Ep. 129 Joshua Feinberg, CEO of DCSMI | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast

Episode 129 of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast features Joshua Feinberg, CEO at DCSMI.

Generate high-quality leads for colocation, cloud, and connectivity solutions
Define your ideal client profile with precision and strategic targeting
Reposition your sales team as trusted advisors and subject matter experts
Understand the modern buyer's self-driven journey and adapt your approach
Create educational content that attracts and engages potential clients
Develop marketing strategies that align with changing digital transformation trends
Identify the key stakeholders in data center technology decision-making processes
Craft a go-to-market strategy that differentiates you from competitors
Improve growth rates in data center connectivity and interconnection
Build a strong brand that lowers customer acquisition costs and attracts top talent

Host:

Joshua Feinberg, CEO
DCSMI

Joshua Feinberg emphasizes the importance of targeted marketing strategies for data center sales and marketing. He advises against overinvesting in large conferences, suggesting instead a disciplined approach that aligns conference choices with ideal client profiles.

Feinberg highlights the need for companies to understand their clients' goals and challenges, using tools like LinkedIn to segment and target potential clients. He stresses the shift from traditional sales to educational and consultative roles, aiming to build trust and influence throughout the buyer's journey.

Specific strategies include leveraging localized marketing, understanding industry-specific compliance, and focusing on client-centric content and events.

Joshua Feinberg discusses strategies for improving growth rates in data center connectivity and interconnection firms. He emphasizes the importance of aligning growth targets with historical performance and realistic resource allocation.

For venture-backed and private equity-owned companies, growth is often driven by shareholder expectations, while privately owned firms may focus on benchmarks like those in Inc. Magazine. Feinberg highlights the need for a strong brand to lower customer acquisition costs and improve unit economics. He also stresses the importance of educating and building trust with both direct and indirect sales channels, adapting to digital buyer journeys, and involving CFOs and investors in growth strategies to balance growth with profitability.

Action Items

Define the ideal client profile for the colocation, cloud and connectivity solutions provider, including geographic location, company size, and industry.
Reposition the data center design, engineering and project management firm's client-facing team members as educators, consultants and trusted advisors.
Understand the hyperscale data center's key buyer personas and what they value most.
Educate the data center connectivity provider's sales team on the changed buyer preferences and how to position themselves as subject matter experts.
Research the data center lighting company's ideal client profile and buyer personas' biggest goals and challenges.
Align the data center connectivity and interconnections firm on growth rate goals and how to adapt the go-to-market strategy accordingly.

Outline

Educating Clients and Allocating Resources

Joshua Feinberg emphasizes the importance of educating clients as a trusted advisor rather than overly investing in large national and global conferences.
He advises comparing the ideal client profile with the media kit of conferences to identify gaps and make cost-effective decisions.
Joshua highlights the inefficiency of relying on noisy environments like cocktail parties or expo floors for meaningful client interactions.
He introduces the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast, focusing on sales and marketing challenges in the data center ecosystem.

Addressing Different Roles in the Data Center Ecosystem

Joshua addresses various roles within the data center ecosystem, including operators, technology companies, construction firms, and outsourced sales and marketing solutions.
He encourages listeners to engage with the podcast and suggest topics for future episodes.
The agenda for the week includes discussing lead generation for colocation, cloud, and connectivity solutions, marketing improvements for data center design firms, and more.
Joshua emphasizes the importance of subscribing to the Data Center Sales and Marketing Institute newsletter for updates and resources.

Generating Leads for Colocation, Cloud, and Connectivity Solutions

Joshua discusses the importance of a single go-to-market strategy for selling colocation, cloud, and connectivity to the same kind of client.
He advises identifying commonalities in successful past clients to build a targeted lead generation strategy.
The discussion includes the importance of geographic proximity for colocation and the virtual nature of cloud services.
Joshua emphasizes the need for a Venn diagram approach to identify the perfect clients for all three services.

Understanding Ideal Client Profiles

Joshua explains the importance of understanding the ideal client profile, including geographic location, company size, and industry.
He advises standardizing company size ranges based on LinkedIn's employee headcount ranges for effective lead generation.
The discussion includes the need to exclude certain industries that are not a good fit for the company's capabilities.
Joshua highlights the importance of creating educational resources and offers specific to each industry and stakeholder.

Improving Marketing for Data Center Design, Engineering, and Project Management Firms

Joshua discusses the need for data center design, engineering, and project management firms to adapt to the self-driven buyer's journey.
He emphasizes the importance of positioning the company as a teacher, consultant, and trusted advisor rather than just a vendor.
The discussion includes the need for cultural changes within the company to align with the new marketing approach.
Joshua advises focusing on building the company's own media, such as podcasts and webinars, to maintain ongoing engagement with clients.

Communicating Value in Hyperscale Data Centers

Joshua explains the importance of understanding the business the company is truly in and focusing on the job to be done for clients.
He advises using the Jobs to be Done (JTBD) framework to get close to clients and understand their biggest goals and challenges.
The discussion includes the need to align the company's offerings with the client's mission, vision, and growth goals.
Joshua emphasizes the importance of being client-centric and understanding the client's perception of value.

Connecting with Leads at the Right Time

Joshua discusses the importance of defining the ideal client profile and segmenting within that profile to understand the most important stakeholders.
He advises focusing on the primary and secondary buyer personas and understanding their biggest goals and challenges.
The discussion includes the need to be present in the self-driven buyer's journey and provide value throughout the full journey.
Joshua emphasizes the importance of cultural changes within the sales team to position themselves as educators and consultants.

Improving Marketing for Data Center Connectivity Providers

Joshua advises defining the ideal client profile based on geographic location, company size, and industry.
He emphasizes the importance of understanding the decision-making process and the stakeholders involved in data center connectivity.
The discussion includes the need to be present in the self-driven buyer's journey and provide value throughout the full journey.
Joshua advises focusing on building relationships with multiple stakeholders from the same company to have a significant impact on the decision-making process.

Improving Marketing for Data Center Lighting Companies

Joshua advises defining the ideal client profile based on geographic location, company size, and industry.
He emphasizes the importance of understanding the decision-making process and the stakeholders involved in data center lighting.
The discussion includes the need to be present in the self-driven buyer's journey and provide value throughout the full journey.
Joshua advises focusing on building relationships with multiple stakeholders from the same company to have a significant impact on the decision-making process.

Improving Marketing and Sales in Data Center Lighting Companies

Joshua Feinberg discusses how data center lighting companies can enhance their marketing and sales strategies.
Emphasizes the importance of client-facing team members in learning and engaging with clients.
Highlights the value of spending time with the company's team to gain insights and knowledge.
Encourages subscribing to the data center sales and marketing newsletter for updates and educational events.

Understanding Growth Rates for Data Center Connectivity and Interconnection Firms

Joshua Feinberg addresses the question of how data center connectivity and interconnection firms can improve their growth rates.
Explains the different approaches to growth rates based on venture-backed, private equity, and privately owned companies.
Mentions the pressure on publicly traded companies to meet growth targets.
Discusses the importance of aligning growth rate expectations with historical performance and realistic resource allocation.

Building a Strong Brand for Better Growth

Joshua Feinberg emphasizes the significance of building a strong brand to improve growth rates.
A strong brand can lower the cost of customer acquisition and improve lifetime value.
A strong employer brand helps attract and retain top talent, fueling growth.
Aligning on growth rate goals and their impact on company culture is crucial.

Defining Ideal Client Profiles and Buyer Personas

Joshua Feinberg outlines the importance of defining ideal client profiles and buyer personas.
Describes the characteristics of ideal clients, including company size, location, and industry.
Highlights the need to validate buyer preferences and adapt to the digital, self-driven buyer's journey.
Discusses the role of direct and indirect sales forces, including channel partners, in growth strategies.

Educating and Building Trust with Channel Partners

Joshua Feinberg stresses the importance of educating and building trust with channel partners.
Channel partners also have changed buyer preferences, spending the early part of their buyer's journey without sales contact.
Emphasizes the need for the company's best and brightest to act as teachers, consultants, and trusted advisors.
Ignoring these changes can lead to a competitive disadvantage.

Adapting to Market Trends and Buyer Preferences

Joshua Feinberg discusses the importance of adapting to market trends and buyer preferences.
Highlights the need for companies to align their growth rate plans with these changes.
Emphasizes the role of data center connectivity and interconnection firms in various sectors, including colocation, hyperscale, and edge providers.
Encourages companies to focus on providing great value to clients and attracting and retaining top talent.

Balancing Growth and Margins

Joshua Feinberg addresses the balance between growth and maintaining profit margins.
Discusses the different perspectives of venture capital, private equity, and privately owned companies on growth.
Emphasizes the importance of aligning growth rate goals with the company's strategic decisions and stakeholders.
Highlights the need to educate and build trust with target accounts and prioritized buyer personas throughout their buyer's journey.

Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Joshua Feinberg concludes the episode by encouraging listeners to hit the like button and connect on LinkedIn.
Encourages subscribing to the data center sales and marketing newsletter for updates and resources.
Invites listeners to suggest topics, questions, or challenges for future episodes.
Wishes listeners success in growing their careers, teams, and business impact in the data center industry.

Resources

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