WORKWEEK

As always, I hope you all can learn from my mistakes. 

I was a bull in a china shop early in my sales career. Passionate, intense, and fueled by an insatiable desire to succeed. I believed that sales was a numbers game, so I played it like one—pounding the phones, sending out cold emails, doing whatever it took to fill the pipeline. I had a single-minded focus: throw enough mud at the wall, and some will stick.

The strategy worked—up to a point. I was hitting quotas, but it was unsustainable. I was driving myself into the ground and realized that brute force was not a long-term strategy.

Hitting the Books

That’s when I decided to step back and pursue a degree in Sales Management. Yep, you heard that right—a degree in selling. Because what I realized is that the art of sales has a strong backbone of science. The Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)  was one of the concepts I discovered, and it changed everything. 

What is an ICP?

An Ideal Customer Profile is a detailed description of a company or individual that would get the most value from your product or service and, theoretically, take the least effort to convince. It’s the archetype of a company that you can serve most effectively. Understanding your ICP is crucial—it allows you to focus your sales and marketing efforts efficiently, aligning product development with market demand.

Defining the ICP: One Size Doesn’t Fit All

The term ICP is common, but the definition often varies from company to company and even from territory to territory. For example, if you’re selling in London, your ICP will differ vastly from someone covering the north of England. Each region has unique market dynamics, spending habits, and business culture.

Key Questions to Ask:

• What types of companies have been most receptive?
• What characteristics do our best customers share?
• What is the spending threshold in this specific territory?

A Detailed ICP

The power of a well-defined ICP cannot be overstated. It becomes your North Star in sales. Your team should know, internalize, and use it to guide their prospecting efforts. You should engage with prospects who check as many boxes as possible on your ICP checklist.

Your Playbook for the Week

1. Audit Your Current ICP: What are you using as your ICP baseline? Is it company-wide or territory-specific?
2. Engage Your Team: Have a brainstorming session to define a more targeted ICP.
3. Align with Success: Look back at past wins to identify common traits.

Wrapping Up: The DNA of Success

Your Ideal Customer Profile isn’t just a checklist; it’s a strategic tool that can transform the effectiveness of your sales team. It’s about knowing who you’re serving best and focusing your energy there. The more targeted your approach, the higher your chances of closing transformative deals.

Until next week, my fellow sales leaders.

Alex