Episode #272: Shoshin - The Beginner's Mind

Why does sales performance stall even for experienced professionals?

When salespeople gain experience, they also gain habits. Some habits help. Others quietly slow us down—especially under pressure from quotas, leadership expectations, and constant rejection. Over time, even high performers can slip into “autopilot”: repeating last year’s routines without re-examining what still works.

Mini-summary: Experience is valuable, but unchallenged routines can flatten results. A reset mindset helps you evolve.

Shoshin (初心 / “beginner’s mind”) means approaching your work with the clarity, curiosity, and openness you had when you first started. Beginners don’t overthink. They learn fast. They act with energy because they haven’t accumulated fear, cynicism, or “this is how it’s done” assumptions.

In sales, shoshin helps you:

• See clients as they are, not as you expect them to be

• Watch your own process with fresh eyes

• Rebuild motivation and courage

• Break complex tasks into improvable parts

Mini-summary: Shoshin restores simplicity and learning speed—the same edge you had early in your career.

One year often flows straight into the next. Even after a holiday break, most salespeople restart with the same mindset and tactics—just more tired. That means we bring last year’s baggage into this year’s pipeline.

A reset moment is your best chance to:

• Re-evaluate what you’re trying to achieve

• Identify which parts of your sales cycle are weak

• Strengthen what works and delete what doesn’t

Mini-summary: A reset moment is a strategic opportunity to redesign your selling—before old habits take over again.

Shoshin turns your sales cycle into a set of improvable components. Here are three high-impact areas to review.

1) Are you asking for referrals properly and consistently?

Many salespeople stop asking for referrals after years of rejection or price pressure. But if you’re delivering value, you’ve earned the right to ask.

The key is how you ask:

• Don’t say “Do you know anyone who…?”

• Instead, name a specific group they can visualize—colleagues in 日本企業 (Japanese companies), peers in a business association, a golf group, or industry contacts.
  That makes the request easy and realistic.

Mini-summary: Referrals are a skill you can regain. Ask clearly, specifically, and confidently.

2) Are you following up leads fast enough?

A common global benchmark is that the best chance to convert a lead is within about two hours of entry into your funnel. If your internal system delivers slowly—or your priorities slip—you lose momentum to competitors.

Think back to your early sales days:
You sprinted. You didn’t hesitate. You wanted that conversation.

Mini-summary: Speed creates advantage. Beginner energy turns lead follow-up into a competitive weapon.

3) Are you still doing deep buyer and company research?

Early in their career, salespeople often act like detectives. Later, complacency appears:
“I’ve done this long enough—I can wing it.”

But today’s tools make high-quality research easier than ever:

• company websites

• social media

• public interviews

• LinkedIn and industry communities

You’re hunting for:

• connectors

• shared context

• credibility triggers

• personal and organizational priorities

Mini-summary: Research builds trust faster. Modern tools make shoshin-style curiosity practical again.

In competitive markets like 東京 (Tokyo), many sellers keep repeating last year’s playbook. If you re-enter the year with shoshin, you change faster than your rivals.

That advantage looks like:

• More proactive outreach

• Better questions in discovery

• Stronger follow-up discipline

• Higher confidence in referrals

• Clearer value communication to both 日本企業 and 外資系企業 (multinational companies)

Mini-summary: While others drag old habits forward, shoshin helps you modernize your sales faster—and win.

• Shoshin (初心 / “beginner’s mind”) helps experienced sellers regain clarity, courage, and learning speed.

• Reset moments are ideal for redesigning your sales cycle instead of repeating last year.

• Focus first on referrals, lead follow-up speed, and buyer research.

• In Japan, shoshin creates a real edge because most competitors don’t reset intentionally.

At Dale Carnegie Tokyo, our 営業研修 (Sales Training) is built to help sales teams and leaders:

• refresh mindset and motivation

• rebuild winning behaviors under pressure

• sharpen client communication and trust-building

• create consistent, repeatable performance improvements

We support professionals across industries in 東京 and Japan, serving both 日本企業 and 外資系企業 with practical, behavior-focused programs grounded in real sales situations.

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.