How to figure out your ICP (Ideal Client Profile) and why it is important.
What is an Ideal Client Profile?
Your ICP is essentially the characteristics of clients that are the perfect fit for your agency.
These include key metrics such as:
1. The specific industry/vertical they are in. Instead of giving the label "E-Commerce" you should illustrate the specific industry they are in, for example: Consumer technology.
2. Tech Stack. This could be the CRM, Advertising Platform, Website Platform, or coding language they use. For example, think Shopify, HubSpot, Python, Salesforce etc.
3. Location
4. Annual Revenue
5. Company Size/Employee Headcount
Ideal Customer Profiles vs. Buyer Personas
B2B marketers often question the difference between an ICP and a buyer persona.
Does your ideal customer profile replace your buyer personas? Do you need both?
ICP's and buyer personas are not the same thing, but they are closely linked.
While ABM is focused on accounts rather than leads, it’s important to remember that each account is still made up of individuals with diverse roles and priorities.
This is where your buyer personas come in.
For example, you may decide that the presence of specific stakeholders at an account is a key characteristic of your ideal customer profile.
How to create an ideal customer profile for your sales team
An ideal customer profile example for a B2B Marketing Agency might look like this:
Our ideal client is a B2B Fintech company in the U.S. or Canada that uses Salesforce and has an ARR of $1M to $10M.
ICP's do not need to be long or complex.
However if you are offering a solution that requires a certain tech stack or budget, it will be important to include those into your ICP.