Art & Science of Complex Sales

In this episode of The Art and Science of Complex Sales, Paul Fuller is joined by Steve Reid [https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-reid-csl/], CEO and founder of Venatas [https://venatas.com/]. With over three decades of experience in marketing, sales, and revenue leadership, Steve brings deep experience in helping venture-backed and scaling companies build buyer-led, high-performing sales organizations. Together, they explore why so many go-to-market teams underperform and what it really takes to fix it. The Three “Incorrects” Holding Sales Teams Back (10:32) Steve identifies three root causes of underperformance: 1. Incorrectly assessing the team: Companies overestimate their reps’ true selling competencies and set unrealistic targets. 2. Incorrect selling process: Most processes are built around what sellers want to do, not how buyers actually make decisions. 3. Incorrect training: 80% of training is product-focused, leaving reps unable to conduct strong discovery or build business cases that win internal buy-in. By addressing these “incorrects,” organizations can finally achieve sustainable, predictable growth. Designing for a Buyer-Led Journey (20:41) Modern buyers want autonomy. They will engage with salespeople only when those sellers help them make confident decisions. Steve explains how sales teams can shift from CRM-driven checklists to buyer-focused conversations, helping customers connect product value to strategic business outcomes and navigate internal consensus. Buying Isn’t Linear, and Your Pipeline Shouldn’t Pretend It Is (29:07) Buyers don’t move from stage one to stage five during their buying journey. Instead, they loop, pause, and revisit decisions. Steve argues that the most effective sellers embrace this nonlinearity, using trust, credibility, and strategic influence to guide the process rather than forcing buyers into a fixed process. From Training to Transformation (39:57) Workshops don’t change behavior, reinforcement does. Steve highlights how lasting transformation requires an integrated system of ongoing coaching, deal reviews, enablement alignment, and process refinement over time. Listen to the full conversation with Steve Reid to learn how to build a truly buyer-aligned sales organization that replaces outdated assumptions with clarity, capability, and measurable results.

In this episode of The Art and Science of Complex Sales, Paul Fuller is joined by Adam Boyd [https://www.linkedin.com/in/theadampboyd/], CEO of The Northwood Group [https://thenorthwoodgrp.com/]. Drawing on a career in sales training and leadership development, Adam brings a rare combination of humility, practical wisdom, and candid storytelling. In this conversation, they explore what truly drives performance in sales and leadership and reveal why chasing someone else’s path often leads to frustration rather than fulfillment. Why Fear Motivates More Than Greed (5:19) Too often, leaders assume salespeople are motivated only by money. In reality, Adam sees fear—of missing quota, losing a job, or letting family down—as a far stronger driver. The best leaders, he says, replace fear-driven validation with purpose-driven impact, creating teams that sell with confidence rather than anxiety. The Connection Between Leadership and Sales (18:23) Leadership and sales share the same core elements: a clear objective, alignment of interests, being other-focused, knowing yourself, and strong communication. Without these, both sales calls and team management falter. Adam emphasizes that managers must invest in understanding what truly motivates their people instead of assuming everyone shares the same goals. Why You Need to Play Your Own Game (29:25) One of Adam’s most personal insights is the danger of comparing yourself to others. He candidly shares how chasing someone else’s career path left him feeling like a failure—until he realized fulfillment comes from playing your game, not theirs. For sales leaders and reps alike, this mindset shift can be transformative: stop measuring yourself against others and focus on being the best version of you. 👉 Listen to the full conversation with Adam Boyd and discover how to build sales careers and teams rooted in clarity, confidence, and authenticity

In this episode of The Art and Science of Complex Sales, Paul Fuller is joined by Steve Gielda [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgielda/], President and Co-founder of Ignite Selling [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignite-selling-inc-/] and co-author of Ignite Your Sales Strategy [https://www.amazon.com/Ignite-Your-Sales-Strategy-Accelerate/dp/B0B2HMK7BC]. From hauling copiers out of a van to building a global sales consultancy, Steve brings a rare blend of frontline grit and strategic clarity. Together, they dive into the real reasons B2B sales efforts stall and what high-performing teams do differently to keep deals moving and win more often. Why Pipelines Stall (6:14) Steve reveals the biggest myth in pipeline management: that activity equals progress. Sales teams may be logging actions, but without clarity around what really moves a deal forward, opportunities stagnate. His solution? Replace vague sales stages with clearly defined strategic milestones—critical actions that, if skipped, put deals at risk. Why Coaching Is the Missing Multiplier (21:11) Sales managers often play the role of closer or CRM enforcer instead of coach. Steve emphasizes that the sales process only becomes a growth engine when managers coach reps through strategic thinking—asking not just what happened, but what matters next. Organizations that invest in coaching see faster pipeline movement and better forecasting. Why "Checking the Box" Kills Deals (16:09) Too many reps treat CRM milestones as admin tasks instead of strategic checkpoints. Steve explains how reframing milestones as thinking tools—like identifying true decision criteria and neutralizing internal naysayers—helps reps win more consistently. And when milestones are co-created with reps, adoption and performance soar. Why Your Sales Strategy Doesn’t Stick (29:14) Even the best training fails without reinforcement. Steve breaks down how Ignite Selling’s modular, gamified learning approach embeds sales behaviors over time—not in one-off workshops. His programs simulate real-world scenarios and provide tools integrated into CRM platforms for ongoing coaching and performance improvement. 📚 Bonus: Mention this episode on Linkedin to Steve to receive a free copy of his book, ‘Ignite Your Sales Strategy’

In this episode of The Art and Science of Complex Sales, Paul Fuller sits down with Raju Bhupatiraju [https://www.linkedin.com/in/raju-b-s-544667/], founder & CEO of Power of Disruptive Solutions [https://www.linkedin.com/company/pods-asia/] and author of Magical Selling [https://www.amazon.com/Magical-Selling-Engineering-Enterprise-Industry/dp/1735854603]. With a career spanning Xerox, Oracle, and over 20 years in Asia, Raju brings a rare combination of frontline sales experience and systems thinking. He shares what it really takes to build scalable, high-performing sales organizations—especially for startups and scaleups. Why Startups Fail (9:49) Raju observed a consistent pattern: startups expanding into Asia often pair great products with poor sales execution. Most lacked a true sales ecosystem and misunderstood what it takes to scale. In 2019, he launched his own firm to solve this. His approach focuses on shifting teams away from product-led selling and toward repeatable, buyer-centric sales motions that drive growth. Why Sales Must Be the Organizing Principle (15:43) Raju explains that many startups treat sales as a task rather than the foundation of their business. His method starts at the frontline, using real deals to reveal gaps and replace assumptions with practical, buyer-focused thinking. By helping CEOs unlearn outdated models and focus on individual decision-makers, he builds systems that scale without sacrificing authenticity. Why Outcome Matters More Than Activity (24:48) Traditional KPIs like calls and emails often miss the mark. Raju emphasizes defining clear outcomes instead of rigid processes. His system lets sales reps operate in their own style while staying focused on deal success. The result is a more human, adaptive, and effective approach to scaling sales performance.

In this episode of The Art and Science of Complex Sales, Paul Fuller [https://www.linkedin.com/in/psfuller/] sits down with Vinit Shah [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinitshahsalesgrowthspecialist/], founder of the London School of Sales [https://www.linkedin.com/company/lsos/]. Vinit shares his unconventional path into sales and the insights he’s developed across industries like manufacturing, market research, and sales education. The conversation explores why most training fails to stick, how leaders unintentionally set their teams up to fail, and what it really takes to build high-performing sales systems. Why Training Alone Isn’t Enough (14:38) Vinit explains why many sales leaders mistakenly focus on training when their issues stem from deeper structural problems. He shares how his own research into how the brain learns led to a modular e-learning platform and a shift in focus toward diagnosing root causes within sales organizations. Why Founders and Technical Experts Struggle With Sales (17:45) Vinit talks about his success helping technical founders and engineers overcome their discomfort with selling. By reframing sales as a structured system rather than a personality-driven game, he connects with builders and helps them align their strengths with commercial outcomes. Introducing the SMART Selling Framework (22:11) Vinit unpacks his SMART methodology Source of Pain, Mindset Shift, Architecting the System, Reinforcing Leadership, and Targeted Training. It’s a practical, scalable approach designed to transform fragmented sales efforts into integrated systems that support consistent growth. Learn more about the London School of Sales here [https://www.lsos.co/].