Market Strategy
How to Define an Industrial B2B ICP
Trying to sell to every company rarely works. Learn how to focus on the industrial accounts that fit your solution and drive profitable growth.
By Roberto Monticelli Wydra, Founder & Industrial Marketing Strategist
Direct answer
Defining an industrial ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) is not about creating a persona with a name and hobbies. It means setting inclusion and exclusion criteria for companies, or accounts. Define the industry, such as plastics manufacturing; company size, such as revenue above BRL 50 million; geography; technology in use; and buying stage. Without a clear ICP, sales wastes time on companies that will never buy or will become unprofitable customers. The ICP is the entry filter for your funnel.
Target Market vs. ICP
A target market is broad: “manufacturers in São Paulo.” An ICP is specific: “plastic injection molding companies in the Campinas region with revenue above BRL 20 million and ISO 9001 certification.” With an ICP, you can name the 50 companies you want to prospect.
Firmographic and Technographic Criteria
Use objective data. Firmographics include company size, industry, location, and employee count. Technographics include the ERP system a company uses, its machinery, and whether it has an e-commerce operation. These details indicate its level of maturity and fit for your solution.
Your Negative ICP: Companies to Avoid
Knowing whom you want is only half the job. Define an anti-ICP: companies that demand steep discounts, pay late, require excessive support, or lack technical maturity. Marketing and sales should not bring these accounts into the pipeline.
Quick questions
Can we have more than one ICP?
Yes, but start with one primary ICP. If you sell both an entry-level product and an enterprise solution, they may serve two different ICPs. Keep the total to three or fewer to maintain focus.
How do we identify our ICP if we are just starting out?
Look at your five best current customers, the ones that pay well and are easy to serve. What do they have in common? Use those patterns as your first draft.
Does an ICP limit the market?
It limits noise and improves conversion. It is better to win a meaningful share of a market you can serve than a negligible share of a huge market you cannot. Focus makes the work more efficient.
Should marketing or sales define the ICP?
Both teams should define it, with leadership validation. Sales brings firsthand market feedback, marketing brings market data, and leadership sets the strategic goal.
When should we revisit our ICP?
Review it annually or when you launch a product for a different market.
Next step
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