Episode #101: What Is Kokorogamae And Why Does It Matter In Sales In Japan

Why does intention matter more than technique in sales?

Sales success starts long before a pitch. It begins with intention: are you living and selling on purpose, or just reacting to events around you? In any professional life, intention shapes outcomes—but in sales, it shapes trust. A salesperson can be highly skilled and still fail if their purpose is selfish, short-term, or unclear.

When your intention is to serve the buyer, your methods become ethical, sustainable, and effective. When your intention is only personal gain, even great techniques turn into manipulation—and buyers feel it.

Mini-summary: Sales isn’t only about how you sell; it’s about why you sell. Intention determines trust and results.

Kokorogamae (真心構え / true intention) is a compound Japanese word.

• Kokoro (心 / heart, spirit, inner mind)

• Kamae (構え / stance or posture) — used in karate to mean taking a ready position.

Put together, kokorogamae (真心構え / true intention) means your inner stance—your honest, foundational purpose before you act. In sales, it answers the question: What do I truly want for the client and for myself in this relationship?

If your kokorogamae is strong and ethical, your sales process becomes a path to partnership.

Mini-summary: Kokorogamae means your inner posture. In sales, it’s your moral starting point.

A harmful kokorogamae turns sales into exploitation. A well-known example is Jordan Belfort, whose intention was to enrich himself by deceiving others. Even after conviction, he became a public “sales trainer,” which damages the credibility of the profession.

Figures like Belfort—or Ponzi criminals such as Bernie Madoff—don’t just hurt victims. They create permanent doubt in buyers, making trust harder for every honest salesperson to earn.

Dale Carnegie’s philosophy stands in direct contrast: don’t be a good salesperson; be a good person in sales.

Mini-summary: Self-centered intention corrupts technique, harms clients, and poisons trust for the whole profession.

Is there a “middle ground” between serving the client and serving yourself?

No. That’s the hard truth. In sales, intention is binary:

1. Serve the client and help them succeed, or

2. Use the client to make yourself succeed.

There’s no neutral zone. Buyers can sense when recommendations are motivated by commission, quota pressure, or ego. Short-term wins gained through pressure create long-term losses through reputation damage.

A sales hero who modeled the right mindset is Zig Ziglar. His famous quote reflects the ideal kokorogamae:

“You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

Mini-summary: Sales intention is either client-first or self-first. Only client-first creates lasting success.

What principle keeps sales ethical from start to finish?

A Japanese four-character phrase captures it well:
Shin Shi Kei Shuu (終始敬終 / integrity from start to finish).

This means acting with consistent honesty and respect throughout the entire relationship—before, during, and after the sale. When this is your north star, you build credibility that survives competition, market changes, and quota cycles.

Mini-summary: Shin Shi Kei Shuu means integrity end-to-end, and it’s the compass for ethical sales.

Why do salespeople drift into short-termism, and how do you prevent it?

Short-termism happens when people panic—about targets, job security, or status. That desperation pushes them to:

• oversell,

• recommend high-commission options over best-fit solutions,

• pressure buyers into decisions they’ll regret.

The antidote is not motivation alone. It’s professional mastery plus character:

• study and training,

• deliberate practice,

• self-awareness,

• reflection on personal values,

• commitment to honesty even under pressure.

If a person can’t commit to integrity, they should leave sales.

Mini-summary: Pressure creates unethical shortcuts. The cure is skill + reflection + values.

Sales is still a process, and strong technique matters. A healthy sales cycle includes:

1. researching and planning the call,

2. building trust early,

3. asking thoughtful questions to uncover needs,

4. presenting solutions through buyer benefits,

5. handling pushback respectfully,

6. asking for commitment clearly,

7. following up with excellence.

But technique only becomes powerful when guided by a client-serving kokorogamae. Skill without ethics is manipulation. Skill with ethics is leadership.

A useful mantra is:
“In the client’s success, I sow the seeds of my own success.”

Mini-summary: Ethical intention turns sales skills into partnership, not pressure.

• Kokorogamae (真心構え / true intention) is your inner stance before you sell—your real purpose.

• Trust is the currency of sales, and intention determines whether trust grows or dies.

• There is no grey area: you either serve the client’s success or exploit it.

• Integrity end-to-end (Shin Shi Kei Shuu / 終始敬終) creates long careers and loyal buyers.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.