The Code

What The Salemurai Must Live By

When I introduced the “Way of the Salemurai” I spoke of and published the Code. These were virtues that I thought should be the core beliefs of a salesperson. If you haven’t seen the Code read the article “The Way of the Salemurai” below.  Each week for the next nine weeks I am going to expand and discuss one of the nine core virtues of the Code. Salemurai isn’t just a play on words it is a state of mind, body and, soul. These are just ten ethics most of us have known since childhood. Step one is the Code. What is the Code? It’s a set of virtues that the Salemurai must live by to market oneself to accounts, prospects, teammates, and partners. Please feel free to leave a comment good or bad we would love your input.

Salemurai

  Ever hear of the saying the customer is king?   A couple of days ago I did a tweet that went like this. Global trade + social media = world empire. Who leads the empire? The customer does and they're no longer a king but, an emperor. After I wrote that tweet I said emperor hmm. That got me thinking about the samurai of Japan in ancient times. A little research on Wikipedia and hear is what I got.   Samurai (侍^?) is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a persons in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau. In both countries the terms were nominalize to mean "those who serve in close attendance to the nobility”. That is the definition of Samurai according to Wikipedia .

   This is what drew my attention “to serve in close attendance”. Hmm isn’t that like what we as salespeople do.  A samurai was in service to emperor.  As do we serve our customers and prospects. A samurai is trained in weapons, strategy, and know there enemy.   We use sales tools, networking, and marketing strategies and know our competitor.  As I read further I saw that they had a code that they lived by. We have a code of professional ethics that we do business by.  While I was reading the code I saw similarities in the two.  I realized to do sales in the 21^st Century you need to approach them like a samurai.  Now by no means am I saying that a salesperson should come to their next appointment decked out like a Shogun. What I’m saying is implementing the mindset of a samurai.   Become a master of sales tools (weapons) and strategy. Know your competitor inside and out. Serve the Emperor become a SALEMURAI!! By using the samurai code as template I created the “Way of the Salemurai”.

Way of the Salemurai 1. Code: It's a set of virtues that the Salemurai must live by to market oneself to customers and prospects. 2. Right Decision: doing the right thing or making the right decision, not because it's easy, but because it's ethically and morally correct.                  3. Courage: Face the fear of denial. Do the right thing even when it is difficult or intimidating you don't give up. Try new things and admit mistakes. 4. Selflessness: Help your fellow partner and teammate in need of direction.  5. Respect: Show respect and courtesy. Respect yourself, and others will respect you. 6. Honesty: Being truthful will get you much further than lying. It helps you gain the trust and confidence of your customers and prospects. 7. Honor: Gain the respect of others and your reputation. Be worthy of the commission you earn. 8. Reliable: To your customers, teammates, and partners 9. Believe: In your product and yourself. 10. Wisdom: Ask, listen and seek self improvement. Learn and grow. Gregory McDowell MCPROSAD