competitors.

There are countless fashion magazines in Japan, but the market size is limited.

What if "Pingfan PANCH" falls into the hands of other publishing groups in the future, and they use the existing readership of this magazine to continue to invest resources to snipe their other magazines?

This is not a sheep walking into the tiger's mouth, looking for trouble for yourself.

Secondly, it is very difficult for ordinary people to meet the chairman of the MAGAZINE HOUSE Publishing Group.

Of course, this is not because the other party is arrogant, but because Japanese entrepreneurs are used to "hiding" themselves tightly and do not want to be easily found by strangers.

Why?

It is because Japanese entrepreneurs are almost all private enterprises. As entrepreneurs, the most fearful thing is that they will make mistakes if they talk too much. This has become a consensus among Japanese bosses.

Most Japanese bosses are worried that their every move will affect the credibility and reputation of the company, so they try not to deal with outsiders, and even do not accept interviews.

Especially since the MAGAZINE HOUSE Publishing Group itself is a member of the media industry, it has done a better job of keeping the chairman's whereabouts confidential and isolating from the outside world.

So if you can't meet the person who can make the decision in the MAGAZINE HOUSE Publishing Group, and only pass on the intention to buy the magazine from the grassroots cadres to the upper level, the time wasted in this process cannot be wasted.

So based on the above points, in fact, it is not realistic for Ning Weimin to successfully negotiate the transfer of the magazine "Ordinary PANCH", not to mention that he is eager to close the deal as soon as possible.

Besides, business is about doing business with the familiar and not with the new.

From the perspective that Ning Weimin has no relevant working experience, whether it will be a big pit even if he buys it is another matter.

Even MAGAZINE HOUSE Publishing Group is afraid that he lacks the corresponding management ability and will not affect the reputation of its magazine.

But then again, Ning Weimin also has his own unique advantages. In addition to money, he thinks he can offer more attractive cooperation conditions to the other party.

Especially in the past few years in Tokyo, he has understood the Japanese's beating, and he also has a father-in-law who is a businessman as his adviser.

So after figuring out what he wants and what he can give, how risky this deal is for him, whether it is worthwhile... and so on.

With the help of Han Yingming, Ning Weimin quickly found the possibility of completing the deal and took action without hesitation.

First, Ning Weimin found the entry point of Sumitomo Bank.

Because he found that it might be because of the business risk and the lack of highlights in the fundraising and investment projects.

The current Japanese magazine publishing group is actually one of the few industries in Japan that cannot rely on issuing bonds to solve its financing needs and can only go through bank channels for financing.

MAGAZINE HOUSE Publishing Group is a member that relies heavily on Sumitomo Bank.

And Ning Weimin himself happens to be a major customer of Sumitomo Bank, and now the amount of loans from Sumitomo is almost 200 billion yen.

Even Minister Yoshimo's son Yoshimo is almost relying on him to become the branch president. So it would not be difficult for him to use the face of Sumitomo Bank and ask Minister Yoshimo to help introduce the chairman of MAGAZINE HOUSE Publishing Group.

Isn't it a natural thing?

On the other hand, MAGAZINE HOUSE Publishing Group Chairman Tatsuo Shimizu really couldn't refuse such a favor.

After all, it was the request of the creditor.

It should be said that the two sides were still quite polite when they met.

The idea of ​​not offending Sumitomo Bank not only made Shimizu Tatsuo agree to meet with Ning Weimin, but also he had to be patient and polite in front of Minister Yoshimo and listen carefully to Ning Weimin's request.

However, although the gesture was sufficient, whether he really wanted to sell and whether he would agree to the deal in the end was another matter.

But the good thing was that Ning Weimin had already made full preparations and had thought clearly about how to respond.

In fact, after Shimizu Tatsuo and Ning Weimin met face to face, he was really aroused by this strange young man to sell magazines.

For no other reason, it was because Ning Weimin really took out a bargaining chip that he could not refuse, and the cooperation conditions that were of great benefit to both parties.

Under the witness of Minister Yoshimo, the two had this frank conversation.

Shimizu Tatsuo, "President Ning, why do you want to buy this magazine?"

Ning Weimin, "Because I really need it. I work for Pierre Catton, specifically responsible for overseas expansion of trolley suitcases and high-end Chinese restaurants. In addition, my wife is Matsumoto Keiko, who owns her own artist agency and production studio. So from the perspective of either of our careers, we need such a magazine to promote us. This first point is purely a business consideration. In addition, you should also know that my wife has been deeply involved in the whirlpool of public opinion many times, and not long ago, she was deliberately targeted and smeared by some media because of the burning series Suo Fukuo. For this reason, we suffered a lot, so we had a second idea - we think we should have our own public opinion power, so that we will not fall into this kind of trouble in the future, and we will not even be able to clarify the rumors for ourselves."

Shimizu Tatsuo nodded, seeming to understand Ning Weimin's mentality, but continued to ask bluntly without mercy.

"Excuse me, magazines are not something that anyone can run. You seem to have no relevant experience, so how do you plan to run our magazine after you buy it?"

Ning Weimin was very modest, "You are right, I do lack relevant experience. However, this is exactly why I am interested in the magazine "Pingfan PANCH". Your company is recognized as the best fashion magazine publishing company in Japan. "Pingfan PANCH" has been published for more than ten years since its inception. It has a mature operating model and rich content. It can be said that the editors of "Pingfan PANCH" are all excellent and have enough experience. They have already occupied a considerable position in the industry. Moreover, they cooperate well and do not need to run in. Although the circulation of "Pingfan PANCH" is inferior to that of the main magazine "Pingfan", it still has hundreds of thousands of readers, which is enough to satisfy me. If I buy it, I think the best business strategy is not to make too many changes and continue to rely on mature magazines to operate in the same way as before."

Tatsuo Shimizu couldn't help interrupting and asked a more sharp question.

"So what you mean is that you don't have any aggressive plans. You also admit that you are incapable of changing the current situation of this magazine's continued decline? I have to remind you that Japan's labor costs are increasing every year, and if "Plain PANCH" continues like this, in less than two years, the number of readers may be less than 100,000, and you will soon be losing money. I dare say that the magazine's ability to burn money will surprise you by then. What will happen to the magazine's reputation? What about the magazine's employees? Will you lay off employees?"

But Ning Weimin shook his head and denied it.

"No, of course not. I don't interfere with the operation of the magazine. I need to learn the operation and management of the magazine. That's right. But I also have my own way. I won't let the magazine go to this step. I promise to make the magazine bigger and stronger."

Tatsuo Shimizu still asked persistently, "But how can you guarantee it? If you are just talking, I can't believe you..."

This time, Ning Weimin actually laughed. "I'm not just talking, because I have rich news resources."

"News resources?" Tatsuo Shimizu was stunned.

"Yes, if you want to run a magazine well, besides experience, personnel, and funds, the most important thing is the source of news, right? Everyone knows the importance of exclusive news to the media. This is the commonality of all media, whether it is newspapers, magazines, television, or radio. Isn't that right?"

Ning Weimin talked freely, "There are some things I may not have made clear to you. Although I work for Pierre Cardin, I am Chinese and have a good relationship with the government. So in addition to selling some Chinese arts and crafts, I am also doing business to introduce Chinese culture to Japan. I have a small bookstore, Huiwentang, which published the Japanese version of the novel and comic strip "Dream of Red Mansions" in Japan. For example, the TV series "Dream of Red Mansions" broadcasted by TBS, the "A Chinese Ghost Story" currently being broadcasted, and the "Chinese Heroes" to be released soon, these TV series and movies were also introduced to Japan by me. So I have exclusive news channels for Sino-Japanese art and cultural exchanges, the dynamics of TV series and movies in the mainland, and even the changes in Hong Kong movies."

"Not only that, because of my work, I also have a presence in the French fashion industry. Certain connections. LVMH Group and Yves Saint Laurent both maintain good relations with me. Whenever I want, I can get exclusive interviews with these two companies and Pierre Cardin in the Paris fashion industry every year. New product launches will be reported in a timely manner. If you add my wife's Fog Studio and artist management agency, as well as Taurus Records, don't you think these news resources are enough for me to distance myself from other magazines in terms of magazine content and make a difference? "

"In addition, I would like to say that although I lack experience in running magazines, as a newcomer who is not professional, I am different from other professional magazines and will never become a competitor of your company. I am satisfied with just having a magazine with a circulation of hundreds of thousands, and I will never seek more development in fashion magazines. I am even willing to use GG needs and these news resources to cooperate with your company for a long time in exchange for your professional guidance and help, as well as your magazines' long-term public opinion support for us. Isn't this a good thing that benefits both sides?"