Having an ideal customer profile is essential to effective prospecting, qualifying and closing. Not understanding who is best served by your solution, it’s impossible to know which prospects are worth pursuing.

And it will be difficult to seal a deal if you aren’t sure of how your solution brings value and soothes their pain points.

SalesFuel’s Voice of the Sales Rep study reveals that there’s major opportunity for improvement in these areas. Only about 36% of sellers feel strong in uncovering buyer needs. This highlights a gap in understanding prospects before engaging.

Male reps are more likely than women to report this as a top weakness. When looking at age, Gen Zers are nearly twice as likely as baby boomers to say this.

Additionally, nearly one-​third cite better lead generation as an opportunity for increased success. This sentiment is highest among full-​cycle sales reps. This highlights the challenge of sourcing qualified prospects while managing the full sales process.

When it comes to closing, nearly a quarter of sellers say both negotiating and closing are top weaknesses.

What is an ideal customer profile?

In B2B sales, an ideal customer profile (ICP) is a detailed description of the businesses most likely to buy a product or service.

“Of all the sales prospects in the market for your product or service, an ICP outlines the ones most likely to become paying customers,” Belal Batrawy writes for SalesForce.

He goes on to highlight common elements of a well-​rounded profile include:

• Demographics: Age, gender, education, occupation, income.
• Geographic: Customer location, ideally very specific.
• Psychographic: Values, interests, attitudes, lifestyles, motivations.
• Behavioral: Actions, purchasing habits, loyalty, engagement.
• Technographic: Technology and digital tools used.
• Firmographic: Business characteristics like size, industry, revenue, employees, growth.

Best practices for identifying ICPs

When creating an ideal customer profile, it’s important to focus on specifics. The clearer your customer profile, the more effectively you can target, qualify and pitch. Ensure that your focused profile is supported by data. Use analytics, customer feedback and case studies to inform your decision.

As Director of Admall Sales Denise Gibson adds, "Data-​driven customer profiles make targeting and qualifying much easier."

Include pain points

Don’t forget to include pain points, SalesFuel urges. And Batrawy agrees, pointing out that this is a mistake when building ICPs.

“Understanding the problems your best customers experience can help reveal why they chose your solution to begin with,” he writes.

Consider using AI

Sellers can also use AI assistance. Benefits include automating account research, analyzing CRM data to predict potential, and providing real-​time updates about industries.

Note that it’s important to engage in responsible practices when using AI. Take a look at these tips to ensure your use doesn’t undermine your credibility.

Double-​check for applicability

Harry Kendlbacher, CEO of Global Performance Group, recommends checking your ICPs against specific questions. Each ICP you create should be able to answer the following:

• “Do they have the problem we solve?” This confirms pain points and that they are currently unaddressed by other vendors.
• “Will they value our solution enough to act?” Ideal prospects should recognize the problem, have an urgency a resolution, and be willing to commit resources to doing so.
• “Can we win here – and win at the right margin?” This ensures the prospect can be won over without resorting to discounts or concessions, which ultimately hurt profits.

ICPs aren’t one and done

Once you’ve completed your ideal customer profiles, don’t assume the work is done. As your product, services and buyers evolve, your ICPs should as well. Think of them as a living guide that you update with changing times.

By thoughtfully creating ideal customer profiles for each solution you offer, you ultimately improve your sales strategy. Everything from identifying leads to pitching benefits from a well-​informed knowledge of who benefits most from your solution.

Photo by Alejandro Escamilla on Unsplash