MILE 26.2 + 1 But often, slow and steady wins the race — as is the case when marketing to buyers of Data Center hardware. If you’re with them during each stride, your odds of winning the gold will improve significantly. BECOME A TECH MARKETING FOR YOUR HARDWARE FOR DATA CENTER BUYERS Marketing to the tech buying committee is a marathon, not a sprint. GOLD MEDALIST Servers 68 % YOUR GOLD-MEDAL ROSTER: TITLES OF TOP IT BUYERS GOING FOR GOLD: TODAY’S MOST SOUGHT AFTER HARDWARE PRODUCTS Interaction with your brand is high throughout the buying process, but you’ll want to break from the pack when you hit the Vendor Selection, Hardware Management and Renewal stages. Buying stages are evenly paced, and each one takes about 4–6 months. Storage 64 % Routers 49 % Switches 45 % Racks 36 % Power and Cooling 31 % Fewer than 1 in 5 companies are considering new vendors. LIGHTING THE TORCH: HOW DO YOU COME OUT A CHAMPION? GOING THE EXTRA MILE: WHAT ELSE MATTERS TO HARDWARE PURCHASERS? STAYING AHEAD DURING EACH LEG OF THE DATA CENTER HARDWARE RACE A specialized subset of buyers. Unlike other technologies where different business functions take on leadership roles throughout the buying process, this committee is led by IT, Engineering and Operations during key buying stages. Highly advanced, technical content wins. Demonstrate expertise and a thorough understanding of your customer’s business model. THE DATA CENTER PURCHASE PATH IT’S A STEADY BUT COMPETITIVE RACE WHO IS ON YOUR GOLD-MEDAL TEAM (A.K.A. THE BUYING COMMITTEE)? NEEDS STAGE FOCUS: Cost, reliability, speed and storage. Gold Medal Tip: Share proof of credibility, motivating use cases and positive peer reviews BUYER’S NEEDS AND SPEC ANALYSIS STAGE FOCUS: Pricing is by far the most important. Gold Medal Tip: Conferences and events make an impact at this stage only. HARDWARE SELECTION STAGE FOCUS: Most intense stage for communication. Gold Medal Tip: Vendor websites are the most important at this stage (69%!) TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION STAGE FOCUS: A smooth implementation is critical. Gold Medal Tip: Buyers want specific content on storage, reliability, support and security TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT STAGE FOCUS: Reaching out directly to sales and support. Gold Medal Tip: The buying committee stops consuming case studies/success stories at this stage. PURCHASE RENEWAL STAGE FOCUS: Priorities remain the same, with focus on pricing. Gold Medal Tip: New product features or hardware upgrades will generate excitement! Earn their trust by speaking their language and proving your brand’s industry knowledge. LinkedIn 2015 IT MANAGER LinkedIn 2015 SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR LinkedIn 2015 IT COORDINATOR LinkedIn 2015 SENIOR NETWORK ENGINEER LinkedIn 2015 INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGER LinkedIn 2015 CTO LinkedIn 2015 BUSINESS SYSTEM ANALYST LinkedIn 2015 DATA TECHNICIAN 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brand perceptions, above all, help determine who makes the vendor short list. Events and conferences weigh in less when it comes to the buying decision. IT is the team MVP Make sure you have what it takes to go the distance by checking out our in-depth research e-book, “Beneath the Surface: Taking a Deeper Look at Today’s Empowered Tech Buying Process.” Go for the gold with your tech buyers! LinkedIn Tech Research, “Beneath the Surface: Taking a Deeper Look at Today’s Empowered Tech Buying Process,” September 2015.