Why You Need to Build an Ideal Customer Profile
An Ideal Customer Profile is a whole different kettle of fish from your typical buyer persona, ’cause it’s all about a type of business, not just a specific customer.
Most outfits are busy cooking up buyer personas to steer their marketing, but if you’re in the game of selling to other businesses, you’ll want to whip up an Ideal Customer Profile instead.
Now, both will cover some of the same jazz, like challenges and pain points, but there are key differences too—like pegging the sales cycle and spotting the big cheeses who call the shots. These details are strictly for the business-to-business scene, where it’s all about playing your cards right.
With the boiler plate explanation of this out of the way, let’s move on to creating your own Ideal Customer Profile for your business.
You may want to name each profile that you create something memorable if you have multiple types of businesses that you will be selling to. However, for this guide we’ll keep it simple and just use some fictional names for our corporate stand-ins.
#1 - Firmographics
What industry(s) do they operate in? How big is the company in sales and employees? How many locations do they have? And are they publicly traded, private, or non-profit?
Examples
MedTech Solutions Inc.
Firmographics
Industry: Medical Technology and Health Devices
Company Size: Medium-sized, $25 million in annual sales, 120 employees
Locations: 5 locations across 3 states
Company Type: Private
GreenEarth Renewable Solutions
Firmographics
Industry: Renewable Energy
Company Size: $40 million in annual revenue, 250 employees
Locations: 10 locations across the U.S.
Company Type: Publicly Traded
SwiftDelivery Logistics Co.
Firmographics
Industry: Logistics and Delivery Services
Company Size: Small, $5 million in revenue, 50 employees
Locations: Operates regionally with 2 main distribution hubs
Company Type: Private
#2 Behavioral Traits
How do they get new vendors or contractors? How often do they make purchases? What kinds of technology do they use and how open are they to new technologies? Who are the key roles in these processes?
Examples
MedTech Solutions Inc.
Behavioral Traits
Vendor Acquisition: MedTech uses a formal RFP (Request for Proposal) process for selecting new vendors and contractors.
Purchase Frequency: Makes purchases quarterly for necessary operational improvements.
Technology Adoption: Highly receptive to new technology, especially innovations that streamline operations and regulatory compliance.
Key Roles: Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Head of Operations, and Regulatory Compliance Officer
GreenEarth Renewable Solutions
Behavioral Traits
Vendor Acquisition: Utilizes a vetting committee for new contractors, especially for digital and operational projects.
Purchase Frequency: Makes purchases semi-annually for new technology and improvements.
Technology Adoption: Open to tech upgrades, prioritizing those that improve environmental reporting and client-facing digital platforms.
Key Roles: Chief Sustainability Officer, Head of Digital, and Procurement Manager
SwiftDelivery Logistics Co.
Behavioral Traits
Vendor Acquisition: Primarily through referrals and occasional RFPs for high-value projects.
Purchase Frequency: As needed, particularly for technology that can improve operational efficiency.
Technology Adoption: Open to tech upgrades, with a focus on cost-effectiveness and simplicity.
Key Roles: Operations Manager, CEO, and Head of IT
#3 Challenges and Pain Points
What issues and difficulties are they most likely facing right now?
Examples
MedTech Solutions Inc.
Issues: Balancing stringent industry compliance with innovative product delivery is challenging. They also struggle to find marketing solutions that resonate with healthcare providers.
GreenEarth Renewable Solutions
Issues: Increasing consumer and investor demand for transparency in sustainability efforts, and a need for better tools to showcase impact and project results.
SwiftDelivery Logistics Co.
Issues: Difficulty maintaining competitive delivery times, customer satisfaction, and visibility in a competitive logistics market.
#4 Business Goals and Objectives
What are their goals in the near and long term? What metrics do they care about the most? Sales? Recurring Revenue?
Examples
MedTech Solutions Inc.
- Short-Term Goals: Increase brand visibility among hospitals and clinics.
- Long-Term Goals: Boost adoption of their latest health monitoring product.
- Key Metrics: Revenue growth, adoption rate of new products, and customer retention
GreenEarth Renewable Solutions
- Short-Term Goals: Improve digital marketing to attract B2B clients in the construction and infrastructure sectors.
- Long-Term Goals: Expand the customer base and achieve a 30% revenue increase within three years.
- Key Metrics: Project impact reports, customer satisfaction, and conversion rates
SwiftDelivery Logistics Co.
- Short-Term Goals: Increase brand recognition locally and acquire new business clients.
- Long-Term Goals: Expand to new regions and reduce delivery times by 20%.
- Key Metrics: Customer satisfaction, delivery time, and market share
#5 Budget
What is the most likely budget to be allocated by a company of this size and kind to a product or service like yours?
Examples
MedTech Solutions Inc.
Marketing Budget: Typically allocates $100,000 annually to digital marketing, with flexibility for high-ROI opportunities.
GreenEarth Renewable Solutions
Marketing Budget: Annual budget of $200,000, with a preference for analytics-driven marketing solutions.
SwiftDelivery Logistics Co.
Marketing Budget: $30,000 annually, often split between digital marketing and local sponsorships.
#6 Customer Lifetime Value
How much and for how long is the typical contract with this kind of business? Are there any potential services or products you can add on?
Examples
MedTech Solutions Inc.
- Contract Value: $50,000 – $100,000 per year, depending on service scope.
- Potential Upsells: Premium analytics services, custom reporting, and additional training sessions
GreenEarth Renewable Solutions
- Contract Value: $75,000 – $150,000 annually, with the potential for long-term retention.
- Potential Upsells: Enhanced analytics packages, sustainability reporting tools, and customer engagement solutions
SwiftDelivery Logistics Co.
- Contract Value: $15,000 – $40,000 per year, with growth potential if they expand.
- Potential Upsells: Fleet tracking tools, real-time reporting, and customer support automation
#7 Preferred Engagement Channels
Do they respond to emails most often? Are sales calls more effective? Should you reach out via social media?
Examples
MedTech Solutions Inc.
Engagement: Email and LinkedIn outreach are the most effective, with an occasional preference for in-person demonstrations for new products.
GreenEarth Renewable Solutions
Engagement: Prefers email, followed by a formal proposal. Social media outreach is growing in popularity for initial engagement.
SwiftDelivery Logistics Co.
Engagement: Email and phone calls are preferred, with openness to social media for brand visibility.
#8 Sales Cycle
How long does it normally take for a contract to be negotiated and signed? What are the steps involved and what are the most frequent or likely objections that might come up?
Examples
MedTech Solutions Inc.
- Length: Generally takes 3 to 6 months.
- Process: Typically involves a product demo, followed by a proposal and contract negotiation phase.
- Common Objections: Compliance concerns and the need for guaranteed ROI
GreenEarth Renewable Solutions
- Length: Around 4 to 6 months.
- Process: Starts with a formal inquiry, followed by presentations and negotiation.
- Common Objections: Concerns about scalability and integration with existing systems
SwiftDelivery Logistics Co.
- Length: Typically 1 to 3 months.
- Process: Involves an introductory call, proposal presentation, and budget discussion.
- Common Objections: Cost and service reliability concerns
#9 Current Solutions
What kinds of tools do they currently use? Do you offer a genuine improvement? What other solutions or products could they be looking at instead of yours?
Examples
MedTech Solutions Inc.
- Current Tools: Existing CRM and analytics tools with basic digital marketing support.
- Competitive Solutions: Competitors include digital marketing agencies with specialization in healthcare.
GreenEarth Renewable Solutions
- Current Tools: Basic project tracking and reporting tools, with limited digital marketing automation.
- Competitive Solutions: Competes with large digital marketing firms focused on green businesses.
SwiftDelivery Logistics Co.
- Current Tools: Basic CRM and tracking software, with interest in upgrading to more comprehensive analytics.
- Competitive Solutions: Competes with regional logistics marketing agencies and firms offering integrated logistics software.
#10 Decision Makers
Who is most likely to be involved in the decision process? What jobs do they have? What do they do? Who do they report to? What are their personal and career goals?
Examples
MedTech Solutions Inc.
- Key Decision Makers: CTO, Head of Marketing, and sometimes the CEO for high-impact projects.
- Goals: The CTO values integration and compliance, while the CEO prioritizes market expansion and ROI.
GreenEarth Renewable Solutions
- Key Decision Makers: Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of Digital, with sign-off required from the CFO.
- Goals: CSO prioritizes environmental impact, while the CFO emphasizes cost control and scalability.
SwiftDelivery Logistics Co.
- Key Decision Makers: CEO and Head of IT, with input from the Operations Manager.
- Goals: The CEO focuses on regional growth, while the Head of IT seeks efficient and cost-effective solutions.
Wrapping Up
Armed with an ideal customer profile, you’ll have a better idea of how to position your products and services to other businesses, and how to effectively communicate your value to the right people within the organization you want to partner with.
If you’d like not only a PDF version of this guide with black workbook sections to help guide you, we have our guide to crafting not only your buyer persona, but an ideal customer profile that you can get for free by signing up to the Heartless Bastard Journal newsletter.
Making Buyer Personas &
Ideal Customer Profiles
Learn how to build buyer personas and ideal customer profiles that help you to target your messaging to not just people, but the right kind of customer for your products or services.
