A B2B STARTUP’S GUIDE

TO CREATING AN IDEAL
CUSTOMER PROFILE
What is an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)?
◦ An ideal customer profile is a categorical description of a customer that
would benefit immensely from your offering and provide you with
significant value in exchange.
◦ Your ideal customer is the specific to your goal and your offering, and
your ICP represents the type of customer you want to focus on acquiring
over a set time frame.
◦ An ideal customer can provide value to your company in several ways.
They pay you in exchange.
Referrals to new clients
Testimonials, constructive feedback, customer insights
 Why You Should Create an ICP Before a User Persona

• An ideal customer profile is not the same

thing as a customer persona or user
persona. 

• Customer personas are extremely useful,

but you can’t develop effective personas
without a broader understanding who
your ideal customers are.
Why Your Startup Needs an Ideal Customer Profile

◦ 1. Focus Resources on High-Quality Leads

The more specific your customer profile is, the more targeted your sales and marketing
initiatives can be.
◦ 2. Meet Sales Goals More Consistently
 A detailed ICP also helps you better understand how to reach and sell to your
customers.
◦ 3. Extend Average Customer Lifetime (and Increase CLV)
The better you know your ideal customer, the better you can cater your offering and
services to meet their needs.
◦ 4. Get More Referrals
How to Create an Ideal Customer Profile

◦ Step 1: Describe Your Ideal Customer

Compare and analyze existing customers who are getting immense value from your solution.
First, identify those who are not just using your product, but who love the product and are getting
more value from it than your average user
◦ Step 2: Interview Your Most Successful Customers
The goal here is to learn more about their buying process: how they discovered your solution, why
they decided to purchase, and how they’re benefiting from it now.
◦ Step 3: Identify Ideal Customer Characteristics
Look for common threads among your most successful customers. Try to identify any recurring
patterns or characteristics shared by your best customers and use this to inform your ICP.
Step 4: Fill in the Template to Complete Your ICP