--- title: I Know All These Things. I Just Don’t Do Them. | The Sales Blog description: You know that discipline is a key to success. We all know. But the very first publisher that contacted me for a manuscript was sure that discipline was not image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Ancient-people.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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I Just Don’t Do Them. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) December 16, 2017 The very first publisher that contacted me about writing a book asked me for a manuscript, and I delivered a completed manuscript. The title was 17 Elements: The Periodic Table of Sales Success. The book was really a competency model, including the mindset and skill sets one needs to succeed in sales now. Naturally, the metaphor was a periodic table, which I believed worked well because we are still identifying new elements, and we will no doubt add to the competencies needed to succeed in sales. The publisher read the book, and he hated it. He asked me, “Why would you start a book with self-discipline? What does that have to do with sales? Everyone [hates discipline](http://thesalesblog.com/2017/05/17/discipline-never-ends/).” I knew that he had never worked in sales, so when I asked him if he had, my question was rhetorical, but he answered me in the negative. I did my best to explain, but it was clear we weren’t going to write a book together. Today, a salesperson described my work using the title of this blog post. He said, “When I read you, I think ‘I know all this stuff. I just don’t do it.” And here we find the root cause of many—if not most—challenges when it comes to producing results in any endeavor, but especially one like sales, one that requires consistent activity. Right now, while the world suffers a new version of neomania, one driven primarily by technology, things that are ancient don’t garner much attention. Much of what success is made of hasn’t changed for thousands of years, things like discipline, trust, caring, listening, resourcefulness, initiative, and accountability. While a lot of people try to hack their way to success, they’d be better off looking backward in time for the recipe than looking into the future for the [quick hack](http://thesalesblog.com/2014/06/03/why-productivity-hacks-dont-work/). What you need to know to be successful has been known for generations. There are no secrets, and it has all been written down. Everything you need to know is known. You likely know everything you need to know now, and what you don’t know you can find in seconds. If you are not getting the results you want, it is because you aren’t doing what you know you need to do. Everything you need to know is known. You likely know everything you need to know now, and what you don’t know you can find in seconds. If you are not getting the results you want, it’s because you aren’t doing what you know you need to do. ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2017](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2017) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on December 16, 2017 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover (1)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg) ### Free Sales eBook: Sales Call Planner Planning your sales call improves the likelihood of making a successful call, and it demonstrates to your dream client your professionalism. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2021-09-17T1:53:33 PM", "datePublished" : "2017-12-16 08:00:36", "description" : "You know that discipline is a key to success. We all know. But the very first publisher that contacted me for a manuscript was sure that discipline was not", "headline" : "I Know All These Things. 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