Can't Get Enough Customers or Contracts? What Nichiren Daishonin Wrote About Winning Trust

When the pipeline runs dry

Your product or service is good. You know it is. But the phone isn't ringing enough. Pitches end with "we'll get back to you" and then silence. You put weeks into a bid or tender and lose it by a small margin, or to a competitor with better connections. Customers walk past your shop. Online, you're one of hundreds.

Every month you worry about where the next order will come from. And when you're anxious, it's harder to sell with confidence.

If your business needs more customers or contracts, the Daishonin's advice to Shijo Kingo, who had to win and keep the trust of a demanding lord, is surprisingly practical.

What does the Gosho say about winning customers and contracts?

Nichiren Daishonin told Shijo Kingo, "Buddhism is reason. Reason will win over your lord" (WND-1, 839). Sincere, sensible conduct and real value win people's trust over time. And he taught that one "must understand the capacity and basic nature of the persons one is addressing" (WND-1, 48). Winning business starts with genuinely understanding the people you want to serve.

Reason will win

Shijo Kingo served a lord who had turned against him. Rather than telling him to rely on luck or connections, the Daishonin wrote:

> "Buddhism is reason. Reason will win over your lord." > — The Hero of the World, WND-1, 839

"Reason" here means acting wisely, sincerely and in a way others can recognise as right. Over time, Kingo's reliability and good judgement won back his lord's trust.

Customers and clients work the same way. Shortcuts and gimmicks may bring a sale, but lasting business comes from being reliable, honest and genuinely useful: delivering on time, solving real problems, treating every customer well. Reputation is built one interaction at a time.

Understand the people you serve

In a letter about how to share the teachings effectively, the Daishonin wrote:

> "One who attempts to propagate the teachings of Buddhism must understand the capacity and basic nature of the persons one is addressing." > — The Teaching, Capacity, Time, and Country, WND-1, 48

He was writing about sharing Buddhism, but the principle applies to any offer. If you don't understand what your customer actually needs, values and fears, even the best product misses.

Ask your past customers why they chose you, and ask lost prospects why they didn't. Study what your best clients have in common. Then shape your offer, your message and your pricing around them.

One small step for tonight

Write down your three best customers or clients ever. What did they have in common? What problem did you solve for them? Then list ten more people or organisations like them, and contact two this week.

If you lost a bid or pitch recently, ask politely for feedback, and note one thing to improve next time.

Chant for the customers who truly need what you offer, for wisdom in how you present it, and for the confidence to ask for the business.

Work that arrived from unexpected places

Sabyasachi was practising law in Delhi, focused only on domestic work, when he unexpectedly began receiving outsourced work from international lawyers. By 2006, this had become his main source of income. When his family needed to move cities for his daughter's education, he kept chanting for the right opportunities and applying in the new city; a firm in Pune soon hired him. Later, he started his own legal process outsourcing company. Step by step, new paths kept opening as he combined steady faith with sincere, reliable work.

His story, and others like it, are below.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get more customers for my business?

Understand your best customers deeply, focus on people like them, and build a reputation for reliability. "Buddhism is reason. Reason will win" (WND-1, 839).

I keep losing bids and tenders. What should I do?

Ask for feedback, study what winning bids did differently, and strengthen one weak area at a time. Persistence and improvement compound.

Is it okay to chant for customers and sales?

Yes. Chant for customers who genuinely need what you offer, and for your business to create real value.

How do I sell with confidence when I'm anxious about money?

Focus on how you help the customer, not on your worry. Chanting before important meetings can help steady your mind.

Which Gosho should I read about winning new business?

The Hero of the World (WND-1, 835–841) and The Teaching, Capacity, Time, and Country (WND-1, 48–54).

Sources

All passages are from The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume I (WND-1):

- The Hero of the World, p. 839 - The Teaching, Capacity, Time, and Country, p. 48