Study the numbers
Gohashi spent two months studying the market to figure out how to boost the company’s performance before he arrived at
ASICS America. He discovered that part of the problem was that the company was running in too many different directions.
ASICS America was spending too much of its effort trying to sell various types of athletic shoes in categories where giants such
as adidas, Nike and Reebok dominated. Instead of trying to increase the company’s sales across its product lines, Gohashi decided to concentrate most of its efforts on running shoes — the company’s strongest product with the most growth potential.
“We were dabbling, trying to figure out a direction,” says Gohashi “Our main category is running. We’re not going to compete
against Nike or adidas in basketball or soccer.”
Gohashi says he selected the running shoe market because it continues to grow, fueled by health- and lifestyle-conscious consumers
who are looking for running shoes to serve multiple purposes.
“The running market is still increasing,” says Gohashi. “There’s no decline in sales in the running markets, so we’ve selected a
market that has been strong for several years and is trending to be strong for the next several years.”
With a new direction, it was important for employees to understand how the company was progressing toward its goals. So
ASICS America shares its financial results with all of its employees each quarter, something Gohashi says is important because
it validates the company’s strategy and demonstrates to employees the value of their efforts and the progress the company is
making.
“Since our financials have been so positive over the last few years, we believe it’s helpful to share that with our sales reps and
employees,” Gohashi says. “It proves to them what they are doing on a daily basis is positively changing the bottom line.”
Gohashi also uses the results to persuade retailers that ASICS America is gaining market share.
“The financials are also tools that our reps use when talking to retailers to prove to them that consumers are buying ASICS and
they will want to be prepared by ordering more of our product to sell,” Gohashi says.