Whether you're a financial advisor serving clients or own a small business and want to streamline your sales strategies, understanding your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is a game-changer. In today's market, where generic blanket strategies fall flat, the key to profitable growth lies in knowing your target audience inside out - from their motivations and pain points to their preferred social networks and coffee brands! 

Ready to craft your ICP and transform your business? Let's dive right in!

Know Your Industries Inside Out

Picking an industry to focus on can feel like choosing the bakery's tastiest doughnut. There are just too many appealing options. However, spreading yourself too thin over multiple sectors is a recipe for exhaustion, not success. 

Choosing 1-3 industries to actively prospect is one of the elements needed to transition from sales rep to subject matter expert. It's not enough just to know about an industry; you need to understand its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) even better than they do!

Nesting: Your Secret Weapon

"Nesting" might sound like something that birds do, but it's also a powerful strategy in business. Positioning yourself within particular companies, groups, or communities helps you become more recognized, build credibility, and gain valuable referrals. Consider this your personal, cozy bird's nest where you're not just a fly-by-night visitor but a well-respected member.

Size Matters

In the context of ICP, deciding whether you want to focus on individuals, small teams, or larger companies is crucial. After all, pitching to a solo entrepreneur is a very different ball game than selling to a corporate giant. 

Remember, choosing your audience is like choosing a running shoe - pick the one that fits your business model best, and you’ll be able to run further and feel more comfortable along the way.

Location, Location, Location

Even in the digital era, location still counts for a lot. By focusing on 1-3 states or locations at a time, you can pinpoint the best calling times, understand local customs, and build a solid referral network. 

In short, it's like giving yourself a home-field advantage in a game.

The Pursuit of Pain Points

Pain points are your customers' problems that need solving, and they are your best friends in a sales call. To truly understand these pain points, you need to become a detective. Consult your current customers, remain curious during sales calls, employ AI models like ChatGPT, and grill your coworkers and leaders to learn everything you can about what keeps your prospects up at night. 

Knowing your prospect's pain will allow you to offer a solution, and as we all know, solutions equal revenue.

Goals and Aspirations

Understanding why people enter their industry, their success metrics, and their end goals gives you insights into their motivations. These are the raw materials you can use to tailor your services to match their aspirations. 

Remember, when you connect with their goals, you're no longer a salesperson but a partner in their journey.

LinkedIn Filters

Once you understand your ICP, you must test your theory inside platforms like LinkedIn's Sales Navigator. Run split campaigns to ensure accurate targeting and build your pipeline with your newly discovered ICP. 

Here are some LinkedIn filters that give you a solid place to start:

• Connection Degree (1st, 2nd, and 3rd)
• Location (Country, State, and City)
• Current or Past Company
• School
• Industry
• Title

ICP Example

Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): SustainableTech Startups

Industry:

Green Technology Startups

We're focusing on the emerging sustainable technology sector, aiming to become leaders in this niche. We know the industry KPIs, including carbon footprint reduction, energy efficiency improvements, and cost savings through sustainable practices.

Nesting:

Our business is actively participating in eco-startup communities, green technology forums, and attending relevant industry conferences and events. We're not just passive observers; we're contributors, sharing our expertise and absorbing new insights.

Size:

Our ICP revolves around small to medium-sized startups, typically having teams of 10-100 employees. We've found these businesses to be most responsive to our services. They have the flexibility and enthusiasm to innovate and adapt, making them an ideal fit for us.

Location:

We're focusing on businesses based in California, Texas, and New York. These states have shown a high interest in sustainable technology, and we've found promising networking opportunities and favorable response rates here.

Pain Points:

Our ICPs are typically dealing with issues like sourcing cost-effective sustainable materials, complying with environmental regulations, and scaling their eco-conscious solutions. By leveraging our resources and tools, we can provide them with the solutions they need.

Aspirations/Goals:

The startups we target are driven by the desire to make a significant positive impact on the environment. They measure success not only by profits but also by the real-world benefits their technology brings. Their ultimate goal is to be leading influencers in the green tech revolution.

Filters:

Using LinkedIn's Sales Navigator, we'll filter by industry (Green/Clean Tech), company headcount (10-100), and locations (California, Texas, New York). To refine our prospecting, we'll split test these filters, possibly focusing on specific job titles (CEO, CTO, Sustainability Director, etc.) and the companies' founding dates to ensure we're targeting startups and not established enterprises.

Landing the Meeting

Figuring out your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is a massive step in the right direction for growing a thriving business, but none of this matters if you can’t land the meeting with your prospect. 

Here is a video outlining moving from ICP to revenue-driving meetings: