An ideal customer profile your partners will actually use
Most ICP documents die in a drawer because they describe a fantasy: industry, headcount, revenue band, done.
A useful ICP describes a situation, not just a category.
Category is not enough
'Mid-sized Irish accountancy firms' tells you where to look. It does not tell you who is worth your senior time this quarter. Two identical-looking firms can be a dream client and a dead end.
Add the situation
The profiles that work describe the moment: what has just changed for them, what they are worried about, what they have already tried. Situations create urgency; categories only create lists.
Make it operational
A partner should be able to read the profile and immediately name three real accounts that fit, and the engines should be able to watch the market for the situation appearing. If neither can happen, it is not a profile. It is a poem.
See where your own firm stands.
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