Part 5: 'I Taught Them My Secrets to Success, and Sales Went Up Even More'
This is the fifth part of the story of my sales career.
Last time, I talked about how I was taken aback when my boss asked me, "Have you ever been asked for advice by a junior colleague?"
After that remark, I started doing something.
I started teaching my "secrets to success" to my junior colleagues.
…I said that quite casually, but...
I will confess honestly. Starting this was—something I absolutely hated.
Today, please let me speak honestly, starting from that feeling of "hating it."
1. Go ahead and laugh at me for being "petty." But this was my true feeling.
Why did I hate it?
I was scared.
If I taught them the know-how that was working for me—what if they copied it and got better results than me?
I might not be number one anymore.
My "value" might disappear.
At the time, I truly believed that.
"I have value when I'm selling well, and I have no value when I'm not"—that's what I believed deep down. That's why I wanted to keep my cards close to my chest. I thought that was my weapon, my value.
…No, seriously, that'spetty, isn't it? (laughs)
I can laugh about it now. I think, "Wow, I was really thinking some petty things back then."
But—this was my honest, unvarnished feeling at the time.
And I think to myself, I bet I'm not the only one who feels this way.
"If I teach them, won't I lose my position?"
If you work in sales—no, in any job—isn't this a fear that has crossed your mind at least once?
2. Reluctantly, I started teaching
That said, I had been told to do so by my boss.
I reluctantly started (laughs).
However, there was something I had to do before that.
No matter how much I said, 'This is how you should do it,' nothing would start if there wasn't an atmosphere where my juniors felt comfortable talking to me in the first place.
Remember, back then, I was a guy who worked with a scowl, responded to questions as if they were a nuisance, and radiated an aura that said, 'Don't talk to me.'
So, first, I stopped doing that.
Be composed. Create an approachable atmosphere. When asked something, actually stop what I'm doing.
On top of that, little by little, I started to open up.
'When this happens, this is what I do.' 'This is how I set up appointments.'
—I also started sharing that 'ask about the time they aren't available' trick with my juniors around this time.
3. The exact opposite happened
And then—something strange happened.
The exact opposite of what I had expected.
Once I taught them, my juniors also—started teaching me their own methods.
'Yamada-san, I'm doing this.' 'I was able to meet that doctor by approaching them this way.'
Information started gathering with me more and more.
This was truly shocking.
Because I thought that if I taught them, my own share would 'decrease'. It's the world of incentives. I thought my own portion would be taken away.
But it was the opposite.
Once I taught them—I was flooded with countless success stories from others that I could never have known on my own.
And here is the interesting part. The juniors didn't even think of them as "success stories." They would bring them to me as a consultation, saying, "Hey, what should I do about this?"
But when I listened—it was a gold mine.
"Wait, you're doing that? That's amazing!"
There were so many things like that.
What was the result?
I started selling even more.
I became stronger when I revealed everything than when I was hiding my cards.
4. Why I wasn't 'robbed' even after teaching them
Later on, I realized one more important thing.
Why didn't my value disappear even though I taught them all my secrets?
Because my way of selling was born from my own talent.
Even if I taught the same tricks, when a junior did them, it became their own method. No one could do it exactly the same way I did. Conversely, I couldn't copy their methods exactly either.
I have a way of doing things that only I can do. That's why, no matter how much I taught, it could never be stolen from me.
I felt firsthand that that is what talent is.
It doesn't decrease when you share it. In fact, the more you share it, the more it grows.
By the way, the people I taught split into those who "sold well" and those who "didn't," and the difference was clear.
It wasn't the people who copied my story exactly, but the people who thought, "I see. Then, if I were in my own territory, I'll try doing it this way."
Yes, they were the people who adapted it. This connects back to that story I told you before.
5. That time spent in dialogue was the 'starting point' for who I am today.
And—this is the most important part of the story for me.
A time was born for discussions with my juniors as they took my advice and put it into action.
'How do you think I can make this work?' 'Actually, I tried this, and I tried that...'
Discussing things together that have no clear answer. The other person goes and executes it. And then—
'Whoa, you can do that? That's amazing!'
Sharing that excitement together.
...This time was, for me, an irreplaceable time.
It was a joy I could never have experienced back when I was working sullenly on my own. It was a completely different kind of joy from the pleasure of seeing numbers go up.
And, have you noticed?
This is exactly the same as the work I am doing now.
Thinking together about questions that have no answers. Finding the 'amazing parts' of the other person and putting them into words. Seeing their face in that moment.
The origin of my coaching was already there—in those dialogues with my juniors back then.
That is why I am still truly grateful to that boss. If it hadn't been for those words, I would never have reflected on myself, nor would I have encountered this joy.
6. Are you hiding your cards?
Today's question is this:
Are you currently hiding your 'cards'?
'If I teach them, I'll lose out.' 'If I teach them, they'll overtake me.'
—If that is what you are thinking,
it might actually be the opposite.
No matter how much you teach others the things only you can do, they will never be taken away from you.
That is because they originate from you as a person—they are born from your unique patterns of emotion, thought, and action.
The same goes for customers. Some people are moved by my words, while others aren't moved by me, but would be by the words of person A next to me.
In other words—it is not a zero-sum game.
There are definitely people who can only be saved by me.
And, there are definitely people who can only be saved by you.
Please let me know in the comments. Whether it's 'I was hiding it...' or 'I shared it and this great thing happened,' you are very welcome.
Now—I imagine I look like I've had smooth sailing up to this point.
I taught others, and sales went up. I changed jobs, and became number one again. It sounds like a dream.
But... humans are interesting. It is precisely when things are going well that we get arrogant and get hit hard.
Right in the middle of that smooth sailing—an incident occurred where a mentor I was closest to got furious with me.
'Are you really okay with that?'
An event that shook my 'success' to its core. I can talk about it as a touching story now, but at the time—I felt like I wanted to die.
If today is the story of heaven, next time will be the story of hell.
Please follow and stay tuned.
Lastly.
You, too, definitely have 'talents that don't diminish when shared' within you.
Once you realize that—**you won't have to compete with others.** It becomes incredibly easy.
Just today, a first-timer came to a free session, and after talking for 60 minutes, they realized, 'Ah, so this is where my talent lies,' and left with a wonderful smile.
I am waiting for your turn as well. Whether it's 60 minutes or 30 minutes, please feel free to join.
▶️ [60-minute free] Click here to book a dialogue session to unlock your talent
Thank you for reading until the end today as well.
See you tomorrow in Part 6.