No matter what new campaign you’re putting forward, it will never be successful if you don’t identify a target audience to experience the campaign. When it comes to identifying the target audience, or in this case your Ideal Customer Profile, there are a ton of lessons that can push your efforts to success… Let’s jump into some of the most important insights we’ve gathered at Be Uniic.
Sometimes people will confuse Total Addressable Market (TAM) and Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) even though they have distinct purposes. TAM is about understanding the overall market size, which is important when you’re fundraising and understanding the potential market reach. However, ICP is about picking out who you serve best. This forms the foundation of your sales content, your marketing content, and helps you tailor the approach to attract and retain these specific customers.
Your ICP is going to be based on your “best customers.” Those who would be considered the best are those who renew, have high Net Promoter Scores, and eventually become raving fanatics or advocates for your brand. When working to define this group, you have to look for the common denominator among them: traits. For example, you might find that you’re best for mid-sized tech companies that have recently gone through rapid growth and face severe scaling challenges. This precision allows for more targeted and effective marketing and sales efforts.
You shouldn’t just work to define your ICP in some sort of internal document; you need to put it into work! Go beyond your presentation you made on Google Sheets, PowerPoint, or Canva and integrate everything into the account scoring models, data analytics, and frontline enablement tools. At the end of the day the ICP has to be actionable. This involves training your sales and customer success teams on how to identify and engage with ideal customers based on this profile.
Intent is an awesome thing. It provides insight into when a potential customer is ready to buy. However, they don’t replace the need for a good fit. Intent, when thought-out, only helps with timing. Fit ensures that the customer will actually benefit from the solution you provide and it makes sure they’ll stay long-term. The best approach combines both: identify the right customers first, then use intent signals to engage them at the optimal time.
You’ve made it to the end of your ICP mapping journey and think you’re done. Well, sorry bud, think again. ICP development is an ongoing program. Start with your definition, but plan to revisit and refine continuously. Take input from different internal teams. Their frontline insights can help you stay aligned with the evolving needs and characteristics of your best customers.
Once again, marketing and sales campaigns are fun. They’re awesome to build out and awesome to see put into practice. However, to make these campaigns successful it’s best you have an ICP. By differentiating TAM from ICP, describing your best customers, translating strategy into operation, and balancing intent with fit, you’ll better serve the ideal customer and drive sustained growth for your business. Remember, your ICP is not static; it evolves as your market and customer base change. Regular updates and frontline feedback will keep it relevant and effective.