How to Identify and Connect With the Data Center Decision-Maker

Joshua Feinberg discusses the process of identifying and connecting with the right data center decision-maker.

He emphasizes the importance of understanding past successes. He analyzes reviews, testimonials, and case studies to define an ideal client profile, considering geographic location, company size, and industry.

He introduces the concept of "Goldilocks" sizing for companies.

Feinberg also highlights the need to create a target account list and define buyer personas, ranking them by importance.

He advises that companies engage with these stakeholders as trusted advisors rather than salespeople, using buyer persona research to inform their strategy and messaging.

Eighty percent of this research needs to come directly from the buyer personas themselves.

This video is excerpted from the podcast Ep. #47 Joshua Feinberg, CEO of DCSMI | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast.

Action Items

Research to understand where the company has been most successful in the past.
Document an ideal client profile, including geographic location, company size, industry, and business model.
Generate a target account list of companies similar to the ideal clients.
Identify the primary, secondary, and tertiary buyer personas within the target companies.
Research the goals, challenges, job titles, and information sources of the buyer personas.
Develop a strategy to educate and build trust with the most important stakeholders.

Outline

Identifying the Ideal Client Profile

Joshua Feinberg emphasizes that the definition of the right decision-maker varies from company to company.
Joshua suggests analyzing past successful engagements through reviews, testimonials, and case studies to determine the ideal client.
He highlights the importance of identifying commonalities such as geographic regions and company sizes where the company has been most successful.
Joshua introduces the concept of the "Goldilocks zone," which refers to finding the optimal company size that is neither too large nor too small for the company's services.

Understanding Industry and Regulatory Context

Joshua explains that understanding the industry and business model of the ideal client is crucial, especially in mission-critical sectors like data centers.
He mentions that regulatory issues, such as those in the EU or healthcare, significantly impact the client's operations.
The discussion includes the importance of aligning the company's services with the specific regulatory environment of the ideal client.
Joshua stresses that industry-specific knowledge is essential for tailoring the company's approach to meet the client's needs.

Generating a Target Account List

Once the ideal client profile is established, Joshua outlines the process of creating a target account list of potential clients.
The list can include a few dozen to several thousand companies that resemble the company's best clients.
The focus is on identifying the one or two most important decision-makers within these companies.
Joshua introduces the concept of buyer personas, which are ranked based on their importance to the sales process.

Defining Buyer Personas

Joshua explains that buyer personas are categorized into primary, secondary, and tertiary levels based on their significance.
He details the characteristics of these personas, including their goals, challenges, job titles, certifications, and preferred communication channels.
The research involves understanding commonalities among these personas to build a comprehensive profile.
Joshua emphasizes the importance of segmenting buyer personas to create a targeted strategy for engaging with them effectively.

Building a Strategy for Engagement

Joshua discusses the need to educate and build trust with the most important stakeholders in potential clients' companies.
The company must position itself as a teacher, consultant, or thought leader to earn the client's trust.
Joshua advises using buyer persona research to determine the topics and language that resonate with the target audience.

Conducting Buyer Persona Research

Joshua recommends involving veterans on the sales team in the research process but cautions that their input should only constitute 20% of the research.
He stresses that 80% of the research should come directly from the buyer personas themselves through interviews or analysis of their online presence.
The goal is to understand the buyer personas' concerns and interests in their own words.
Joshua underscores the importance of using this research to tailor the company's messaging and approach to align with the buyer personas' needs and preferences.

Resources

Watch the full podcast Ep. #47 Joshua Feinberg, CEO of DCSMI | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast

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