An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) zeroes in on the "what"—the companies that align with your product or service.

Buyer Personas delve into the "who"—the individuals within those companies that hold the keys to a successful partnership.

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Knowing your ICP is absolutely mandatory. Do not skip this! The Buyer Persona is not as crucial, but it really helps ensure alignment and is also great subject-matter for internal discussion. Together, the ICP and Buyer Personas allow organizations to refine outreach, align departments, and transform how they target and interact with both potential and current customers.

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What is a Buyer Persona?

A Buyer Persona is a detailed, semi-fictionalized representation of the individual decision-makers within the companies that make up your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). While the ICP focuses on the companies that best fit your offerings, the Buyer Persona zeroes in on the who—the specific individuals whose roles, goals, and challenges influence the purchasing decision.

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The ICP identifies the company, and the Buyer Persona identifies its key people.

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For example:

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Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

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• Product: Software and Software-as-a-Service businesses
• Geography: North America‍
• Industries: Healthcare (providers, payers, networks) & Health Insurance‍
• Size (by employees): 100-500 full-time employees

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Buyer Personas:

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• IT Manager: Oversees technology implementation, evaluates software compatibility, and prioritizes efficiency.
• Sales Director: Seeks tools to enhance team productivity and streamline workflows.
• Finance VP: Focuses on ROI, budget considerations, and long-term cost implications.

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Buyer Personas are created by understanding the roles, responsibilities, and goals of the individuals within a target company. Key characteristics include:
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Title and Role: What is their job title, and what role do they play in the purchase decision?

• Example: Marketing Manager, IT Administrator, VP of Operations.

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Seniority: Are they an influencer, decision-maker, or end-user?

• Example: A junior IT analyst may research options, but the CIO makes the final call.

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Responsibilities: What are their day-to-day duties, and how does your solution fit into their workflow?

• Example: A Sales Director might focus on streamlining CRM usage to hit revenue targets.

Pain Points: What challenges are they trying to solve?

• Example: The Finance VP might struggle with justifying software investments due to unclear ROI metrics.

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Multiple Buyer Personas in a Single Purchase Decision

In many B2B sales, the buying process involves more than one person. Each has a unique perspective, priorities, and concerns that influence the decision. For instance:

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Primary Buyer Persona: The IT Director evaluates the technical feasibility of the solution.

Secondary Buyer Persona: The HR Manager considers how the solution impacts employee engagement.

Tertiary Buyer Persona: The CFO analyzes the cost structure and scalability of the purchase.

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The Role of Buyer Personas in Sales and Marketing

While an ICP directs your team to the right companies, Buyer Personas ensure your communication strikes a chord with the individuals that matter most. With well-defined personas, you can craft targeted campaigns, personalize sales outreach, and create content that speaks directly to the decision-makers priorities. Together, they enable businesses to achieve precision at both the organizational and human level.

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Defining and documenting your Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) and Buyer Personas ensures alignment across sales, marketing, and customer success teams. These profiles are a shared foundation, guiding lead qualification, campaign strategies, and customer retention efforts.

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The Titles of your Buyer Personas also become very important when creating audiences (i.e. LinkedIn) or conducting outbound campaigns. Like the ICP....write it down! Have a document or internal sales folder where everyone sees it. This saves your colleagues from re-inventing it but, most importantly, it ensures your team and other departments are driving towards new revenue in the same way.

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When integrated into Revenue Operations, ICPs and Buyer Personas become your "true north," focusing every effort on the most valuable customers and driving scalable growth.