Glossary Prospecting
What is an ideal customer profile (ICP)?
Also called ICP
An ideal customer profile (ICP) is a description of the type of company that gets the most value from what you sell and is most likely to buy, defined by traits such as industry, size, location and the problem it has.
An ICP describes companies; a buyer persona describes the people inside them. A good ICP is narrow enough that you could list real companies that fit it, and it is based on who actually bought and stayed, not who you hope will.
Typical traits are industry, employee count or revenue, location, technology used and a trigger that makes the problem urgent, such as rapid hiring or a new location.
Why it matters
- It decides who you write to, which matters more than how well you write.
- A clear ICP raises reply rates and lowers bounces and complaints.
- It keeps sales and marketing pointed at the same accounts.
How Reach Crew handles it
In Reach Crew, your goal is your ICP. You write one sentence, like "VPs of Procurement at food manufacturers in Ohio with 200 to 2,000 employees", and Scout turns it into a search: kind of company, size, place and role. You can narrow by company size and place.
Related terms
- Lead scoring. Lead scoring is a method of ranking prospects with a number or grade that reflects how well they fit your...
- Decision maker. A decision maker is the person at a company with the authority to approve a purchase or a change, usually...
- Intent signal. An intent signal is an observable event or behavior suggesting that a company or person may be ready to buy...
- Buying committee. A buying committee is the group of people at a company who influence or approve a purchase, typically...
- Guide: How to find the right person at a company