Ideal customer profile and buying signals: who to contact, and when
ICP vs buyer persona
| Ideal customer profile | Buyer persona | |
|---|---|---|
| Describes | A company | A person inside it |
| Answers | "Which companies should we sell to?" | "Who do we talk to, and what do they care about?" |
| Example | 10–50 person software companies in the US | Founder or head of growth who owns the pipeline |
You need both: the profile decides who goes on your list, the persona decides what you say.
A B2B example
Ideal customer profileExample
- Industry
- B2B software
- Size
- 10 to 50 employees
- Stage
- Seed to Series A
- Location
- US and UK
- Situation
- No sales team; the founder still sells
- Trigger
- New funding round or a first sales hire
- Avoid
- Agencies and companies under 5 people
The trigger is the line that matters most. It tells you when to reach out, not just who to reach.
Write yours in ten minutes
- List your five best customers: the ones who pay on time and get value.
- Write down what they share: industry, size, location, team setup.
- Note what was happening when they bought. That's your trigger.
- Write down who to avoid, based on customers who churned or never fitted.
Buying signals to watch for
Company changes
- Raised a funding round
- Opened a new office or market
- Launched a new product
Hiring
- Hiring for the role you support
- A first hire in a new function
- A sudden hiring spike
People
- A new leader in the team you sell to
- A past champion joins a new company
Intent
- Visiting your pricing page
- Comparing alternatives
- Asking for recommendations in public
Mention the signal in one line, connect it to a problem, act within a few weeks, and only use information the person made public.
FAQ
What is an ideal customer profile?
A description of the type of company most likely to buy and get value from your product, by industry, size, location, situation and trigger.
What is the difference between an ICP and a buyer persona?
An ICP describes a company; a buyer persona describes the person inside it you sell to.
What are buying signals in B2B sales?
Events that suggest a company may need what you sell soon, such as hiring for a related role, raising money, expanding or changing leaders.
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