Watching Episode 170 of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast will give you practical, step‑by‑step playbooks for sharpening your ideal client profiles, modernizing outbound prospecting, and transforming sales and marketing into true trusted-advisor roles.
You’ll see how these strategies apply across edge data centers, colocation, cloud, managed services, cleaning and maintenance providers, architects and designers, and even emerging GPU-as-a-Service models.
Learn how you can turn education-driven marketing into real, predictable pipeline.
- Build local edge data center brand awareness
- Improve outbound sales for colocation, cloud, and managed services
- Improve sales and marketing results for colocation service providers
- Generate leads for data center cleaning and maintenance companies
- Create go-to-market strategies for data center architects and designers
- Explore GPU-as-a-Service and how it can create revenue-sharing opportunities for colocation providers
Host:
Joshua Feinberg, CEO
DCSMI
Joshua Feinberg discusses strategies for improving sales and marketing in the data center industry. He emphasizes the importance of precise location for edge data centers, particularly in underserved rural and tertiary markets.
For outbound sales, he suggests targeting ideal client profiles and using educational events to build trust and awareness. He also highlights the need for collaboration between sales and marketing teams.
For data center cleaning and maintenance companies, he recommends understanding client needs and using educational content to generate leads.
For architects and designers, he advises focusing on specific business models, niches, and geographic regions to create effective go-to-market strategies.
Joshua Feinberg discusses the complexities of launching a data center architecture firm, emphasizing the need for product/market fit and understanding ideal clients. He highlights the importance of targeting accounts, building buyer personas, and optimizing go-to-market strategies.
Feinberg also explores the emergence of GPU as a service, noting its high costs and the need for strategic decisions by colocation providers. He suggests considering channel partner market fit and the potential impact on existing business models, stressing the importance of board-level discussions and careful planning to ensure profitability and alignment with company goals.
Action Items
- Create a one-page ideal client profile (ICP) for each edge datacenter location to identify geographic targets, company size, and priority buyer personas
- Build target account lists (named accounts) from the ICPs, with a prioritized list of companies (dozens to hundreds) for outbound and ABM efforts
- Design and launch a recurring monthly educational event series (breakfast/lunch seminars or webinars) tailored to prioritized buyer personas and record each session
- Record and repurpose event content into long-form and short-form assets (video, blog posts, social snippets, email content) for lead generation and nurture
- Audit CRM, finance, and client success data to identify best-fit, highest-value clients (most profitable, longest retention, highest NPS) to inform ICP and outbound targeting
- Segment named account lists for outbound by company size or by industry vertical and assign territories or named accounts to appropriate sales reps
- Develop lead-generation premium content (ebooks, checklists, calculators, webinars) focused on the top goals and challenges of prioritized buyer personas for cleaning, maintenance, and colocation services
Outline
Building Local Edge Data Center Brand Awareness
- Joshua Feinberg introduces the podcast and its focus on sales and marketing challenges in the data center industry.
- Discussion on the importance of building local edge data center brand awareness, especially for edge data centers.
- Joshua explains the significance of precise location for latency-sensitive applications like AI, GPUs, and supercomputing.
- Edge data centers are highlighted as a growing business opportunity, especially in underserved rural and tertiary markets.
- Strategies for building brand awareness include targeting ideal client profiles, geographic specificity, and understanding industry-specific regulatory issues.
Improving Outbound Sales for Colocation, Cloud, and Managed Services
- Joshua discusses the importance of understanding the ideal client profile for outbound sales.
- The need for a single point of contact for colocation, cloud, and managed services is emphasized.
- Strategies for segmenting target accounts by company size and industry are outlined.
- The significance of educational events for building trust and brand awareness is highlighted.
- Joshua suggests using outbound prospecting to invite potential clients to educational events, focusing on their biggest goals and challenges.
Generating Leads for Data Center Cleaning and Maintenance Companies
- Joshua explains the importance of understanding the ideal client profile for data center cleaning and maintenance companies.
- The need to target specific geographic locations and company sizes is discussed.
- Strategies for lead generation include creating educational content, hosting webinars, and attending in-person events.
- The importance of building trust and educating potential clients early in the buyer's journey is emphasized.
- Joshua suggests using multiple touchpoints to reach potential clients and differentiate the company as a trusted advisor.
Creating Go-to-Market Strategies for Data Center Architects and Designers
- Joshua discusses the importance of understanding the ideal client profile for data center architects and designers.
- The need to target specific business models, niches, and industries is highlighted.
- Strategies for building relationships with general contractors, data center real estate firms, and investors are outlined.
- The significance of educational resources, research reports, and in-person events for building trusted advisor relationships is emphasized.
- Joshua suggests building relationships with site selection experts, community stakeholders, and data center developers to enhance the go-to-market strategy.
Data Center Architecture and Market Fit
- Joshua Feinberg discusses the complexity of getting new data center facilities rolled out, emphasizing the need for compliance certification and product/market fit.
- He explains the importance of understanding ideal clients, their purchasing habits, and unit economics.
- Early-stage data center architecture firms often come from similar backgrounds and look for experienced professionals to accelerate growth.
- The focus is on replicating successful client relationships to build more pipeline and improve lead generation.
Target Account List and Buyer Personas
- Joshua emphasizes the need to build a target account list and segment it among sales and marketing teams.
- He suggests prioritizing buyer personas, noting that not all are equal in importance.
- Different stakeholders in data center projects, such as architects and decision committees, require targeted strategies.
- The goal is to create a fine-tuned go-to-market strategy that focuses on deep relationships with key decision-makers.
Land and Expand Potential
- Joshua highlights the importance of clients with strong land and expand potential, where ongoing projects lead to more business.
- He discusses the need for a well-optimized go-to-market strategy that evolves over time.
- The final question of the week's show is introduced, focusing on GPUs and their role in data center technology.
- Joshua explains the rise of Nvidia and the use of GPUs in generative AI and large language models.
GPU as a Service and Revenue Sharing
- Joshua introduces the concept of GPU as a service, where clients rent GPU capacity by the hour.
- He explains how this model has emerged in response to the high cost of GPUs and the demand for AI adoption.
- The discussion includes the implications for colocation providers and the potential for revenue sharing opportunities.
- Joshua mentions various companies offering GPU as a service and the need for strategic decisions on how to integrate this model into existing businesses.
Strategic Considerations for GPU as a Service
- Joshua discusses the strategic decisions colocation providers need to make regarding GPU as a service.
- He emphasizes the importance of considering marketing, sales, compensation models, and client success.
- The decision to spin off GPU as a service as a separate entity or integrate it within the existing brand is a high-level strategic choice.
- Joshua highlights the need for careful thought on how this will impact product roadmaps, channel partnerships, and capital allocation.
Channel Partner Market Fit
- Joshua introduces the concept of channel partner market fit, which is crucial for successful revenue sharing.
- He explains how to assess channel partner market fit by looking at long-term retention and positive feedback.
- The importance of having a dedicated channel chief and a well-functioning channel team is emphasized.
- Joshua discusses the potential risks of adding GPU as a service if the existing channel partnerships are not well-established.
Unit Economics and Sales Strategy
- Joshua discusses the unit economics of GPU as a service and the implications for sales strategy.
- He explains the need for minimum purchase requirements to ensure profitability.
- The conversation includes the challenges of competing with large public cloud companies and the importance of targeting mid-market enterprises.
- Joshua highlights the need for a well-thought-out sales strategy that aligns with the company's overall business model.
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
- Joshua provides final thoughts on how to approach GPU as a service and create revenue sharing opportunities.
- He emphasizes the importance of board-level and C-suite discussions in making strategic decisions.
- The need for careful consideration of marketing, sales, and channel partnership implications is reiterated.
- Joshua concludes by encouraging listeners to Subscribe to the Data Center Sales and Marketing Newsletter for more educational resources.
Resources
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