Episode #66: In Sales Don't Soldier On Sick

Why is influenza hitting Japan so hard right now, and what does that mean for sales teams?

Japan is experiencing its highest influenza outbreak of the year, alongside unusually harsh winter conditions in Tokyo. When daytime temperatures drop below zero and snow lingers after the biggest snowfall in a decade, illness spreads quickly through offices. The result is predictable: more staff calling in sick, fewer client visits, and a slowdown in follow-ups and deal momentum.

Mini-summary: A severe flu season doesn’t just hurt health—it directly reduces sales capacity and pipeline velocity.

Many professionals grew up with a “soldier on” mindset—pushing through illness to prove commitment. In Japan, there’s a similar cultural expectation known as gaman (我慢 — perseverance/enduring without complaint). It can look like showing up to work wearing a mask even when you’re unwell.

But today’s sales environment is too complex and interdependent for that approach. One sick person “powering through” can trigger a chain reaction that weakens the whole team.

Mini-summary: The “soldier on” or gaman approach risks turning one illness into a team-wide performance problem.

There are three major costs:

1. Infection risk: Masks help, but they don’t eliminate transmission.

2. Extended recovery: What could be a few days of rest becomes weeks of low energy because recovery wasn’t complete.

3. Low-quality work: Working while miserable leads to weak client conversations, mistakes, and minimal productivity—similar to staying late just to demonstrate loyalty rather than impact.

Mini-summary: Showing up sick trades a short absence for long, low-quality output and broader team risk.

Why is visiting clients while sick unacceptable in Japan?

Calling on clients while ill is viewed as selfish and inconsiderate—because you might infect their team. Even if your intentions are good, the client experience becomes negative and trust erodes. In a relationship-driven sales culture like Japan’s, protecting the client is protecting the business.

Mini-summary: Client trust in Japan depends on respect and consideration, and showing up sick violates both.

If someone is sick, what should they do instead?

If a salesperson feels they must work, remote work is the smartest compromise. Modern technology makes it easy to:

• Respond to key emails

• Notify clients of schedule changes

• Reset meetings professionally

• Handle urgent items without exposing colleagues

Expect some sales slippage in the short term, but avoid multiplying the damage.

Mini-summary: Remote work preserves continuity without spreading illness or slowing recovery.

No. Forcing people through illness to chase numbers is short-term thinking that weakens capability and loyalty. Sales leaders may worry about cash flow, but sacrificing team wellbeing is an organizational destroyer. In this environment, your people are your revenue engine.

Mini-summary: Quota pressure during illness protects numbers now but destroys performance later.

What do sick-season leadership decisions signal to employees?

Flu seasons “stress test” the real values of the organization. Employees watch closely to see whether leadership truly cares or only talks about care. And in Japan’s current market, there are more opportunities than skilled salespeople. If people feel expendable, they leave.

Mini-summary: How you treat sick staff becomes a lasting proof of your leadership values.

How should sales leaders respond during widespread illness?

Sales leaders need to model and reinforce recovery-first behavior:

• Encourage rest before exhaustion

• Keep severely ill staff away from contact

• Give full recovery time

• Stay home yourself when sick

• Communicate openly with clients about delays

This aligns with Dale Carnegie’s stress management principle: rest before you become tired.

Mini-summary: Leaders who protect recovery protect morale, retention, and future revenue.

Short-term numbers may dip, but a healthy, engaged team rebounds faster than an exhausted, infected one. The ability to keep the team together matters more than one or two months of results. Generosity from leadership inspires loyalty—and loyalty fuels performance.

Mini-summary: You can recover revenue; you can’t easily recover a broken team.

• Severe flu seasons in Japan can quickly reduce sales output through absence, contagion, and low-quality work.

• “Gaman (我慢 — perseverance)” culture must be balanced with modern team fragility and client expectations.

• Remote work is the best bridge between responsibility and recovery.

• People-first leadership now builds engagement, retention, and stronger future performance.

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 companies (日本企業 — Japanese enterprises) and multinational firms (外資系企業 — foreign-affiliated/global companies) across Tokyo and Japan ever since.