海外営業に英語力は必須のスキル?必要な場面やレベルを解説Is English proficiency an essential skill for overseas sales? Explanation of necessary situations and levels

Overseas sales is not necessarily a position that only graduates of overseas universities with high English proficiency or returnees with experience studying abroad can obtain. The English proficiency required varies depending on the nature of the work. This article is designed to help you resolve any concerns or worries you may have about whether or not your English ability is sufficient for the overseas sales position you are considering. Please read to the end and take the first step toward your desired career change.

In conclusion, English proficiency is required for overseas sales jobs. However, the level of English proficiency required depends on the job. Here, we will introduce the level of English proficiency required for each overseas sales job.

Required English Proficiency Level Depends on the Job

There are two main types of work in the Overseas Sales Department: overseas sales that includes trade office work at bases in Japan, and overseas sales that includes expatriate staff at local bases.

For trade clerical work and overseas sales at bases in Japan

English-using duties in overseas sales at bases in Japan include tasks such as exchanging e-mails, phone calls, documents, and materials.

Conversation is at a daily conversation (intermediate) level or higher.

If your duties are limited to answering phone calls, you should be able to speak at a daily conversational level because most of the conversations with local people are routine and not too difficult. On the other hand, if you are at the level of a contact person, you will need to negotiate and coordinate with local people, so business-level speaking ability is required.

Reading and writing at a business level

Even in Japan, emails, documents, and other correspondence must be in written English, not colloquial English, as is the case in business in Japan. Therefore, a certain level of business English is required.
However, there is a set pattern that is unique to business English, so once you learn the pattern, you should have no major problems in writing e-mails, documents, and other documents.

English Proficiency in Technical Terms is Necessary for Trade Clerks

Trade clerks need to have knowledge of technical terms in English in addition to Japanese terminology.
On the other hand, for jobs that are not directly related to import/export operations, knowledge of trade-related terminology is only learned in the course of work and is not required to be particularly advanced.

For expatriates and overseas sales staff at local offices

As you can imagine, English proficiency is necessary for overseas sales at local offices. Almost all work that uses English is done in English, except for correspondence with Japanese companies or customers such as Japanese trading companies, so it will be difficult to perform the work if you do not have an advanced level of English.

Advanced Level English Proficiency Required

For expatriates at local offices, advanced level of English is required for daily life as they live in the local area. However, for those who have been transferred from domestic sales to overseas sales through internal transfers, English proficiency may not be very high, as product knowledge and sales experience can cover some English skills.

The situations requiring English language skills in overseas sales vary from beginner to advanced levels as follows.

• Handling phone calls from overseas English level: ☆☆
• Creating and translating e-mails, documents and materials English level: ☆☆☆☆☆
• Simple translation and interpretation overseas English level: ☆☆☆☆    
• Presentations during business meetings and negotiations English level: ☆☆☆☆    
• Planning and formulating sales strategies English level: ☆☆☆☆☆

Here are some situations in which English skills are required for overseas sales, along with the required English level.

Handling telephone calls from overseas English level: ☆    

In the case of domestic offices, calls are often received from overseas along with regular phone calls. In such cases, a minimum level of response is required. If you only need to connect the caller to the person in charge, there are not many patterns, so you only need to prepare a few things in advance, so the level of difficulty is low.

Preparation and translation of e-mails, documents and materials English level: ☆☆☆☆

Corresponding to e-mails in English is a must. Even if you are not very confident in e-mail communication, there are dictionaries and translation software available nowadays, so you should be able to communicate at least a minimum level by using such tools. However, 100% accurate translation cannot be expected yet, so it is necessary to have enough English ability to check whether the translation is correct or not.

As for creating documents and materials, in many cases templates are provided, and many software programs have functions to review the spelling and grammar of words, so a high level of English proficiency is not required.

Simple translation and interpretation overseas English level: ☆☆☆☆☆

When accompanying in-house engineers or managers who do not speak English well, there may be situations 

where you will be expected to provide some interpretation. In this case, knowledge of technical English is required, and knowledge of the industry is also necessary, but this will not be much of a problem if you learn and become accustomed to it through your work.

Presentations during business negotiations and negotiations English level: ☆☆☆☆

Presentation skills in English are very important in overseas sales. Overseas, unlike in Japan, it is necessary to create presentations in a conclusion-first manner. Therefore, the ability to make presentations that are unique to overseas is required rather than the ability in English itself.

Planning and drafting of sales strategies English level: ☆☆☆☆☆

You may think that English skills are not so necessary for planning and formulating internal sales strategies, but since it will be in English locally, it is necessary to include a strong message that can be conveyed to local people, so a high level of English skills is required even in business to express strategic planning in Japanese in English appropriate for the situation. However, if it is only Japanese who will be making proposals for planning and planning, English proficiency will not be necessary.
 

English language proficiency is a must for any job change in an overseas sales position. You will be asked about your actual English use and overseas experience, and some companies may actually have an English interview. TOEIC is the main test used as proof of English proficiency on a resume. Other well-known English tests include the Eiken and TOEFL, but as a specialized test for business English, companies often use TOEIC to determine English proficiency, and the levels are,

• Beginner level: ~595 points
• Intermediate level: 600 to 695 points
• Business level: 700 to 795 points
• Advanced level: 800 points and up

The TOEIC is often divided into the following levels *TOEIC scores are given in increments of 5 points, so here are the levels of English that companies consider acceptable based on TOEIC scores.

Beginner level: ~595 points

The average TOEIC test score is said to be around 600 points, and 600 points is a level that can be written on a resume. In other words, this is the first score that a beginner level student should aim for. In terms of Eiken, this is the level of understanding high school English at the level of level 2 to level 2. Many companies require a minimum score of 600 points for actual overseas sales work, so if your score is less than 600 points, aim for 600 points first.

Intermediate level: 600 to 695 points

A TOEIC score in the 600s is finally at a level where you can work as an overseas sales representative. In terms of Eiken, this level is equivalent to passing level 2.

Business Level: 700 to 795 points

A TOEIC score in the 700s is considered to be a level at which the candidate is able to handle routine interactions without problems and understand basic content and vocabulary. This is the level of the Eiken (Test of English as a Foreign Language), where one is considered to be better at English than the people around him or her. However, to move to the next level, you will need to study more than before, so 800 points is said to be a barrier that is difficult to overcome.

Advanced Level: 800 points and up

A TOEIC score of 800 or higher is considered to be a high level of English proficiency, a level at which one can handle most English-language tasks without problems. However, it is said that a certain number of Japanese at this level have good reading and listening skills but lack speaking and writing skills. If you want to prove your overall English proficiency, we recommend that you also take the TOEIC S&W test, which tests speaking and writing skills.

The TOEIC score level of English proficiency required for overseas sales differs by industry. Here, we will use manufacturers and trading companies as examples.

• Manufacturers: Intermediate level, 600 points or higher
• Trading companies: Business level, 730 points and up

In actual work, the ability to use English, such as speaking ability, is more important than TOEIC score level, so please consider this TOEIC score as a guideline for the minimum level on the application documents.

Manufacturer: Intermediate level, 600 points or higher

For overseas sales at domestic bases of manufacturers, many companies require a TOEIC score of 600 or higher for internal work such as trade clerical work, which mainly involves exporting the company's products or importing products of overseas origin. On the other hand, for jobs that require a lot of business negotiations with local counterparts, speaking ability is more important, but as a general guideline, a score of 700 or higher is probably required.

Trading companies: Business level: 730 points or higher

In the past, trading companies handled many overseas sales agent-like operations, but recently they have been developing a wider range of operations, such as business investment, and therefore require a higher level of English proficiency than manufacturers. Some trading companies set TOEIC score of 730 or higher as the minimum requirement for mid-career hiring and promotion in overseas sales. In addition, higher English proficiency is required for expatriate employees.
 

Even if you are not sure about your English skills for a career change to overseas sales, there are still ways to improve your English skills. There was a time when going to a language school was the most common way to learn English, but we often heard people say that they were too busy with work and could not find the time to attend the school after all. We understand that some people may have resistance to learning English while working.

According to the English Utilization Survey 2019, among respondents to Nikkei BP's survey on attitudes toward English, about 40% of all respondents said they were learning English on a regular basis.

The average study time for those who study English on a regular basis was 3 hours and 42 minutes, while those with TOEIC scores of 800 or higher tended to study for 6 hours and 4 minutes, three times longer than other learners.

Furthermore, in terms of study time, more of those with TOEIC scores of 800 or higher tended to use their English study time while traveling and before going to work. 

Methods for learning English that can be done while traveling and before work are,

• Use smartphone apps
• Using online English conversation services

Online English conversation services Here, we will introduce methods to improve your English skills and tests to measure the effectiveness of these methods for changing jobs in overseas sales by utilizing the time you have on the move and before work.

Actively use it at work

The most efficient way is to actively use it at work. If you have English-speaking colleagues, talk to them actively. They will be more than happy to chat with you. If there is an overseas sales department in your company, this will also help you appeal to yourself that you have an intention to do overseas sales.
Some companies also have in-house English learning programs, so be proactive in utilizing these in-house programs as well.

Utilize smartphone applications.

We recommend smartphone apps that can be used quickly and easily on the move or in your spare time. They have features that keep you motivated to continue learning, such as rankings based on competition with friends or people you study with online, and reminders if you don't use the app for a few days, so you can continue learning on your own. There are also apps to improve your speaking skills, so it is a good idea to try multiple apps and use the one that focuses on the skills you want to improve.

Use an online English conversation service

Online English conversation services are a great way to improve your conversational skills on the spur of the moment, with many services offering lessons of about 30 minutes each and a variety of time slots, such as in the morning before work or in the evening before bedtime.
Each company offers different nationalities of tutors, trials, price plans, etc., so you can start using the service after you have tried it out.

Take the TOEIC test regularly.

If you want to see how much your English has improved, we recommend that you take the TOEIC test regularly. If you do not have the time to take the test more than once, you can also purchase past TOEIC tests and solve them to see the results. In any case, it is necessary to check your results regularly to encourage you to continue learning English.

Take the Trade Practices Test

The Trade Practices Test has three levels, from Level A to Level C, and is primarily designed to determine the knowledge that people involved in trade administration and import/export operations need to know. This certification may not be familiar to domestic salespeople. In terms of learning English, the Trade Practices Test enables students to learn specialized English vocabulary related to trade and English sentences often used in business letters. If you are not going to work in a trading office, there is no need to take the exam, but it is a good idea to learn it if you are changing from domestic sales to overseas sales, because the knowledge of trade practice will help you understand the actual import/export business when you are involved in it.

 

If you have read this far and are beginning to think positively about changing jobs to overseas sales, you are probably wondering how to go about changing jobs. While English proficiency is of course an advantageous skill to have, it is not the only skill required for a career change, and it may be difficult to land an overseas sales position. Here, we will show you how to hone your weapons and how to get a new job in overseas sales.

Choose a position where you can easily change jobs even with an intermediate level of English.

If you are working in Japan, there are companies and positions that do not require that level of English proficiency. If you have an intermediate level of English, you should choose a position where that level of English is not a problem. If you want to continue learning, you may apply for a position that requires advanced level English, but you will need to keep learning to get to that level if you actually end up working for the company.

Gain sales experience that will show immediate results.

More than English language skills, sales experience is necessary for overseas sales positions. If your planned career change is still some time away and you do not have much sales experience and your English skills are at a beginner level, it is a good idea to prepare for both at the same time so that you can strengthen your English skills while gaining sales experience. If possible, gaining experience as a leader or manager will also be a strong asset to the company.

Attempt to acquire qualifications that demonstrate your willingness to learn and expertise.

While this is true for any position, overseas salespeople deal with people from many different cultures overseas, so you will need to be willing to learn and understand them. In addition, expertise that can be utilized in overseas sales that is appropriate for the industry and experience selling similar products will be appealing points. If you are looking for a common qualification for overseas sales, we recommend the Trade Practices Test.

Use a recruitment agent that specializes in overseas sales

Even if you have prepared well for your new job, you may feel uneasy about changing jobs on your own, because the job may not match the actual position, the position may not be what you are looking for, or even if you do get the job, the gap may lead to early retirement due to the gap between the actual situation and the job.
By using a recruitment agent that specializes in international sales, the agent's counselor will be able to match the needs of the company with the desires and strengths of the job seeker and introduce you to positions that you could not find on your own. Since different recruitment agents specialize in different fields and offer different types of support, we recommend that you choose the agent that best suits your needs.
 

This article has been written to introduce English proficiency for overseas sales positions.
English proficiency is necessary for overseas sales positions. However, depending on the company and the nature of the job, there are jobs that can be handled with intermediate-level English proficiency, but it takes a lot of time and effort to search for them on your own. For this reason, we recommend that those who are new to overseas sales or who are unsure about changing jobs use a recruitment agent that specializes in overseas sales to find a company that matches your strengths and expectations.    
At United World Inc., dedicated career counselors work closely with each individual to support their job change activities. After carefully listening to your detailed requirements and career plans, we will introduce you to the best job opportunities that suit you best, so if you are considering changing jobs, please click the button below to contact us.

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