Episode #31: Create Your Own Philosophy Of Sales

Why do many salespeople in Japan and globally struggle to build trust with modern buyers?

In both 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) operating in 東京 (Tokyo), sales teams face relentless pressure to perform. Yet customers today reject “push selling,” scripted pitches, and short-term tactics. Executives repeatedly ask:

“If our salespeople know so much about our products, why aren’t clients buying from them?”

The answer comes from a timeless truth:
People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

While product expertise is essential, modern selling hinges on empathy, intention, and credibility. Without demonstrating genuine care, even the most impressive technical knowledge gets ignored.

Mini-Summary:
Buyers respond to intention before information. Trust is the real competitive advantage in sales.

Many sales professionals—especially those trained in transactional, high-pressure environments—approach clients like they are reading from a catalogue. When a client asks for “blue,” these salespeople keep offering “pink,” hoping one option sticks. This outdated “process of elimination” erodes trust.

Clients feel:

• Misunderstood

• Unimportant

• Treated like a transaction, not a partner

This creates a perception that the salesperson is chasing commission, not client success. And in a market as relationship-driven as Japan, this destroys long-term opportunities.

Mini-Summary:
When salespeople sell products instead of understanding people, clients quickly disengage.

Kokorogamae (心構え) literally means “heart readiness” or “getting your heart in order.”

• Kokoro = heart/spirit

• Kamae = stance/ready position → becomes gamae in compound form

In Japanese martial arts and traditional arts (道 / dō), kokorogamae determines intention, presence, and mindset before taking action. Applied to sales, it defines the True North—the purity of one’s intent.

A salesperson with correct kokorogamae asks:

• Am I here to serve or to take?

• Am I focused on the client’s long-term success?

• Is this about a relationship or a transaction?

In leadership training, sales training, and executive coaching across Tokyo, we repeatedly see that kokorogamae predicts performance more than skill alone.

Mini-Summary:
Kokorogamae shapes attitude, intention, and trust—core elements of relationship-based selling in Japan.

How does poor kokorogamae damage sales careers and company brands?

Salespeople who prioritize personal gain over client success may win a deal once, but never twice. In today’s social-media-driven environment, reputations can collapse overnight.

Common consequences include:

• Negative perceptions spreading quickly

• Loss of referrals

• Damaged employer brand

• High employee turnover

A single “smooth-talking” transactional salesperson may appear successful temporarily, but they ultimately harm the organization. Sustainable growth—especially in 日本企業 and 外資系企業—comes from trust, not tricks.

Mini-Summary:
Short-term sales tactics lead to long-term brand damage and personal career decline.

Why do so many sales organizations fail to develop high-trust professionals?

Many companies operate using an industrial model of sales hiring:

1. Hire quickly

2. Provide little training

3. Expect immediate numbers

4. Fire those who don’t perform

5. Repeat

This “plug-and-play” approach produces:

• Desperate sales behavior

• Tactical shortcuts

• Lack of empathy

• No long-term client relationships

Without structured 営業研修 (sales training), coaching, or skill development, even well-intentioned people become ineffective.

Mini-Summary:
Organizations that neglect training unintentionally create desperate, low-trust sales cultures.

A sustainable, respected career in sales requires purpose-driven intention.
Salespeople must decide:

• Why am I in sales?

• Do I choose sales as a profession, not just a job?

• Will I prioritize the client's best interests over my own?

• What is my personal kokorogamae?

By embodying True North principles—empathy, integrity, and client-centric behavior—salespeople become trusted advisors rather than transactional vendors.

This aligns directly with Dale Carnegie’s century-old philosophy of building trust, confidence, and meaningful human relationships.

Mini-Summary:
Sales success begins with a clear internal philosophy and sincere client-centered intention.

What steps can professionals take now to reset their kokorogamae and elevate their sales impact?

Action Steps

1. Define your purpose: Why are you in sales?

2. Choose sales as a profession: Build a personal philosophy that guides you through challenges.

3. Leave misaligned environments: If your organization promotes the wrong kokorogamae, transition out.

4. Prioritize client success: When the client wins, you win—every time.

5. Commit to continuous learning: Books, videos, training, and coaching refine both skill and kokorogamae.

These are the skills strengthened through Dale Carnegie’s 営業研修 (Sales Training), プレゼンテーション研修 (Presentation Training), and エグゼクティブ・コーチング (Executive Coaching) offered in Tokyo.

Mini-Summary:
Sales professionals grow by clarifying purpose, choosing integrity, and investing in continuous skill development.

• Trust, not technical knowledge alone, drives sales success.

• Kokorogamae (心構え / heart readiness) is the foundation of authentic, client-centred selling in Japan.

• Transactional sales cultures damage brands and careers.

• Aligning intention, skill, and professional purpose creates long-term success and a powerful personal brand.

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.