In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we revisit the discussion with Marcello Gallo, CRO at Sigma Computing, tackling one of the most critical and misunderstood phases of complex enterprise sales: procurement. They dissect the challenges of "separation of church and state," the pitfalls of weak champions, and the importance of owning the final stretch of the sales cycle with confidence, conviction, and clarity of value.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:00:25] Understand “Separation of Church and State”: Champions often step back during procurement. Plan for it, but don’t surrender the deal.
[00:01:33] “Participate in Your Own Rescue”: Teach champions to fight for the value they believe in—even through procurement.
[00:03:15] Extreme Ownership is Non-Negotiable: Blaming procurement delays is a weak excuse. Elite sellers own the entire process.
[00:04:00] Know the Negative Consequences: It’s not just about the pain — it’s about what happens if the problem doesn’t get solved now.
[00:05:54] True Champions Have Power and Influence: They actively sell on your behalf and are invested in your success. Anything less is not a real champion
[00:06:38] Elite Sellers Multiply Champion Power: The best reps elevate their champions inside the account. It’s not seller vs. buyer—it’s a partnership.

QUOTES

[00:01:54] “You can’t get alligator arms during procurement. If this is what you want delivered, you have to participate in your own rescue.”
[00:03:35] “Extreme ownership means the deal is yours. No excuses. If procurement’s dragging, you didn't plan it right.”
[00:04:59] “Without understanding the negative consequences, you can’t drive urgency — and urgency drives deals.”
[00:05:54] “A true champion has power and influence, is actively selling on your behalf, and has a vested interest in your success.
[00:07:02] “If a rep’s saying, ‘It’s us versus them,’ you’re in trouble. It means you never had a real champion to begin with.”

Listen to the full conversation through the link below.
https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/scaling-high-growth-companies-with-marcello-gallo

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Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results. 

This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale. 
 

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