Ep. #89 Joshua Feinberg, CEO of DCSMI | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast

Episode #89 of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast features Joshua Feinberg, CEO at DCSMI.

Define your ideal client profile (ICP) by analyzing past successes and CRM data.
Identify key stakeholders and their goals to prioritize Buyer Personas effectively.
Build trust with prospects by positioning your sales team as consultants and trusted advisors.
Leverage LinkedIn Sales Navigator for efficient account intelligence and prospecting.
Differentiate your brand by understanding and addressing client needs and challenges.
Adapt your go-to-market strategy to align with evolving market demands and client preferences.
Foster collaboration between sales and marketing teams to enhance the buyer's journey.
Organize impactful offline webinars to engage local audiences and build stronger connections.
Secure executive-level buy-in to drive cultural changes and long-term success.
Stay close to clients to anticipate market changes and maintain go-to-market fit.

Host:

Joshua Feinberg, CEO
DCSMI

Joshua Feinberg discusses strategies for building a quality sales pipeline, emphasizing the importance of understanding what "quality" means for your company.

He advises defining an ideal client profile based on past successes, company size, geography, and industry.

Joshua highlights the significance of stakeholder identification and the need for sales teams to act as consultants and trusted advisors.

He stresses the importance of brand recognition through trust-building and leveraging platforms like LinkedIn.

Joshua also touches on the preference for direct sales reps versus integrators, depending on the business model and target market.

Finally, he underscores the necessity of continuous client engagement and market adaptation to ensure a steady flow of new clients.

Action Items

Organize "offline webinars" in the training classroom or conference room to engage the local target audience.
Adjust the ideal client profile and go-to-market strategy based on changes in the market and client needs.
Get really good at using LinkedIn and LinkedIn Sales Navigator for prospecting.
Involve the marketing team earlier in the buyer's journey and have them participate in post-sale and customer success processes.

Outline

Building a Quality Pipeline of Consistent Opportunities

Joshua Feinberg emphasizes the importance of understanding what quality means to your company.
He suggests looking at past successes, case studies, logos, reviews, and CRM data to define an ideal client profile.
The ideal client profile should include geographic location, company size, and specific industries.
Joshua advises normalizing around the number of employees to determine the ideal client size.

Defining Ideal Client Profiles and Stakeholder Identification

Joshua discusses the importance of defining the bottom and upper end ranges for the number of employees in an ideal client.
He explains the need to consider geographic and industry-specific compliance requirements.
Identifying key stakeholders before, during, and after the purchase is crucial for prioritizing Buyer Personas.
Joshua highlights the importance of understanding the goals and challenges of each stakeholder to position your company as a trusted advisor.

Improving Brand Recognition and Standing Out from the Competition

Joshua suggests continually asking prospects and clients what they care about to build trust.
He advises repositioning sales teams to look more like consultants and trusted advisors.
Joshua emphasizes the importance of understanding the buyer's journey and meeting prospects where they are.
He recommends using various channels like blogs, email newsletters, social posts, and webinars to build brand recognition.

Leveraging LinkedIn and Sales Navigator for Account Intelligence

Joshua recommends starting with LinkedIn for customer insight research before investing in expensive tools.
He advises having a fantastic LinkedIn company page and a lead generation website.
Joshua suggests using LinkedIn Sales Navigator for mid-market and enterprise sales.
He emphasizes the importance of showing up as consultants and teachers rather than just salespeople.

Preference for Direct Sales Reps vs. Integrators

Joshua explains that the preference for direct sales reps or integrators depends on the nature of the business model and target market.
He mentions that large companies often use direct sales reps for large deals and channel partners for smaller deals.
Joshua highlights the importance of understanding the client's needs and capabilities.
He discusses the role of managed service providers and value-added resellers in small and medium-sized businesses.

Ensuring a Steady Flow of New Clients

Joshua advises getting specific about who the clients are and what they care about.
He recommends reviewing past successes and conducting regular customer education and marketing webinars.
Joshua emphasizes the importance of staying close to clients and understanding market changes.
He suggests involving product management teams in client meetings to gather insights for future planning.

Adapting to Market Changes and Maintaining Go-to-Market Fit

Joshua discusses the importance of adjusting the ideal client profile and go-to-market strategy based on market changes.
He highlights the need to stay close to clients and understand their evolving needs.
Joshua advises being prepared to adjust the ideal client profile based on geography, company size, and industry changes.
He emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and iteration to maintain go-to-market fit.

Executive Buy-In and Cultural Changes for Success

Joshua stresses the need for executive-level buy-in to make the necessary investments and cultural changes.
He explains that prospects and clients have already changed, and companies need to adjust to capitalize on these changes.
Joshua advises starting with a C-level conversation to demonstrate the importance of the changes.
He highlights the role of Chief Commercial Officers, Chief Revenue Officers, and Chief Marketing Officers in large companies.

Tools and Techniques for Account Intelligence

Joshua recommends starting with LinkedIn for customer insight research before investing in expensive tools.
He advises having a fantastic LinkedIn company page and a lead generation website.
Joshua suggests using LinkedIn Sales Navigator for mid-market and enterprise sales.
He emphasizes the importance of showing up as consultants and teachers rather than just salespeople.

Collaboration Between Sales and Marketing Teams

Joshua advises sales teams to come in earlier in the buyer's journey as consultants and trusted advisors.
He emphasizes the importance of marketing teams going deeper into the buyer's journey.
Joshua suggests that marketing teams actively participate in the post-sale and customer success process.
He highlights the role of educational events and resources in improving client satisfaction and adoption.

Resources

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