Art & Science of Complex Sales

In this episode, Brent Long and Nick Massaro join The Art and Science of Complex Sales to explore why cold calling still works and what it takes to build trust faster in modern prospecting. Together, they discuss how prospecting has changed, why cold calling is harder but more valuable than ever, and how honesty, timing, and the right questions can turn a cold call into the start of a real relatio...

In this episode, Membrain’s CRO, Paul Fuller , explores limiting beliefs and the hidden role they play in sales performance. He explains how unconscious beliefs about self, others, and the world can shape behavior, reduce confidence, and quietly hold salespeople back. Drawing on a personal coaching story and insights from George Brontén ’s work, Paul breaks down why these beliefs matter so much an...

In this episode, Maggie Zwierko , Practice Partner at SalesStar North Carolina, joins The Art and Science of Complex Sales to explore how life sciences companies can unlock hidden growth. Together, they discuss why many organizations think they have a sales process when they really have a sales method, why some of the most important customer conversations happen outside the formal sales team, and...

In this episode,  Sean O'Shaughnessey , CEO at  New Sales Expert LLC , joins The Art and Science of Complex Sales to explore how sales teams can use AI in practical ways right now. He explains how AI can improve coaching, provide better context for sales conversations, and help reps spend less time on research and more time talking with customers. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why conversatio...

In this episode, Anita Nielsen , CEO at LDK Advisory Services , joins The Art and Science of Complex Sales to explore why human-to-human selling matters more than ever in a world shaped by AI and automation. She explains which mindsets and skills are becoming bigger differentiators, why self-awareness and critical thinking matter so much, and how sellers can move beyond being trusted advisors to b...

In this episode,  Michael Koory , CEO of  BlueSalesFly , joins The Art and Science of Complex Sales to explore revenue drift and why so many B2B sales teams lose revenue through weak process, poor qualification, and inconsistent governance. Together, the conversation looks at how sales leaders can improve predictability, qualify deals more effectively, and build a stronger operating system for rev...

In this episode, Membrain's CRO, Paul Fuller shares findings from a major research project on the state of B2B sales and what leaders should do next. Drawing on a meta-analysis of sales data and insights from sales experts around the world, he explores why quota attainment is falling, why sales cycles are getting longer, and why so many teams are struggling to improve results. Together, these insi...

In this episode, Robert Herbst joins the podcast to explore why the future of selling depends on identity, honesty, and real human connection. Together, they discuss how a life-changing experience shaped Rob’s work in sales, why great selling starts with curiosity instead of performance, and what it means to move from salesperson to sales practitioner. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why identity m...

In this episode, Thomas Waites joins Paul Fuller to explore what it takes to build a winning sales team culture in high-growth companies. Together, they discuss why team-first thinking matters, how belief and coaching outperform pressure, and why the best sales leaders create environments built on both high care and high expectations. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why strong sales culture starts...

In this episode, Matt Sucha joins Paul Fuller to explore how consumer psychology shapes decision-making and why so many sales conversations stall before customers ever say yes. Together, they discuss why motivation is often not the real issue, how uncertainty blocks action, and what salespeople can do to reduce resistance and guide customers more effectively. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why hes...

In this episode, Warwick Brown joins Paul Fuller to explore how key account management is evolving and what it takes to succeed in a more complex, AI-driven environment. Together, they discuss why expectations for account managers are rising, how retention is becoming the primary growth driver, and why proactive portfolio management is critical for long-term success. In this episode, you’ll learn:...

In this episode, our guest Vince Beese talks about why most sales teams do not need more activity. They need better execution. Vince shares lessons from startup growth, enterprise selling, and sales leadership to explain how his Red Zone Selling system helps sellers read deals more clearly and choose the right play at the right time. Together, they explore why stages alone are not enough, how situ...

In this episode, our guest Liz Heiman talks about why sales forecasting in manufacturing is often far less disciplined than production, and what leaders can do to fix it. Liz shares why many companies still treat sales like a black box, how poor process discipline affects forecasting, and why momentum is one of the most overlooked drivers of deal health. Together, they explore how strategy shapes...

Founder-led sales teams often hit a ceiling not because the founder cannot sell, but because their success is not yet replicable. In this episode, our guest James Rores about why many founder-led organizations struggle to scale their sales efforts and what must change to create sustainable growth. James explains why founders often operate as heroes, relying on instinct, pressure tolerance, and dee...

In this episode, Eric Larocque , founder of Cultivate Winning , shares what consistently drives sales performance, and why most teams do not have a people problem, they have a system and coaching problem. Eric shares lessons from sports, leadership, and hiring to explain how momentum is built, why grit matters more than experience, and how to create a repeatable hiring model that predicts top perf...

Sales, pre-sales, and enablement are supposed to work together. So why do they still feel so disconnected? In this episode, Paul Fuller talks with Art Fromm of Team Sales Development about why silos continue to break down complex B2B sales efforts and what leaders can do to fix them. Art shares lessons from engineering, sales leadership, and enablement to explain how misalignment hurts qualificati...

In this episode, Paul Fuller talks with Richard Pole of Noodle Spark Group about what is really behind missed targets, weak forecasts, and stalled deals. Richard shares lessons and explains why most teams struggle because they lack a documented sales process, consistent leadership, and a repeatable framework that turns best practices into team-wide performance. Together, they discuss why “we have...

Sales is more difficult than ever, not because buyers stopped buying, but because trust is harder to earn. In this episode, Paul Fuller talks with Larry Levine about what it takes to sell in a post-trust world. Larry breaks down his four pillars for rebuilding credibility in modern selling: authentic relationships, meaningful business value, inspirational experiences, and disciplined habits. They...

Sales have changed, but the fundamentals never have. In this episode of The Art and Science of Complex Sales , Paul Fuller talks with Rocky LaGrone , a sales development expert with over 35 years of experience, about what truly drives sales performance and why leadership matters more than tools, tactics, or technology. Rocky shares why sales is ultimately a people game, how trust and discovery sit...

Sales hiring is broken, and it is costing companies more than they realize. In this episode, Paul Fuller talks with Jason Howes of Arrow Executive Sales about his upcoming book, Crystal Ball Recruiting , and why leaders need a more predictable approach to hiring and retaining top sales talent. Jason breaks down the sales performance crisis behind short tenure, failed hires, and misaligned expectat...

Sales is one of the best careers in business, yet still one of the least understood. In this episode, Paul Fuller talks with Daniel Kane of Curbell Plastics about developing the next generation of B2B sales talent. Dan shares how he found sales by accident, why relationship-building still sits at the core of great selling, and how Curbell invests in talent through internships, onboarding, and ment...

In this episode of The Art and Science of Complex Sales, Paul Fuller sits down with Walter Crosby, CEO of Helix Sales Development to unpack the core ideas behind his book, Inside Out, and why sales teams often struggle to fit inside structured operating systems like EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System). Together, they break down how to integrate sales into the business operating rhythm without t...

In this episode of The Art and Science of Complex Sales, Paul Fuller has a conversation with Guy Lloyd , Managing Director of the Institute of Sales Professionals , about why sales needs more respect, better standards, and clearer career paths in today’s complex B2B world. They cover the cultural stigma around sales in the UK, why selling is a service profession, and how the ISP framework gives te...

In this episode of The Art and Science of Complex Sales, Paul Fuller sits down with Barbara Weaver Smith , founder of The Whale Hunters , to challenge one of sales’ most sacred habits: cold email. Together, they explore why AI is accelerating the decline of outbound email, what replaces it in complex B2B selling, and how sales teams can adapt by leaning back into reputation, community, and high va...

In this episode of The Art and Science of Complex Sales, Paul Fuller sits down with Britta Lorenz , Business Excellence and Enablement Lead at Growth Matters International, to explore what great enablement really means in complex sales. Together, they unpack why sales enablement must start with humans not tools, how coaching becomes the real force multiplier for performance, and how leaders can ba...