What is an ICP in sales?

What goes into an ICP?

Two layers, and the exceptions.

• The company. Industry, size, region, and anything else that predicts fit, such as a recent change in the business.
• The person. The function and seniority of the people who feel the problem and can say yes.
• The exceptions. Companies that look right and are not: current customers, open deals, partners, and customers who churned.

The best ICPs come with examples. SaaStr lists a "Detailed ICP definition with examples and non-examples" among the training that makes AI SDRs work.

How is an ICP different from a buyer persona?

An ICP describes the account. A persona describes one person at that account: their job, their problems and how they buy. Start with the ICP, because it decides which personas are worth writing to.

How do you write a good ICP?

Start from your ten best customers, not from a blank page. For each, write one line on why they bought and what was happening at the time; the trigger matters more than the logo. Then add three non-examples: customers who looked right and churned, or deals you wish you had walked away from. How to brief an AI SDR walks through it.

How does Dylan use your ICP?

In Dylan's brief, the ICP is the "who counts" part of your held meeting definition: the companies (industry, size, region) and the people (function and seniority) you want to meet. The definition is also the targeting rule, so Dylan uses it to decide who to write to. The plan then shows how many companies fit and ten real examples, so you can correct the ICP before anything is sent.