Recommended Reading
In this episode of The Art and Science of Complex Sales, our guest Robert Herbst, CEO of Spire Selling shares why great selling starts with identity, honesty, and a genuine desire to help people.
Drawing on more than 40 years in sales and the life-changing mountaineering accident that led him to start his company, Rob explains why sales is not about pushing products, but about uncovering problems and helping customers see value they cannot yet see.
He explores why salespeople should think of themselves as practitioners, how identity shapes confidence and persistence, and why real human conversation matters more than ever in a world shaped by digital convenience.
Rob explains that too much sales development focuses only on skills and techniques, without asking the deeper question of who the salesperson is and why they do the work. In his view, the best sales conversations do not start with performance or presentation. They start with genuine curiosity and a real interest in the customer’s world.
He argues that identity is not something a salesperson performs. It is revealed through how they listen, how they question, and how deeply they care about understanding the customer’s experience. When that foundation is strong, skills become more natural, trust becomes easier to build, and selling becomes far more human.
Rob shares that persistence in sales is not just about discipline. It starts with mindset. Every day, salespeople face a choice between simply getting by and choosing to thrive. In his view, that decision shapes how they approach rejection, activity, and the energy they bring to the day.
He explains that sales is not a profession for people who only want comfort. It is a profession for people who want growth. When a salesperson chooses the mindset of thriving, they take control of their day, generate momentum through action, and build confidence through progress.
Rob makes a deliberate shift away from the term salesperson and instead uses sales practitioner. For him, that change matters because it reflects a more honest and professional view of the role. A practitioner does not push products. A practitioner diagnoses, uncovers unseen problems, and helps a customer understand the value of solving them.He compares great selling to the work of doctors and dentists, who are trusted because they are trained to identify what others cannot easily see. In the same way, sales practitioners earn trust by bringing insight, asking better questions, and helping customers make better decisions.
Listen to the full conversation with Robert Herbst to learn why identity matters in sales, how persistence is shaped by purpose, and why the best salespeople are really practitioners helping customers see what matters most.
Learn more about Robert’s book, ‘Cheating Death’ here.
Paul Fuller’s stated mission is to help others maximize their gifts by using his.
Paul has been a pioneer in the sales process and training, sales as a service, content marketing and CRM. As a previous founder and owner of multiple successful growth organizations in these spaces, Paul has effectively trained and led sales and marketing teams across the world to focus on and achieve dynamic growth.
He firmly believes sales is defined best in three categories:
• Service - helping other get what they need
• Leadership - guiding others toward their vision
• Wayfinding - navigating the path to success together
He is firmly committed to elevating the sales profession through coaching, leading, and empowering others through systems that enable strong performance.
Currently Paul leads revenue growth at Membrain.com - the top sales effectiveness CRM in the world. Working with his team, and a group of over 100 top sales consultant organizations across the globe, they are focused at creating scalable growth through sales excellence in companies and teams in over 80 countries.
Schedule a call with him here.
Find out more about Paul Fuller on LinkedIn
From north to south, east to west, Membrain has thousands of happy clients all over the world.
