What is an ICP?
The Harp team ·
An ideal customer profile (ICP) describes the kind of company most likely to buy your product and get value from it: its size, industry, region, how it sells, what it uses, and what is happening there that makes now a good time. A persona describes the person inside that company you talk to.
How to write one
- Start from your best customers, not your biggest ones.
- Write down what they have in common that you could see from the outside.
- Separate firmographics (size, industry, region) from timing (hiring, funding, launches).
- Name the disqualifiers just as clearly as the qualifiers.
From ICP to qualification questions
An ICP written as prose is hard for anyone, person or agent, to apply consistently. Turn each line into a question with a verdict and evidence, such as "Do they sell to other businesses?" or "Have they posted a sales role in the last 90 days?". Your agent can then answer them per account. See qualification question templates.
Questions
What is the difference between an ICP and a persona?
The ICP describes the company; a persona describes the person you contact there, such as a head of sales.