The commercial organization of GAFAM (Google, Apple, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft) is very similar. They all have a hierarchical structure with a managing director or president at the top. Below this level are the sales and marketing teams. Sales teams are responsible for generating leads and converting those leads into customers. Marketing teams are responsible for promoting the company's products and services to the target market.
The Akimbo team is convinced that B2B sales are experiencing a Major revolution right now.
Who do we find at its outposts? You guessed it: the GAFAM, in other words, the largest tech companies in the United States. They are developing Modus operandi innovative thanks to huge investments in the personalization of sales processes, data analysis, customer experience, integrated ecosystems, etc.
Good news: thanks to this new part of Sales Acceleration, you will discover the workings sales teams the most efficient in the world.
How are these sales teams organized? How do you define their sales method? As a salesperson, how can you be inspired by it?
The team answers all of these questions with exclusive information organized into five parts:
⚡️ A meticulous organization
⚡️ A robust sales method (Playbook included)
⚡️ Empowered members
⚡️ Effective management
⚡️ An ambitious talent development policy
1 - A meticulous organization
GAFAMs are succeeding in ultra-competitive markets thanks to a well-structured commercial organization, even millimeters :
✅ Detailed and optimized business processes week after week.
To increase efficiency, be firm on the 80/20 of the Pareto Law, by focusing your resources only on well-qualified opportunities.
Make sure your team is paying critical attention to the opportunities that are most likely to close. Establish clear criteria at the various stages of the sales process, thus simplifying decisions on the whom, when and how engage.
✅ A CRM that is the keystone and guarantees the quality of the data.
Maintain a impeccable data hygiene by setting up alerts for stagnant opportunities, and unfilled properties. It is never too late to put in place rules that require users to complete certain information. For example, via smart lists coupled with notifications at the end of the week.
Limit it number of steps in your 6-way pipeline so as not to overload your overall view. Even if your sale is complex.
Create leads in your CRM when prospects interact with your outgoing campaigns to better target your follow-up actions. Consider all possible automations at each stage of the sales funnel.
✅ The creation of Sales Operations/Sales Enrollment positions.
With technological change, commercial operations teams (Sales Ops) are constantly exploring new ways to use emerging technologies to improve sales operations. A McKinsey study in 2020 reveals that nearly a third of sales tasks can be automated.
These improvements allow for much better reliability of forecasts. In addition, the sharing of best practices and mutual learning enabled by Sales Enablers generate long-term performance.
✅ Full speed adoption of AI within sales teams.
This recommendation was shared a few days ago by Marc Benioff (CEO @ Salesforce): he is already watching 30% (!) of productivity in its society thanks to AI on many functions. Keep an active watch on trends, news and tools related to AI in sales.
✅ To go further: in the United States, we are already seeing the beginnings of an evolution towards a new sales organization.
GAFAM business organizations usually have up to six different entities: Lead, Inbound, Outbound, Sales, Success and Care.
A new evolution stems from the difficulty of generating leads and rapid growth in 2023. This organization consists in moving from Pods “SDR + AE + CSM” classics at Pods including 1 more Marketer. It is a form of generalization ofAccount Based Marketing.
One Pod allows you to focus the energy of a team in charge of its own perimeter to take advantage of all channels. In Fine the commercial organization is made up of several Pods autonomous who fully exploit sales potential.
Keep in mind that these developments represent only a fraction of the many initiatives of these companies.
If you want like the GAFAM optimize the performance of your sales team, for example by adopting advancements enabled by AI, discover our commercial performance consulting offer.
Each GAFAM plays a central role in the digital revolution. In the next part, our team reveals how they succeeded in developing a “proven sales method”.
An assumed sales method
🕵🏻♂️ Are your sales methods tried and tested? What does that mean?
In the case of GAFAM, the sales teams have developed a effective sales strategy and tested that relies on personalization, big data analysis, and an exceptional customer experience. This method allows them to attract and retain customers by responding precisely to their needs and by remaining responsive to market developments.
How is this method characterized?
American sales teams are taking a more direct approach and focused on persuasion, highlighting the advantages and benefits of the solution in a more aggressive way. In France, the sales approach is more subtle, and it is undoubtedly cultural.
In addition, artificial intelligence plays a key role in improving sales and strategy, by optimizing preparation, sales discourse and feedback, thus freeing up more time.
Another very important point is the harmonization of practices, because there are often significant differences in performance between the people in a team (Of a 1 to 4 ratio). For example, thanks to the adoption of coaching that builds the future: re-listening, feedback, role plays, personalized performance plans.
Obviously, do not recruit lone wolves: successful, but who encounter a developmental challenge because they have difficulty learning. Finally, keep in mind that the sales method is also a How to differentiate yourself in 2023.
All of these initiatives are manifested by a Playbook. We have prepared a Playbook exclusive for subscribers of Sales Acceleration. A document that describes sales strategy, processes, and best practices. It guides how to approach the various stages of the sales cycle and helps sales teams improve their performance.
By combining these factors, the GAFAM sales teams have developed proven sales methods that allow them to remain competitive, attract new customers and retain existing customers.
3 - Accountability of members
🤷🏻 ♂️ Does everyone on your team know their role?
American commercial culture is different from that in France: salespeople have more autonomy and flexibility as long as they meet their sales goals. But these goals are often very ambitious. So it's a special mix that doesn't put pressure aside.
American sales teams often have a more results-oriented sales culture, and are more focused on individual commercial performance. The remuneration system is clearly based on commissions and bonuses to encourage sales, with a much higher variable share in the United States than in France.
Finally, successful sales organizations are not afraid to aggressively increase annual goals from year to year. However, should the same example be followed in France? Instead, we recommend that you work on the quality of your forecasts and processes that determine sales goals, so as not to set goals that are uncorrelated with reality. Our team has prepared a document for you with an example of commercial variable remuneration.
4 - Effective management
🤝 Are you recognized in your team?
According to Google, the key to being a good manager is building one team at a time efficient and happy. To do this, managers should focus on three areas:
- Make sure everyone on their team knows what they're working on, and why.
- Helping their team members grow and develop their skills.
- Be there for their team when they need help or advice.
Google also has a process for promoting managers. To be considered for a promotion, managers must first complete a self-assessment. Afterwards, their team members are invited to give their feedback.
Finally, a group of senior leaders reviews the manager's performance and decides whether the promotion is granted.
⚠️ The idea that successful employees should be promoted to management positions is a hypothesis Highly erroneous. Consideration should be given to varied career paths for sales team members, including the possibility of staying on pure sales.
American sales teams also have a Feedback culture very advanced: more direct (No Hard Feelings). The book Radical Candor, which is the bible for sharing feedback, makes it possible to find the balance between managers who are excessively unpleasant on the one hand, and excessively empathetic on the other.
The way in which feedback is given and received in the field of sales in fact accentuates cultural differences between the United States and France. Some of these cultural differences are:
👉 Directivity vs. Diplomacy
👉 Positivity vs. constructive criticism
👉 Formality vs. Informality
👉 Individualism vs. Collectivism
👉 Feedback frequency
This change in mentality is gradually taking place. First of all, it is expressed in the will to pass “from a culture of inspection, to a culture of efficiency and trust”. You never win alone!
Microsoft is building a learning culture for “pass from Know It All ” At ” Learn it all ” with in particular continuous training.
Our program Performance allows sales teams to surpass themselves through animation and sales coaching. Our support has a measurable and lasting impact on your performance, and your team, regardless of size.
5 - An ambitious talent development policy
🧗🏻 ♂️ How do you encourage your talents to develop their knowledge and skills?
A learning culture allows for leaders to meet with their teams to discuss their challenges in sales, in order to understand what works, and what doesn't. This characteristic is more important than most people think.
Simply opening up the discussion suggests that these problems are solvable. These Managers/Managers discussions open horizons that they thought were closed. A learning culture is an essential characteristic of GAFAM teams, which makes them grow.
It is no coincidence that the American startup Gong has exploded since 2020, because its service is a sales coaching aid. This trend goes hand in hand with the development of coaching sales teams, which is even more advanced in the US than in France. This is one of the keys to the success of GAFAM.
At Google, getting trained is a habit. Managers pass 20% of their time to coach several dozen Googlers, employees, students, work-study students
They follow renowned programs:
We hope you enjoyed writing this part of Sales Acceleration as much as we did, and we look forward to seeing you in the next edition!
Your opinion is very important: do not hesitate to share your feedback with us by email. It was a pleasure for us to continue this adventure, and to count you among the community. Sales Acceleration.
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