Episode 115 of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast features Joshua Feinberg, CEO at DCSMI.
- Identify and target the right data center operations and infrastructure professionals
- Learn strategies for generating leads in data center renewable energy and green technology
- Explore effective approaches to selling edge computing and private 5G network services
- Develop improved sales follow-up techniques for data center connectivity and infrastructure
- Master marketing methods for data center site selection and environmental due diligence
- Create a comprehensive go-to-market strategy for data center IT consulting and cybersecurity services
- Understand the modern buyer's journey and how to engage prospects through educational content
- Craft buyer personas that resonate with data center technology decision-makers
- Implement account-based marketing tactics for technology service providers
- Navigate the challenges of selling to increasingly digital and research-driven buyers
Joshua Feinberg from DCSMI discusses the importance of understanding client goals and challenges to create effective marketing and sales strategies.
He emphasizes the need for detailed research on buyer personas, including geographic location, company size, and industry. Feinberg highlights the shift in buyer behavior, where 83% of the decision-making process occurs before vendor contact. He advises focusing on educational events and resources to build trust and align with client needs. Specific strategies include targeting renewable energy, edge computing, and data center site selection, emphasizing the importance of personalized messaging and stakeholder engagement. Joshua
Feinberg discusses the significant shift in the Buyer's Journey, now dominated by self-guided research, with 83% of the process completed before vendor contact. This leaves sales professionals with only 17% of the journey to engage prospects. He emphasizes the need for sales teams to adapt by becoming consultants, educators, and trusted advisors, leveraging 28 touch points to build trust and provide value.
Effective strategies include educational events, email automation, and engaging multiple stakeholders from the same company. Feinberg highlights the importance of aligning with today's buyer preferences to ensure a successful go-to-market strategy in data center IT consulting and cybersecurity.
Action Items
- Document the ideal client profile for data center operations and infrastructure, including geography, company size, and industry.
- Conduct research to understand the biggest goals and challenges of the primary and secondary buyer personas in the customers' own words.
- Develop a hyper-local playbook for marketing and selling edge computing and private 5G network engagements, including hosting educational events at the local facilities.
- Define the ideal client profile and target account list for data center site selection and environmental due diligence services, considering different stakeholder groups.
- Reposition the sales team to act more as consultants, trusted advisors, and subject matter experts for the data center IT consulting, cybersecurity, and backup recovery go-to-market strategy.
Outline
Understanding Client Goals and Challenges
- Joshua Feinberg emphasizes the importance of understanding client goals and challenges in their own words to ensure effective messaging.
- The conversation highlights the need for clarity in website content, copywriting, product marketing, sales enablement, outbound emails, ads, events, and landing pages.
- Joshua introduces the Data Center Go-to-Market Sales and Marketing Q&A Live Show, aimed at addressing common questions from various stakeholders in the data center ecosystem.
- The agenda for the show includes topics such as getting the right person in data center operations and infrastructure, generating leads for renewable energy, and selling edge computing and private 5G network engagements.
Getting the Right Person in Data Center Operations
- Joshua discusses the importance of documenting the ideal client profile, including geographic location, company size, and industry.
- He advises getting specific about the ideal client profile to ensure alignment within the company and with external stakeholders.
- The conversation covers the need for situational awareness and understanding the decision-making committee in data center operations.
- Joshua emphasizes the importance of building relationships over time and understanding the modern self-guided buyer's journey.
Modern Buyer's Journey and Educational Resources
- Joshua explains the shift from a traditional buyer's journey to a self-guided buyer's journey, where 83% of the research happens before vendor contact.
- He highlights the need for companies to show up as trusted advisors, consultants, and subject matter experts.
- The conversation covers the importance of understanding the buyer personas and their biggest goals and challenges.
- Joshua advises using a combination of internal and external research to get accurate insights into client needs.
Generating Leads for Renewable Energy and Green Technology
- Joshua discusses the importance of getting specific about the target companies and the ideal client profile for renewable energy, green technology, and energy storage.
- He advises focusing on a specific geographic region, company size, and industry to create a targeted account list.
- The conversation covers the need for educational events and resources to build trust and educate potential clients.
- Joshua emphasizes the importance of aligning messaging and content with the buyer personas' goals and challenges.
Selling Edge Computing and Private 5G Networks
- Joshua explains the importance of understanding the geographic and industry-specific needs for edge computing and private 5G networks.
- He advises creating educational events and resources to build trust and educate potential clients.
- The conversation covers the need for a unified go-to-market strategy and the importance of integrating products and services.
- Joshua emphasizes the importance of aligning messaging and content with the buyer personas' goals and challenges.
Improving Sales Follow-Up for Data Center Connectivity
- Joshua discusses the importance of understanding the ideal client profile and the decision-making committee for data center connectivity, cabling, power, and infrastructure.
- He advises focusing on educational events and resources to build trust and educate potential clients.
- The conversation covers the need for a unified go-to-market strategy and the importance of aligning messaging and content with the buyer personas' goals and challenges.
- Joshua emphasizes the importance of showing up as trusted advisors and consultants to build long-term relationships.
Marketing and Selling Data Center Site Selection
- Joshua explains the importance of understanding the different stakeholders involved in data center site selection and environmental due diligence.
- He advises creating a targeted account list and focusing on educational events and resources to build trust and educate potential clients.
- The conversation covers the need for a unified go-to-market strategy and the importance of aligning messaging and content with the buyer personas' goals and challenges.
- Joshua emphasizes the importance of understanding the specific needs of each stakeholder group and building relationships over time.
Creating Go-to-Market for Data Center IT Consulting
- Joshua discusses the importance of defining the ideal client profile for data center IT consulting, cybersecurity, and backup recovery.
- He advises focusing on a specific geographic region, company size, and industry to create a targeted account list.
- The conversation covers the need for educational events and resources to build trust and educate potential clients.
- Joshua emphasizes the importance of aligning messaging and content with the buyer personas' goals and challenges and showing up as trusted advisors and consultants.
Self-Guided Buyer's Journey and Its Impact
- Joshua Feinberg explains that the self-guided Buyer's Journey means prospects and clients now spend 83% of their decision-making process without vendor contact, a significant shift from 10 years ago when 56% of the journey was over before vendor contact.
- He highlights the impact of digital transformation, remote work, and generational changes on the Buyer's Journey, emphasizing that 83% of the research, comparison, and evaluation now happen without direct vendor involvement.
- Joshua compares this to a sports game scenario where sales professionals are only allowed to engage in the final stages, illustrating the challenge of gaining early access to prospects.
- He points out that this shift presents both a challenge and an opportunity for companies that can effectively engage early and often in the right context.
Challenges of Traditional Sales Approaches
- Joshua discusses how many companies still rely on traditional sales approaches, such as larger booths at annual conferences, which only appeal to prospects in the final stages of the Buyer's Journey.
- He emphasizes the need to embrace the self-guided Buyer's Journey and understand that there are 28 touch points between a stranger and a purchase decision.
- Joshua advises sales teams to position themselves as consultants, teachers, trusted advisors, and thought leaders to build trust and provide value without being overly aggressive.
- He stresses the importance of showing up where prospects want to be and providing meaningful, educational content that builds trust and positions the sales team as experts.
Effective Go-to-Market Strategies
- Joshua explains that effective go-to-market strategies involve educational events that attract multiple stakeholders from the same company, fostering alignment and trust.
- He highlights the importance of email automation and tracking event registrations to measure the success of these strategies.
- Joshua notes that when multiple stakeholders from the same company attend educational events, it helps in solving transformational challenges early and keeping the company on the shortlist.
- He mentions that this approach can even knock competitors off the consideration set by positioning the client-facing team as experts and resources.
Final Thoughts and Call to Action
- Joshua concludes by summarizing the key points of creating an effective go-to-market strategy for data center IT consulting, cybersecurity, backup, and disaster recovery.
- He encourages companies to lean into today's buyer preferences and provide value at every stage of the Buyer's Journey.
- Joshua invites listeners to like the episode, suggest future topics, and subscribe to the Data Center Sales and Marketing Newsletter for updates and resources.
- He offers to connect on LinkedIn and wishes listeners success in growing their influence and company's influence in the data center industry.
Resources
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