Ep. 139 Joshua Feinberg, CEO at DCSMI | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast

Episode 139 of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast features Joshua Feinberg, CEO at DCSMI.

Define an ideal client profile for data center and IT services businesses
Identify key buyer personas in technical markets
Create educational content that builds trust with prospects
Master the art of positioning your team as industry experts, not just vendors
Explore techniques for generating inbound leads in competitive data center markets
Understand the self-driven buyer's journey and how to navigate it effectively
Develop a targeted approach to marketing and sales in data center and digital infrastructure industries
Craft educational resources that attract and engage potential clients
Implement account-based marketing strategies for technology solutions
Navigate the challenges of selling in commoditized technology markets

Host:

Joshua Feinberg, CEO
DCSMI

Joshua Feinberg discusses the evolving self-driven Buyer's Journey in the data center industry, noting Gartner's finding that 83% of a typical journey is now over before initial sales contact, up from 56% a decade ago. He emphasizes the need for sales teams to engage early and often with highly technical, skeptical IT professionals.

Feinberg outlines strategies for various data center sectors, including colocation, energy sustainability consultancies, edge data centers, high availability colocation, modular data centers, and energy-efficient solutions.

Key points include defining ideal client profiles, understanding buyer personas, and leveraging educational resources to build trust and drive inbound opportunities.

Action Items

Define the ideal client profile for the colocation, cloud, and managed IT services business.
Identify the primary and secondary buyer personas and understand their goals and challenges in their own words.
Develop a content and event strategy to position the client-facing team as trusted experts.
Determine the geographic focus and target account list for the data center energy sustainability consultancy.
Create educational content and events to build trust and drive alignment across stakeholders.
Evaluate the local vs. long-distance sales approach for the edge data center business.
Consider segmenting the sales and marketing for the high-availability colocation business.
Develop an educational content and event strategy to position the modular data center business as experts.
Implement an inbound lead generation strategy focused on positioning the energy-efficient data center solutions as trusted advisors.

Outline

Self-Driven Buyer's Journey and Its Impact

Joshua Feinberg introduces the concept of the self-driven Buyer's Journey, emphasizing its significance in the data center industry.
Gartner's research indicates that 83% of a typical buyer's journey is now over before the first meeting with a sales team.
Comparison with CEB's 2010 research showing 56% of the journey was over before vendor contact.
The need for sales teams to earn their way into the early stages of the buyer's journey, especially with highly technical IT professionals.

Introduction to the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast

Joshua Feinberg welcomes listeners to the Data Center Go-to-Market Sales and Marketing Q&A show.
The show aims to tackle sales and marketing challenges across various roles in the data center ecosystem.
Audience includes datacenter operators, technology and facilities companies, construction and real estate, and outsourced sales and marketing.
The agenda for the week includes topics on finding qualified prospects, reducing repeat prospecting calls, and generating inbound opportunities.

Finding Qualified Prospects in Colocation, Cloud, and Managed IT Solutions

Discussion on defining the ideal client profile (ICP) for colocation, cloud, and managed IT solutions.
Importance of geographic location, company size, and industry fit in defining the ICP.
Differentiation between single-location and multi-location providers.
The need for a comprehensive go-to-market strategy that includes both local and global marketing efforts.

Segmenting Buyer Personas and Understanding Their Needs

Identification of primary and secondary buyer personas within client accounts.
Importance of understanding the biggest goals and challenges of these personas.
The role of educational resources and events in building trust and educating prospects.
The impact of the self-driven Buyer's Journey on the need for early and frequent engagement with prospects.

Sustainability Consultancy and Reducing Repeat Prospecting Calls

Discussion on sustainable go-to-market strategies for data center energy sustainability consultancies.
Importance of a precise ideal client profile, including geographic location, company size, and industry fit.
Segmentation of buyer personas within client accounts.
The role of educational events and resources in reducing the need for repeat prospecting calls.

Growing a High Availability Colocation Data Center Business

Strategies for growing a high availability colocation data center business.
Importance of understanding historical success and defining the ideal client profile.
Segmentation of sales efforts by company size and industry.
The role of channel partners in expanding the reach of colocation services.

Building a Robust Modular Datacenter Sales Pipeline

The importance of a geographic component in the ideal client profile for modular data centers.
Consideration of company size and industry fit in defining the addressable market.
The need for differentiation in a competitive market.
The role of educational events and resources in building a robust sales pipeline.

Generating Inbound Opportunities for Energy-Efficient Data Center Solutions

The distinction between inbound and outbound opportunities in the data center industry.
Importance of understanding the ideal client profile and target account list.
Segmentation of buyer personas within client accounts.
The role of educational events and resources in generating inbound opportunities.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Joshua Feinberg summarizes the key points discussed in the podcast.
Encourages listeners to subscribe to the Data Center Sales and Marketing newsletter.
Invites listeners to suggest topics, questions, and challenges for future shows.
Provides information on how to connect with Joshua Feinberg on LinkedIn.

Resources

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