logo News
  • Home
  • Management
    Management Show More
    Why Are Employees So Weak In Execution? Because The Manager Did Not Do These Seven Points
    Jul 16, 2025
    Notes On Running An Organisation: From Family Business To Corporate Family
    Jul 15, 2025
    The Highest Level Of Being a Boss: The More You Work, The More Money You Make.
    Jul 14, 2025
    Managers must know the four dark sides of creativity
    Jul 13, 2025
    Every Manager Should Have a Business Model Mindset
    Jul 12, 2025
  • Marketing
    Marketing Show More
    How To Do Well In Online Community Operation? The Key Points And Techniques Of Community Marketing Operations
    Jul 16, 2025
    Advertising Technology And Marketing Technology Go Hand In Hand In Today's Digital Marketing Era
    Jul 15, 2025
    Data Is The Future Of Interactive Marketing
    Jul 14, 2025
    Three Key Points That Marketers Want Martech suppliers to improve
    Jul 13, 2025
    The Better You Know Your Customers, The More Money You Make, So What Should You Do?
    Jul 12, 2025
  • Entrepreneurship
    Entrepreneurship Show More
    How To Examine Your Business Venture
    Jul 16, 2025
    To Start a Business, Choose The Right Market Breakthrough Source
    Jul 15, 2025
    There Are Three Stages That You Need To Go Through To Start a Business From Scratch
    Jul 14, 2025
    There's Something To Be Said For Starting a Business.
    Jul 13, 2025
    10 Entrepreneurial 'Tips' To Help You Develop The Right Way Of Thinking
    Jul 12, 2025
  • Company
    Company Show More
    HSBC Holdings plc
    Jul 16, 2025
    Reuters
    Jul 15, 2025
    Mars Inc.
    Jul 14, 2025
    Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton Group
    Jul 13, 2025
    L'Oréal Professionnel Group
    Jul 12, 2025
  • Entrepreneur
    Entrepreneur Show More
    Uniqlo Boss Masa Yanai: A Company Without a Soul Is Not a Good Company 
    Jul 16, 2025
    The King of Hedge Fund Wall Street Plunge - David Tepper
    Jul 15, 2025
    James Simmons - Wall Street Alternative Stock God
    Jul 14, 2025
    LV boss Bernard Arnault Tops France's Richest Man
    Jul 13, 2025
    Charles Koch, CEO, Koch Industries USA
    Jul 12, 2025
Search
Share via
Reading: Ippei Hara, The God Of Japanese Life Insurance Salesmanship
logo logo
  • Home
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Company
  • Entrepreneur
Search
  • Home
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Company
  • Entrepreneur
Home > Entrepreneur > Ippei Hara, The God Of Japanese Life Insurance Salesmanship
Entrepreneur

Ippei Hara, The God Of Japanese Life Insurance Salesmanship

Ippei Hara has spent his life writing about the skills that make a great salesman, a good salesman.

Last updated: Jul 02, 2025

Ippei Hara is a notorious figure in the Japanese life insurance industry. There are nearly a million life insurance professionals in Japan, many of whom do not know the names of the managing directors of the 20 life insurance companies across Japan, but none of whom do not know Ippei Hara. His life is full of legends, from being recognised by his village as a hopeless little tai-po to becoming the "god of sales", the number one salesman in the Japanese insurance industry for 15 consecutive years.

Beginning of Meiji Insurance
27 March 1930 was a remarkable day for Ippei Hara who, at the age of 27, walked into a job opening at Meiji Insurance with his CV in hand. A senior professional who had just returned from studying salesmanship in the United States was the examiner. He took one look at the "guy" in front of him, who was only 145 cm tall and weighed 50 kg, and said, "You're not qualified."

Stunned, Yuan Yiping took a long time to recover and stammered, "Why ...... would you say that?"


The examiner said contemptuously, "To be honest with you, selling insurance is very difficult and you are not cut out for it." Enraged, Yuan Yiping's head shot up, "May I ask what kind of criteria you have to meet to enter your company?" "10,000 yuan per person per month." "Everyone can accomplish that figure?" "Of course." Yuan Yiping's defiant energy came to the fore and he gambled, "In that case, I can do 10,000 yuan too." The examiner glared contemptuously at Yuan Yiping and let out a sneer.

A tough start
Yuan Yiping "dared" to make a promise to sell 10,000 yuan a month, but did not win the favour of the examiner and reluctantly became a "trainee salesman". There was no desk, no salary, and the old salesman was often used as an "errand boy". During his first seven months as a salesman, he didn't even get a penny of insurance, so of course he didn't get a penny of salary. To save money, he had to go to work without taking the tram, skip lunch and sleep on a park bench at night.

Selling himself was more important than selling insurance, but none of this deterred Ippei Hara. He took the humiliation of the day he applied for the job as a whip and kept on "beating" himself, working all day long and working hard so that he would not let up. downfall is temporary, I must succeed, I will succeed." He understood that at this point he was no longer simply selling insurance, he was selling himself. He wanted to prove to the world: "I am sales material."


The success was not lost on him.
He is still in high spirits and gets up at 5am every morning to walk to work from his "home". Along the way, he is constantly smiling and greeting passers-by. A gentleman, who often sees his happy face, is so impressed that he invites him to breakfast. Despite his hunger, he politely declined. When he learned that he was a salesman for an insurance company, the gentleman said, "Since you won't do me the honour of having a meal with me, I'll take your policy!" He finally signed the first policy of his life. To his surprise, the gentleman was the owner of a large hotel and introduced him to a lot of business.

The end of the line
From that day onwards, Yiping's work performance began to skyrocket. By the end of the year, he had achieved a total of 168,000 yen in nine months, far exceeding his promise at the time. He was immediately impressed by his colleagues, and at this point his success brought tears to his eyes as he said to himself, "Well done, Ippei Hara, you poor boy who doesn't eat lunch, doesn't take the bus and lives in a park!"


Work is a fire in the heart
Despite his success and fame, Yuan Yiping was not willing to stop and continued to work. His wife complained, "With our savings now, we have enough to last a lifetime, so why work so hard every day?"


But Hara Ippei replied unconcernedly, "It is not a question of whether there is food to eat or not, but a fire burning in my heart, a fire that never gives in and works within my body."

Hara Ippei has written with his lifetime of practice the skills that one should have as a great salesman, a good salesman. He wants to tell these skills to every ordinary person, every person who is on the verge of success. For this reason, he has carried out continuous lectures all over the world to spread his ideas.

Work tips
He held regular "Ippei Hara Criticism Meetings" for six years to listen to people's opinions and to review and improve himself.


He has been going to a famous Japanese temple every week to listen to the Zen teachings of Yoshida Katsuhide and Ito Dogai to improve his training.

He has a detailed and clear questionnaire for each client, creating a classified file.


He divided his smiles into 39 categories and practised them in front of a mirror, once using 30 smiles when dealing with an extremely stubborn customer, and his smile was known as "the million dollar smile".

He had the perseverance and conviction to win a major client, and once succeeded in doing so after making 70 unsuccessful visits over a period of three years and eight months.

The Three Graces: Social Grace, Buddhist Grace and Customer Grace
In the history of Ippei Hara's struggle, one of the most respected principles among life insurance salesmen is the Three Graces Doctrine: social grace, Buddhist grace and customer grace.


Ippei Hara was a salesman at Meiji Insurance Company, but today he has become a giant of insurance and is respected as the "god of sales", he is not arrogant and arrogant, instead he is humble and thankful for his company's training. This is "social grace".

In addition to his own hard work, Ippei Hara is also indebted to his mentors, Chairman Crosfield and Director Abe. However, he is most grateful to his mentors Katsuhide Yoshida and Michihiro Ito for their insight and guidance, without which he would have been a mere salesman. This is the "Buddha's grace".

When it comes to "customer kindness", it means being grateful to the customers who attend. It is by having a heart of gratitude for each and every customer that we can provide the best possible service to them. According to YIPING, he gives back to the company and to his clients, except for 10% of his earnings, which he keeps for his own use.


It is with this triple benefactor approach that Ippei has achieved so much. Sales is a lonely and isolated path, and is met with far more disdain and coldness than any other industry. However, the unique Hara Ippei has used his sweat and hard work, tenacity and patience to walk this thorny road, creating a miracle of the world and becoming the "God of Sales" that everyone admires. This spirit is worthy of study and admiration by all those who come after him!


TAGGED: Insurance, Sales, Ippei Hara
Previous Article Jimmy Donnell, founder of Wikipedia
Next Article 10 Entrepreneurial 'Tips' To Help You Develop The Right Way Of Thinking

Most Popular

The Top 5 Marketing Technology Challenges Marketers Will Face
Marketing Jun 10, 2025
11 mistakes managers often make, every sentence hits your vitals!
Management Jun 12, 2025
How HR airborne troops survive and develop in the enterprise
Management Jun 14, 2025
After listening to these 9 stories, will you continue to start your own business?
Entrepreneurship Jun 14, 2025
The principle of getting rich: how to create sustainable income
Entrepreneurship Jun 12, 2025
To entrepreneurs: How to correctly break out your "ambition"?
Entrepreneurship Jun 11, 2025

You Might Also Like

Marketing

Seven Dos And Don’ts For Good Sales

Jul 11, 2025
Marketing

Business Failure Lesson Number Two, Learn To Market

Jun 21, 2025
Company

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Jun 16, 2025
Marketing

The Difference And Relationship Between Sales And Marketing

Jun 12, 2025

Copyright © 2025 busiis.com. All rights reserved. User Agreement | Privacy Policy