How to Close Colocation and Data Center Services Sales Faster (Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast Ep. 175 Excerpt)

Key Takeaways from the Video Excerpt:

• Moving Away from Commodity Selling: Why treating your colocation facility like "co-working for servers" slows down sales, and how bundling managed services or partnering with MSPs creates a single point of accountability.
• Vertical Specialization: How hiring sales reps with direct experience in specific verticals (such as manufacturing or financial services) drastically shortens sales cycles through built-in credibility.
• The Facility Event Playbook: How hosting monthly, content-focused educational seminars for local target account lists builds trust and converts cold prospects into long-term clients.

Ready for the complete strategy? Stream Episode 175 of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast to hear the full conversation and learn how to scale your data center GTM engine!

Joshua Feinberg discusses strategies for colocation and data center services companies to close sales faster. He emphasizes the importance of identifying ideal clients and specializing in vertical markets, such as manufacturing and financial services. Feinberg suggests hosting educational events monthly to engage target accounts, providing valuable content, and building trust. He advises having dedicated sales teams with industry expertise and focusing on smaller to mid-sized businesses. By consistently offering professional development opportunities, colocation operators can differentiate themselves, potentially becoming the sole consideration for clients seeking data center services.

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Colocation and Data Center Sales Strategies

• Joshua Feinberg discusses the importance of having a single point of accountability for smaller companies, which drives them to outsource managed services.
• The question posed is how to close colocation and data center services sales faster, emphasizing the need for companies to be tight on their ideal clients.
• Joshua highlights the commoditization pressures in the colocation industry, comparing it to the web hosting industry a decade ago.
• He stresses the importance of colocation operators providing IT services beyond just space, power, and connectivity to thrive in a highly commoditized space.

Diversifying Services and Business Models

• Joshua explains that thriving colocation operators are those that see themselves as IT service providers, not just real estate businesses.
• He mentions the value proposition of outsourcing IT services to small and medium-sized businesses, which includes a single point of contact.
• The role of integrators in the colocation data center ecosystem is discussed, highlighting their importance in integrating products and services from various companies.
• Joshua notes that colocation operators typically do not send their system engineers out in the field, relying on managed service providers for field work.

Specializing in Vertical Markets

• Joshua advises colocation operators to specialize in specific vertical markets to avoid commoditization.
• He suggests having separate sales teams or account executives for different vertical markets, such as manufacturing and financial services.
• The importance of hiring individuals with deep industry experience in these vertical markets is emphasized.
• Joshua recommends building a target account list and identifying key buyer personas for each vertical market.

Educational Events and Lead Generation

• Joshua proposes hosting educational events in colocation facilities to build relationships with target accounts.
• He suggests creating a schedule of events that cater to the specific needs and goals of different buyer personas in manufacturing and financial services.
• The events should provide valuable content and interactive sessions to engage attendees and build trust.
• Joshua emphasizes the importance of consistency in hosting these events to maintain top-of-mind awareness and build long-term relationships.

Building Trust and Professional Development

• Joshua explains that by providing valuable educational content, colocation operators can position themselves as trusted advisors.
• He highlights the importance of having subject matter experts available to answer questions and provide insights during these events.
• The goal is to gradually knock competitive options out of the consideration set by consistently providing high-value content.
• Joshua concludes that by focusing on early and frequent engagement, colocation operators can close sales faster and more effectively.