The ICP Problem: Why Most Outbound Fails Before It Starts
Bad targeting is the single biggest reason outbound does not work. Here is how to fix it.
Most agencies that try outbound and conclude it does not work made the same mistake. They targeted everyone.
A list of ten thousand companies with no unifying characteristic beyond the fact that they are businesses. A sequence of messages so generic they could have been sent by any agency to any company at any time. The result: a handful of replies, none of which convert, and a conclusion that outbound does not work.
Outbound works. The targeting was just wrong.
What an ICP actually is
An ideal client profile is not a vague description of a good client. It is a specific, detailed definition of the exact type of company most likely to buy from you, benefit from working with you, and stay long-term.
A bad ICP looks like this: B2B companies in the UK with a marketing budget.
A good ICP looks like this: SaaS companies in the UK and DACH region, 50 to 200 employees, Series A or B funded in the last 18 months, with a marketing team of two to five people and no incumbent agency relationship visible on their website.
The difference between those two definitions is the difference between outreach that gets ignored and outreach that gets replies.
How to build a proper ICP
Start with your best ten clients. Not the ones who pay the most. The ones where the work was best and the results were clearest. Find the patterns. Those patterns are your ICP.
Build your list from companies that match them. Write your messaging for the specific challenges those companies face. Send fewer messages to better-matched prospects.
Outbound that starts with a properly defined ICP does not feel like spam. It feels like a relevant message from someone who understands your situation.