Focus on Intent over Demographic data when developing your ICP.

Sales and marketing teams are constantly looking for data points and signals to identify prospective buyers.

Traditionally we’ve developed demographic profiles to understand ‘who’ we’re talking to. But increasingly demographic data has become muddied, harder to gather and less accurate.

For example; If we’re only promoting yarn and knitting to grandparents or elderly, we’re completely eliminating the 20 and 30 year olds rebooting this artesian craft.

No longer can we be gender specific as workplace and profession diversity means anyone from any background, interest or age could be in the role.

Instead we have to look to the higher-purpose, their reason for search, change or solution. We must understand Intent.

In our Brand Development framework, we have removed demographic profiling entirely (from our Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)), replacing it with Intent Signals.

Intent signals could come through word-of-mouth, something you overhear at the pub, the news or a conference talk or a company announcement. Or it could be displayed as an action an employee takes; a web search, a direct connection, a visit to your conference booth or attending a webinar.

These indicators are the data-points we need to identify, to learn to see and listen for. With these insights we can better craft specific messages to support them, to connect, engage directly with their intent purpose, the opportunity or business problem they’re looking to solve.