Ideal customer profile: how to build a target account list that scores itself
Most ICP exercises end with a PowerPoint slide that says "mid-market SaaS, 50-500 employees, VP Sales persona." That's a filter, not an ICP. A real ICP feeds directly into your scoring model, your target account list, and your activation sequences.
Beyond firmographics: the 4-layer ICP model
Layer 1: Firmographics
Industry, revenue, headcount, geography. The baseline filter. Necessary but not sufficient.
Layer 2: Technographics
What tools do they use? CRM, marketing automation, sales engagement. Tells you about maturity and budget.
Layer 3: Intent signals
Are they actively researching your category? Our EU intent data source tracks account-level signals. The strongest buying indicator.
Layer 4: Event presence
Do they attend the trade shows where you exhibit? Signal of market engagement and accessibility.
ICP template: copy and customize
Firmographic criteria
Industry: [your target sectors] | Revenue: [$X to $Y] | Headcount: [X to Y] | Geography: [regions] | Decision-maker titles: [VP Sales, Head of Marketing, CEO]
Technographic criteria
CRM: [HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive] | Marketing automation: [HubSpot, Marketo, none] | Sales engagement: [Outreach, Salesloft, Lemlist, none]
Intent criteria
Topics researched: [your 15-30 keyword taxonomy] | Intent score threshold: Tier 1 (>70), Tier 2 (40-70)
Event criteria
Trade shows attended: [list your target events] | Speaking/exhibiting: yes/no
ICP to TAL: how scoring connects the dots
Your ICP defines the criteria. Your Target Account List (TAL) is the output. DYG's Pharos Intelligence & Scoring takes your ICP, uploads the TAL, monitors intent data for 2-3 weeks, scans public signals, and delivers a scored, classified list. Tier 1 accounts that match your ICP AND show active buying intent rise to the top.
Frequently asked questions
How is an ICP different from a buyer persona?
ICP describes the company (firmographics, technographics, intent). Buyer persona describes the individual (role, pain points, decision criteria). You need both. ICP for targeting, persona for messaging.
How many accounts should a Target Account List have?
100-500 accounts per campaign. Fewer = more precision. More = broader coverage. DYG's scoring works optimally in this range.
How often should I update my ICP?
Quarterly at minimum. Markets shift. New competitors emerge. Intent patterns change. The re-scoring at D-30 and D-15 before each event automatically refreshes account classifications.