Ep. 143 Joshua Feinberg, CEO at DCSMI | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast

Episode 143 of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast features Joshua Feinberg, CEO at DCSMI.

Build cost-effective educational events that drive engagement in your target market.
Understand the keys to creating and sustaining successful channel partner programs for VARs and MSPs.
Identify steps to define and refine your ideal client and partner profiles for focused growth.
Learn techniques to market and sell hybrid infrastructure solutions for AI-driven data centers.
Develop trust-building and educational strategies that differentiate your brand throughout the buyer’s journey.
Master approaches to accelerate sales cycles and maintain a healthy pipeline for colocation and wholesale data center providers.
Leverage content marketing, webinars, and in-person events to build awareness among key stakeholders and prospects.
Optimize your client-facing team’s role as trusted advisors, consultants, and thought leaders in the data center space.
Evaluate and realign sales and marketing resources to focus on high-impact, expert-driven initiatives.
Apply actionable insights on personal branding, client engagement, and adapting to evolving buyer behaviors in the digital age.

Joshua Feinberg from DCSMI discusses effective sales and marketing strategies for the data center industry. He emphasizes the cost-effectiveness of hosting small, targeted events for 100-200 people, costing only catering expenses. He outlines strategies for attracting VARs and MSPs, highlighting the shift in buyer preferences with 83% of the buyer's journey now happening without vendor contact. He advises on creating awareness for AI clients through targeted content and events, and maintaining a healthy sales pipeline for wholesale data centers by focusing on educational resources and building trust early in the buyer's journey. Joshua Feinberg discusses strategies for optimizing data center performance and improving sales and marketing efforts.

He emphasizes the importance of narrowing down target clients geographically, considering employee size, and identifying suitable industries. Feinberg highlights the need for self-awareness in recognizing the company's limitations and focusing on where it excels. He stresses the significance of differentiating the company throughout the entire buyer's journey, not just at the decision stage. Feinberg also advises on repositioning the company as a consultant or expert to better engage with IT professionals. He concludes by encouraging listeners to connect on LinkedIn and suggest topics for future episodes.

Action Items

Identify the ideal client profile and target account list for a colocation and cloud solutions business to attract the right VARs and MSPs.
Determine the key stakeholders and their biggest goals and challenges for a data center energy consultancy targeting AI clients.
Develop an educational, thought leadership-based approach to position a global colocation and scalable infrastructure provider as a trusted advisor throughout the buyer's journey.
Create a content marketing and event strategy for a data center efficiency and strategy consultancy to educate and build trust with the right AI-focused prospects.
Evaluate current sales and marketing investments for a wholesale data center provider and reallocate resources to an educational, expert-driven approach to engage prospects early and often.
Refine the positioning and personal branding of a data center performance optimization firm's client-facing team to be seen as trusted advisors and experts in their field.

Outline

Lunch and Breakfast Seminars vs. Large Conferences

Joshua Feinberg discusses the cost-effectiveness of hosting lunch and breakfast seminars compared to attending massive conferences.
Emphasizes the importance of a good email marketing program and database to invite a few hundred people to these events.
Highlights the low cost of catering and the high cost of hotel accommodations at large conferences.
Recommends using own facilities for educational events, suggesting monthly or quarterly events to engage prioritized buyers.

Introduction to the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast

Joshua Feinberg introduces the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast, focusing on sales and marketing challenges in the data center ecosystem.
Mentions the various roles within the go-to-market team, including account executives, sales development reps, business development reps, account managers, and marketing team members.
Encourages listeners to share their roles and topics for future episodes in the comments.
Outlines the agenda for the week, covering topics like attracting VARs and MSPs, marketing hybrid infrastructure for AI data centers, improving sales timing, and more.

Attracting the Right VARs and MSPs

Joshua Feinberg explains the importance of having a channel partner program for indirect sales.
Discusses the shift in buyer preferences over the past decade, with more research happening before vendor contact.
Highlights the need for channel partners to reach niche markets and segments that direct sales teams may not be able to reach.
Emphasizes the cultural and mindset shift required for companies to build and maintain a successful channel partner program.

Building a Channel Partner Program

Joshua Feinberg outlines the steps to build a channel partner program, including defining an ideal partner profile.
Stresses the importance of understanding the goals and challenges of VARs and MSPs.
Recommends using educational events, webinars, and email marketing to build trust and educate channel partners.
Highlights the long-term nature of building a channel partner program and the need for continuous effort and investment.

Marketing Hybrid Infrastructure for AI Data Centers

Joshua Feinberg explains the concept of hybrid infrastructure for AI data centers, including different energy sources like hydrogen fuel cells and natural gas.
Discusses the importance of targeting data center developers, site selection experts, architects, and real estate investors.
Emphasizes the need for educational resources and events to build trust and educate potential clients.
Highlights the role of community activists and government regulators in the decision-making process.

Improving Sales Timing for Colocation Providers

Joshua Feinberg discusses the challenges of closing sales with clients already under contract with other colocation providers.
Recommends using educational events and resources to stay in front of potential clients and build trust.
Emphasizes the importance of differentiating throughout the full buyer's journey, not just at the decision stage.
Suggests hosting lunch and learns, breakfast seminars, and tours to engage potential clients and build relationships.

Creating Awareness for AI Clients

Joshua Feinberg explains the importance of creating awareness for AI clients, focusing on data center efficiency and strategy consulting.
Recommends defining an ideal client profile, including geographic location, company size, and industry.
Emphasizes the need to understand the goals and challenges of AI clients in different regions.
Suggests using educational events, webinars, and content marketing to build trust and educate potential clients.

Maintaining a Healthy Sales Pipeline for Wholesale Data Centers

Joshua Feinberg discusses the challenges of maintaining a healthy sales pipeline for wholesale data centers.
Recommends defining an ideal client profile and target account list.
Emphasizes the importance of differentiating through educational resources and events.
Suggests using email marketing, webinars, and educational events to engage potential clients and build trust.

Engaging Prospects and Increasing Sales for Data Center Performance Optimization Firms

Joshua Feinberg explains the importance of performance optimization in data centers, focusing on hardware, software, storage, and networks.
Recommends using educational events, webinars, and content marketing to engage potential clients.
Emphasizes the need for cultural alignment within the company to adopt a digital go-to-market strategy.
Suggests repurposing resources from expensive conferences to invest in educational events and content marketing.

Narrowing Down Target Clients

Joshua Feinberg discusses the frustration of being undervalued by prospects and clients, emphasizing the need to showcase the company's expertise.
He suggests narrowing down the target by focusing on specific regions, considering geographical, linguistic, and regulatory implications.
Feinberg highlights the importance of identifying the minimum employee size required for clients to afford the company's services.
He advises setting a range for the ideal client size, noting that larger companies may handle performance optimization in-house.

Identifying Ideal Client Profiles

Joshua Feinberg emphasizes the need to define the ideal client profile, including geographical location and employee size.
He suggests noting industries that are good or bad fits for the company's services, impacting targeting and engagement strategies.
Feinberg stresses the importance of reverse engineering a successful client profile to ensure resources are allocated effectively.
He discusses the significance of aligning the sales process with the ideal client profile to build trust and nurture prospects.

Differentiating in a Self-Driven Buyer's Journey

Joshua Feinberg explains the challenge of selling to IT professionals who are skeptical of traditional sales methods.
He suggests repositioning the company as a consultant, expert, or trusted advisor rather than a salesperson.
Feinberg outlines the steps to build a target account list, prioritize buyer personas, and create a content calendar based on their goals and challenges.
He emphasizes the need to differentiate throughout the full buyer's journey, not just at the decision stage.

Optimizing LinkedIn Profiles and Team Roles

Joshua Feinberg advises optimizing LinkedIn profiles, email signatures, and business cards to reflect deep expertise in data center performance optimization.
He differentiates between junior team members and senior experts, suggesting that senior members should be positioned as high-level consultants.
Feinberg highlights the importance of aligning the company's image with that of a big four consultancy to enhance credibility.
He discusses the need to adapt to generational shifts in buyer behavior, focusing on early engagement and providing value throughout the buyer's journey.

Adapting to Changing Buyer Behavior

Joshua Feinberg notes the shift in buyer behavior, with prospects preferring to engage with vendors closer to the purchase decision.
He emphasizes the importance of being present and providing value at every stage of the buyer's journey.
Feinberg compares this strategy to a sports team's approach, where the best players should be involved from the start.
He stresses the need to reposition and repackage the company to meet the changing needs of IT professionals and decision-makers.

Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Joshua Feinberg concludes the podcast episode by encouraging listeners to connect with him on LinkedIn.
He invites suggestions for future topics and thanks the audience for their participation.
Feinberg wishes listeners success in growing their companies and individual roles in the data center industry.
He promotes the Data Center Sales and Marketing Institute (DCSMI) and encourages listeners to subscribe to the newsletter for updates.

Resources

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