--- title: Don’t Fake It Until You Make It | The Sales Blog description: Countless things are worth monitoring and measuring, some more valuable than others, depending on your goals, what and how you sell. Read more here. image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Guy-at-a-table.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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What value is there in being a fake, a phony? More still, how does faking it lead to making it (whatever that means)! Dressing up in the clothes, buying all the gear, and posing does not make you that thing. Instead, it makes you a poseur. Instead of pretending to be something you’re not, become that thing that you want to be. Follow the advice of Emerson, recognizing that we become what we think about most of the time. Nightingale shortened this to “We become what we think about.” Period. And it’s true. The vision of what you want to become is the starting point. You must see clearly what you want to become. Then you must begin doing the work to become it. Don’t pretend to be something; actually, become it by taking the actions that all of those who came before you took in becoming whatever it is you aspire to. You are better off being a bad version of whatever you are trying to be than you are [faking it](http://thesalesblog.com/2018/03/15/a-list-of-sales-improvement-frauds/). If you paint, you are a painter, even if not a very good one. The tools of the painter don’t make you a painter, only painting does. If you want to be a writer, then write. You won’t be faking anything because you will be a writer simply through the act itself. You will have written. Every master started out as [an amateur](http://thesalesblog.com/2013/12/17/the-professional-and-the-amateur/), and their work was no less embarrassingly bad than yours. The making it part is more difficult. In some endeavors, one’s mastery is no guarantee of success (at least as it is defined by some). That is in larger part determined by will and perseverance. But if success is defined as mastery, working on becoming what you want to become is almost guaranteed. ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2018](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2018) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on April 19, 2018 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" : "2021-09-17T1:42:57 PM", "datePublished" : "2018-04-19 15:27:28", "description" : "Countless things are worth monitoring and measuring, some more valuable than others, depending on your goals, what and how you sell. 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