The ideal customer profile is on the wall. Half of last year’s wins don’t match it.

When the customers you actually win don't resemble the customers you meant to win, one of two things is wrong, and the cost of guessing which is high.

By Steve 4 min read
Abstract bridge artwork for The ideal customer profile is on the wall. Half of last year’s wins don’t match it.

Most businesses that have done any serious go-to-market work have a written ideal customer profile. A sector, a size band, a buyer title, sometimes a maturity signal. It was agreed with reasonable care and it hangs over the sales effort as a filter. Then someone lists last year’s wins against it, and roughly half don’t match. Wrong sector. Too small. Bought for a reason the profile doesn’t mention. The instinctive readings are both wrong. The first, that sales has been undisciplined and needs to be pulled back into line, assumes…

Keep reading for free

Create an account to read the rest.

The whole library is free. No card, no subscription, no trial that quietly ends. An account simply lets us know who we are writing for, and opens every article from here on.

  • Every article, in full, at no cost
  • New articles published every weekday
  • Takes about twenty seconds
Create a free account I already have one

Free means free. We will not charge you for the library, and you can read as much of it as you like.

Important: General information only. Rialto Bridge articles describe patterns and considerations that may apply to a business; they are not financial, legal, tax or accounting advice, and they take no account of your particular circumstances. Consider your own situation and seek advice from a qualified professional before acting.

More on Market analysis

Scroll to Top