Skip to content
Book A Call
All posts

How to Build an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) in Under 60 Minutes

Picture of Ian Spencer By  Ian Spencer  ·  3 minute read

In the fast-paced world of B2B startups, understanding your ideal customer is non-negotiable.

An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) helps you identify and target the prospects most likely to convert, ensuring your sales and marketing efforts deliver maximum ROI.

But creating an ICP doesn't have to be a lengthy or daunting process.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to craft a robust ICP in under 60 minutes, empowering your business to focus on high-quality leads that drive growth.

1. What is an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and Why Does It Matter?

An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is a detailed description of the type of company or individual that would benefit most from your product or service.

Unlike a buyer persona, which focuses on the individual decision-maker, an ICP focuses on the organisation as a whole.

Why is an ICP essential?

  • Precision Targeting: It helps you focus on accounts that align closely with your offering.
  • Improved Sales Efficiency: Your sales team spends time on prospects with the highest potential for conversion.
  • Better ROI: Marketing campaigns are tailored for maximum effectiveness.
  • Stronger Retention: Targeting customers who derive the most value leads to long-term satisfaction and loyalty.

2. Step-by-Step Process to Build Your ICP in 60 Minutes

Step 1: Analyse Your Best Customers (15 Minutes)

Start by reviewing your current customer base. Look for patterns among your most successful accounts. Use your CRM or analytics tools to identify the following characteristics:

  • Revenue Potential: Which customers generate the most revenue?
  • Industry: Are there specific industries where your product excels?
  • Company Size: What’s the average size (employees, revenue) of your most successful customers?
  • Location: Are certain regions more responsive to your offerings?
  • Engagement Metrics: Which customers show the highest engagement with your product or service?

This analysis forms the foundation of your ICP by revealing shared traits among your top customers.

Step 2: Identify Pain Points and Needs (15 Minutes)

Understanding the challenges your ideal customer faces is key to tailoring your messaging and product offerings. Use these methods to identify pain points:

  • Customer Feedback: Review feedback, surveys, or support tickets to understand recurring issues.
  • Sales Team Insights: Your sales team often knows what challenges prospects share. Gather their input.
  • Competitor Research: Analyse how competitors position their solutions to address similar customer pain points.

Example: If your SaaS platform helps streamline workflow automation, a common pain point for your ICP might be managing repetitive tasks with limited resources.

Step 3: Define Key Demographics and Firmographics (10 Minutes)

Demographics and firmographics help you segment your market effectively. Focus on:

  • Industry or Niche: Pinpoint the industries most likely to benefit from your product.
  • Company Size: Consider revenue, employee count, or market share.
  • Job Titles and Roles: Identify decision-makers or influencers, such as CTOs, marketing managers, or operations heads.

Tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator or Clay can provide valuable insights into these characteristics.

Step 4: Develop an ICP Template (10 Minutes)

Condense your findings into a clear, actionable template. Here’s an example format:

  • Industry: SaaS startups focused on workflow automation.
  • Company Size: 50–500 employees, generating £10M–£50M annually.
  • Location: United Kingdom and Europe.
  • Pain Points: High workload due to manual processes, need for cost-saving solutions.
  • Decision-Makers: COO, Operations Managers, and IT Heads.

Having this template ensures consistency in how your team approaches targeting and outreach.

Step 5: Validate Your ICP with Real Data (10 Minutes)

Your ICP is a hypothesis until it’s tested. Validate it by applying these steps:

  • Pilot Campaigns: Launch small-scale marketing or sales outreach efforts targeting your ICP to measure responsiveness.
  • Review Win Rates: Monitor whether targeting the defined ICP improves conversion rates.
  • Refine Based on Insights: Use campaign performance data to tweak and improve your ICP.

Validation is crucial to ensure your ICP aligns with actual market conditions and delivers tangible results.

3. Tools to Help You Build Your ICP Faster

Leverage technology to streamline the ICP creation process:

  • CRM Platforms: Tools like Salesforce or HubSpot can analyse your best customers and generate insights.
  • Data Enrichment Services: Use tools like FullEnrich or Clay to gather additional information about target accounts.
  • LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Perfect for identifying key demographics and decision-makers.
  • Survey Tools: Use Typeform or Google Forms to gather direct feedback from existing customers about their challenges and needs.

These tools can shave hours off your ICP development process while providing accurate and actionable insights.

4. Common Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Your ICP
  1. Overgeneralisation: A broad ICP makes targeting ineffective. Be as specific as possible.
  2. Ignoring Internal Feedback: Neglecting insights from your sales, marketing, and customer success teams can result in incomplete profiles.
  3. Focusing Only on Demographics: Include psychographics like customer goals, values, and behaviours to create a holistic ICP.
  4. Not Validating the ICP: Without testing and refinement, your ICP may lead to wasted efforts on poorly matched prospects.
5. How to Use Your ICP Across Sales and Marketing Teams

Once your ICP is ready, make sure your teams are aligned in how they utilise it:

  • Sales: Use the ICP to prioritise accounts, tailor outreach strategies, and improve closing rates.
  • Marketing: Develop campaigns that resonate with your ICP’s challenges and objectives. Focus on creating content that addresses their pain points and aligns with their goals.
  • Customer Success: Ensure onboarding, training, and support are tailored to the ICP for improved retention and upselling opportunities.

Regularly revisit your ICP to ensure it evolves with market trends and customer needs.

Conclusion

Building an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) doesn’t have to be a time-consuming task.

With the steps outlined in this guide, you can create a robust ICP in under 60 minutes, enabling your startup to focus on high-value prospects and drive sustainable growth.

By continuously refining and validating your ICP, you’ll ensure your sales and marketing efforts are consistently aligned with your most promising opportunities.

Ready to create your ICP and start targeting high-value customers? Contact us today for personalised support in building and leveraging your ICP for maximum growth.