Rethinking Data Centers for a Sustainable Future
Data Center Sales & Marketing Institute (DCSMI)
Elevating the role of sales, marketing, and go-to-market (GTM) professionals in the growth of the data center industry
Welcome to the Data Center Sales and Marketing Newsletter (DCSMI)
This week, you'll learn from guest expert Svante Horn , CEO & Co-Founder at Scandinavian Data Centers .
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Svante shares his vision for creating a carbon-negative data center platform. He envisions utilizing Sweden's low-carbon electricity and repurposing facilities to benefit local communities.
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Then, Joshua Feinberg from DCSMI offers five strategies to expedite sales in the data center industry, emphasizing the need for excellent customer experiences and trust-building through valuable educational content.
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Together, these insights highlight a shift toward sustainability and customer-centric practices in the data center sector.
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Register for the Upcoming Three-Day Training Event:
[Encore] Data Center Go-to-Market 2025 Jumpstart
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We hosted a very well-received three-day training event during the second week in December. The webinar series got great feedback.
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However, we also know that many people who wanted to attend couldn't attend all three sessions due to their previous commitments to industry conferences and year-end holiday parties.
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Plus, the timeslot wasn't ideal for anyone in APAC time zones.
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So we've decided to host an encore of Data Center Go-to-Market 2025 Jumpstart during an entirely different timeslot.
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(This time around, the scheduling's also good for anyone in the Americas. Of course, you're always welcome to attend regardless of your location.)
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Here's why this matters so much to you, your team, and your 2025 growth plans:
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Data center clients have completely changed how they research and make purchase decisions.
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Gartner found up to 83% of the buyer's journey happens before sales teams meet a prospect.
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So, even under the best circumstances, you’ll only have a seat at the table for the final 17% of the sales process.
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Has your company kept up with these changes?
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Or are you still using the same sales and marketing playbook from 10+ years ago? (when you had a role in nearly 50% of the sales process)
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Many sales and marketing teams have been frustrated by the self-guided buyer's journey, in which the buyer is in the driver’s seat.
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But these challenges also present game-changing opportunities for those who can get found early as trusted advisors.
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Sales and marketing teams need to upgrade to this new reality to own most of the typical 28 touchpoints between a stranger and a significant data center purchase.
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That’s why DCSMI is hosting a?free, three-day training event?to help you prepare.
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Upcoming Events
Rethinking the Data Center Model for a Sustainable Future
During a?recent episode of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast, host Joshua Feinberg interviewed Svante Horn, the co-founder and CEO of Scandinavian Data Centers, about his unique approach to building the world's greenest data center platform.
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Creating a More Sustainable Data Center Model
Svante's journey to the data center industry was anything but traditional.
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After studying at Dartmouth and working in banking, he found his entrepreneurial calling when he helped establish a high-security facility in Sweden that was later acquired.
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This experience sparked Svante's interest in creating a more sustainable data center model.
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Developing a Carbon-Negative Platform
Svante and his business partner co-founded Scandinavian Data Centers to develop a carbon-negative platform.
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Their innovative approach centers around leveraging Sweden's low-carbon electricity grid, repurposing existing facilities, and harnessing the excess heat from servers to power district heating systems.
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"We get cheaper cooling than if we ran our data center traditionally, which we can pass on to our clients. And then we all win. Because it actually goes from a low-carbon data center platform, which we were kind of starting our journey in or hoping to achieve, to actually being a carbon-negative data center platform," Svante explained.
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Developing Tangible Community Value via District Heating Grids
Beyond the environmental benefits, Scandinavian Data Centers also focuses on creating tangible community value.
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By strategically locating their facilities near major district heating grids, they can become energy hubs that provide heat and power to local municipalities.
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The company is even exploring partnerships with greenhouses to foster job creation and food security.
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Aligning With Your Passions and Strengths
For aspiring data center professionals, Svante emphasizes the importance of pursuing roles that align with your passions and strengths.
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He also advises mid-career individuals to leverage their existing knowledge to become valuable assets in emerging sectors like digital infrastructure.
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As the data center industry evolves, Svante's vision for Scandinavian Data Centers offers a glimpse into a more sustainable and community-centric future.
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By rethinking traditional models, data center leaders can unlock new avenues for growth while driving positive change.
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Featured Resource
This issue of the Data Center Sales and Marketing Newsletter (DCSMI) is sponsored in part by DCSMI Sponsorship Opportunities.
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Is your company a data center operator? Or a technology-, facilities-, construction-, or real estate-related company that sells to or partners with data center operators?
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If so, discover tailored opportunities to elevate your brand’s visibility and engagement within the dynamic data center industry.?
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DCSMI sponsorship options, from exclusive newsletter placements to comprehensive podcast partnerships, are strategically crafted to get you in front of key decision-makers and industry leaders.?
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5 Proven Strategies to Close Data Center Deals Faster
During a recent episode of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast, Joshua Feinberg of DCSMI shared five powerful strategies to help data center companies close sales faster with their leads.
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1. Provide an Excellent Prospect Experience
Feinberg emphasized prioritizing growth goals while delivering a world-class customer experience (CX).
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By deeply understanding your buyer personas and journey stages, you can segment and personalize your approach to meet their needs.
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2. Leverage Marketing and Sales Automation Automating the delivery of timely, educational content is key to positioning your team as trusted advisors.
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Use marketing automation workflows and sales sequences to nurture leads, build trust, and accelerate them to the decision stage.
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3. Boost Sales Productivity Feinberg recommended leveraging CRM tools like templates, snippets, and self-booked meetings to eliminate friction and give your sales team more time to sell.
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Automating administrative tasks can dramatically improve efficiency.
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4. Build a Full-Funnel Webinar Program
Webinars and events are a powerful way to educate prospects and build trust at scale.
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Feinberg advised tailoring content for specific buyer personas and journey stages to maximize impact.
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Applying the same quality standards as top industry conferences is crucial.
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5. Leverage Offline Events for Early-Stage Leads
In addition to webinars, Feinberg highlighted the value of offline events like breakfast seminars and lunch & learns.
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These can be a cost-effective way to engage early-stage leads and accelerate the sales cycle.
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Show Up as a Teacher and Trusted Advisor
The common thread throughout Feinberg's strategies is the need to show up as a teacher and trusted advisor, providing immense value to prospects throughout their buying journey.
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By prioritizing education and building deep relationships, data center companies can close more deals faster without compromising on price.
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How You Can Consult With DCSMI
The Data Center Sales & Marketing Institute (DCSMI) offers Data Center Lead Generation Consulting and Go-to-Market Strategy.
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Now, you can consult with DCSMI to increase your data center lead generation, reach the right decision-makers, improve brand awareness, enter new markets, grow your sales pipeline, and scale customer acquisition
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These programs are designed for data center providers -- as well as IT, facilities, real estate, construction, and sales and marketing companies that partner with data center providers.
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