Ideal customer profile template for SDR teams
Outbound starts with a list of accounts worth calling. The SDR Programme Playbook has Module 14, Territory and Named Accounts, for splitting that list. Module 9 Cadences and Sequences has a Cadence Builder of 33 steps. £29 + VAT. This page gives you the profile that feeds both.
ICP and persona
An ICP describes a company. A persona describes a person inside it. Write the ICP first. Then write one persona for each buyer role.
Belkins offers an ICP template as a Google Doc. Its page says the template has fields for "key industries, personas, triggers, and deal signals". AdRoll's guide names firmographic and technographic data and says to review closed-won accounts. The template below is our own, built for SDR outbound.
The ICP template
Copy this table. Fill in one column per segment if you sell to more than one.
| Field | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Segment name | [for example, UK fintech, 50 to 200 staff] |
| Industry and sub-industry | [list up to three] |
| Company size | [staff band and revenue band] |
| Region | [countries or cities] |
| Stage or model | [startup, scale-up, enterprise, public sector] |
| Tools they use | [the tech that signals fit] |
| Tools that rule them out | [list] |
| Buyer title | [who signs] |
| Champion title | [who feels the pain] |
| Problem we solve | [one sentence, in their words] |
| Cost of the problem | [time, money or risk] |
| Typical deal size | [figure from closed-won] |
| Typical sales cycle | [days from first meeting to close] |
Build it from closed-won accounts
- Export your last 20 to 50 closed-won accounts.
- Add the fields from the table to each row.
- Count how often each value appears.
- Keep values that appear in at least a third of rows.
- Mark the fastest and largest deals. Note what they share.
- Write the profile in one page.
- Show it to two AEs. Change what they dispute.
With fewer than 20 deals, call it a draft. Rebuild it every quarter.
Tier your accounts
Sort the target list into three tiers. The tier sets how much time an SDR spends.
| Tier | Rule | SDR effort |
|---|---|---|
| A | Matches every must-have field and has a trigger | Research each account |
| B | Matches most fields | Light research, templated outreach |
| C | Fits the basics only | Automated sequence, no manual research |
Use the account research checklist for tier A. Keep tier B research to five minutes.
See inside
Trigger events an SDR can act on
A trigger gives you a reason to call this week. Pick triggers you can find in public.
- New hire in the buyer role.
- Funding round or new office.
- Job ad for the team that uses your product.
- Product launch or new market entry.
- Leadership change.
Private triggers from your CRM: contract end date, a lost deal coming back round.
Add the date and the source to each trigger. Drop any trigger older than 90 days.
Disqualifiers
Write what rules an account out. This saves calls.
- Below your minimum company size.
- Outside the regions you serve.
- Uses a tool that blocks yours.
- Competitor, agency or reseller.
- No buyer role in the company.
- Existing customer or open opportunity.
Score each lead against the same rules in the lead qualification checklist.
Feed the ICP into your cadences
Each tier gets its own sequence. Each trigger becomes the first line of an email or a call opener.
| ICP field | Where it appears |
|---|---|
| Problem we solve | Subject line and opening line |
| Champion title | Call opener |
| Trigger event | First touch |
| Tier | Number of steps in the cadence |
The cadence templates show the steps. The Notion toolkit guide shows where to keep the profile and the account list.
Next step: get the free SDR KPI cheat sheet. It shows which numbers tell you whether the profile works.
Sources
Questions
What is an ideal customer profile?
It describes the type of company most likely to buy and keep your product. It lists firmographic fields such as size, sector and region. Add technology and trigger fields for outbound.
How many accounts do I need to build an ICP?
Start with your last 20 to 50 closed-won accounts. Fewer than 20 gives a draft. Rebuild it each quarter as new deals close.
What is the difference between an ICP and a persona?
An ICP describes the company. A persona describes the person you speak to inside it. Write the ICP first and add one persona per buyer role.
Related guides
Cold outreach cadence templates
Four SDR cadences with timing, openers and exit rules.
SDR account research checklist
Six things to find in five minutes.
Which Notion toolkit is right for you
Six kits side by side, with prices and who each is for.
Turn this into a programme you can run
Module 14 covers territory and named accounts. Module 9 has a Cadence Builder of 33 steps. £29, one payment, plus VAT for UK and EU buyers.
Treat benchmarks as starting points. Tune them to your market, deal size and sales cycle. Every figure shows its source and year.