4 tips on how to craft an irresistible ICP
Alexey Gayduk
Engineering Leader | Maximizing Revenue with AI, Automation, and Process Optimization
What if I told you that an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) should not be about the social demographics but the size of the business for the sake of the size.?
It should be about something that characterizes the company or the client in essence. It’s that one thing in the business that we can catch on to. So that we can continue to offer him our product and for some reason, he linked this product and began to use it.?
But why is the ICP in most companies either poorly understood as a concept or not adequately defined? Even in companies that have defined an ICP, its use is limited to marketing briefs and most of them have common mistakes, like...
To help you prevent this from happening you'll read why an irresistible ICP is critical. Stay tuned because I'll show you how you can describe and build your ICP yourself. So you can use it to find the perfect leads for yourself.
This is why your ICP is critical for your business...
A well-defined ICP represents the kind of business or organization that brings you the most value. While also getting the best from your product or service. That's why your ICP should be a broad description of a perfect customer. It should cover a range of criteria including firmographic marketing data and common behaviors.
If you do this correctly, your ICP helps you achieve compelling business results, including:
4 Tips on how to craft a breathtaking ICP
So instead of creating just an ICP for the sake of creating one. Start to invest your resources in creating the perfect one. Here are 4 tips to level up your ICP:
Tip 1 - Trust your instincts
When you start formulating your ICP, you probably have customers that spring to your mind as ideal. Start and make a list of every thought that pops up and look for common traits, even if you can't identify why. Remember that this is a process of discovery, so forget any preconceptions and analyze what these customers mean to you and how they behave.
Tip 2 - Discover the 1% that benefits the most from your offer.
These aren’t the customers who have just bought your service, but these are the ones that actually love it. They write five-star reviews and send you testimonials without any prompting. They’ve been in touch personally to let you know how much you have helped them. These are your super-fans, singing your praises from the rooftops.
Tip 3 - Include all departments during the process
A customer may seem perfect to you, but if your support team considers them a complete nightmare. Or if a client brings in a lot of money, but it took your sales team 5 years to close the deal. And your service departments have had to deal with problem after problem ever since. So, is it still an ideal customer?
Tip 4 - actually talk with your customers
I already told you that your ICP should be about something that characterizes the company or the client in essence. You can't do that when you are only doing the research behind your computer screen. So get out of your comfort zone and talk to your actual customers. If you truly listen to what they have to say, you'll find what your ICPs have in common.
Good VS. Perfect ICP
The only way to maximize your marketing and sales efforts is to have a clear picture of what your ideal customer looks like today. The more detailed your ICP profile is, the more accurately you target those companies most in need of your service and likely to give you business. It should be a win-win.
That's why I share with you 3 examples...
? A small business in Los Angeles.
? A company with a monthly turnover of $10m and outsourced accounting.
This example has some characteristics where we as a business are in some kind of situation in which we can help. Let's move over to the second example.
? A Woman aged 22-32 living in cities with an income of over $100K per family.
? A woman aged 22-32 who has given birth to her first child and lives apart from her parents.
Here we can also have some situations in which there is a problem for this woman and where we can help specifically in her situation. Last but not least...
? A 40-year-old female real estate agent. With kids who are already in middle school, so she can focus on her career because her kids aren’t babies anymore isn’t the same as…
? A 40-year-old female real estate agent. With kids who are already in middle school, so she can focus on her career because her kids aren’t babies anymore. She drives a Lexus, lives in an upper-middle-class suburb. She likes to have lunch with the girls at least once a week and dinner out with her husband every Friday...
She craves music hits from the 80s and 90s. She would do everything for her kids and admire Oprah Winfrey. She considers the term "soccer mom" to be derogatory and refuses to be put out to pasture.
The last example includes characteristics that define the person you are trying to help. The better detailed (based on facts) your ICP is, the better your team can attract this type of client.
Conclusion
So, the next time you create different personas, you must know the type of company they work for. Try to focus on firmographics, instead of demographics. When it’s done carefully, your business will benefit and prosper.
So start with identifying existing customers who give and receive the greatest value. See what they have in common, construct a profile based on the characteristics they show, and review it regularly.
Remember that defining your ICP is an ongoing process that takes time. But when you do this right, you can transform your b2b outside sales and marketing. And your business will benefit highly from future targeted campaigns.
Let’s start a conversation in the comments below! What are your thoughts on your company's ICP?