Many colocation and wholesale data center providers include digital transformation in their menu of solutions promoted on their websites. But here’s a dirty little secret many don’t want to know: Many of these same companies' own sales and marketing teams struggle with digital transformation.
To help you make sure that your company doesn’t repeat its transgressions, consider these four mistakes that colocation and wholesale data center sales and marketing teams make when working on their digital transformation:
1. Lack of CEO buy-in -- Digital transformation is almost always a big culture change for legacy companies. To be successful, digital transformation needs to cross silos within the company. This won't happen if the CEO is still living in 2008 and believes that Google, LinkedIn, Siri, YouTube, and Facebook are just fads irrelevant to their business and customer base.
2. Sales and marketing living in the past -- Sales believes every problem can be solved with more cold calls. Marketing believes that every problem can be solved with more trade show booths. Both are still focused on interruption marketing, while their buyers now have all the power and don't want to speak with anyone until they're at least 70% of the way through the buyer's journey.
3. Lack of tools -- Modern buyers are researching search engines and social media on their biggest questions and problems in a digital-first world. While the basics like a mobile-friendly website, SSL-enabled website, and presence on the major social media channels are make-or-break, most companies aren't valuing relevance and speed enough. So they severely underinvest in real-time tools that generate leads, accelerate segmented leads into sales opportunities, and transform new customers into delighted problems.
4. Lack of strategy -- Data center providers in denial about digital transformation still think the world revolves around them, their problems, their products/services, and their employees. 150% wrong. If you're not obsessed about your buyer personas, their buyer's journey, and product/market fit, you're living in the past.
Which digital transformation mistakes do you see sales and marketing professionals making in the data center, cloud services, and mission-critical industries? Share your thoughts in the Comments box below.
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