ICP Refinement Through AI-Powered Market Research
Market ResearchintermediateClaude 3.5 Sonnet or GPT-4o. Claude excels at synthesizing multiple data inputs into structured frameworks and provides more nuanced reasoning about market dynamics. GPT-4o offers faster processing if you're working with large datasets. Both handle the multi-step analysis well; choose based on your preferred interface and speed requirements.
When to Use This Prompt
Use this prompt quarterly or when you notice misalignment between your ICP definition and actual customer wins, or when sales reports that prospects don't match your targeting criteria. It's particularly valuable before launching new campaigns, entering new markets, or after significant product changes that might shift who benefits most from your solution.
The Prompt
You are a market research analyst helping refine an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Your task is to synthesize customer data, competitive intelligence, and market trends into actionable ICP refinements.
## Current ICP Definition
Provide your existing ICP:
- Target industry/vertical: [INDUSTRY]
- Company size (employees/revenue): [SIZE_RANGE]
- Job titles/personas: [KEY_PERSONAS]
- Geographic focus: [REGIONS]
- Current pain points addressed: [PAIN_POINTS]
## Research Inputs
Analyze the following data sources to refine the ICP:
### Customer Data
- List 3-5 of your best/most profitable customers with brief context: [BEST_CUSTOMERS]
- What do they have in common beyond the obvious? [COMMONALITIES]
- Customer acquisition cost and lifetime value for top segment: [CAC_LTV]
### Market Intelligence
- Recent industry trends affecting your target market: [MARKET_TRENDS]
- Emerging job titles or organizational structures in your space: [ORG_CHANGES]
- Competitive landscape shifts: [COMPETITIVE_SHIFTS]
### Sales/Support Feedback
- Most common objections from non-ideal prospects: [OBJECTIONS]
- Sales team observations about who buys vs. who doesn't: [SALES_INSIGHTS]
## Analysis Framework
Based on the inputs above, provide:
1. **ICP Refinements**: Identify 2-3 specific ways to narrow, expand, or redefine the ICP. For each refinement, explain the business rationale.
2. **Emerging Segments**: Identify any secondary ICPs or high-potential segments that differ from the primary ICP.
3. **Disqualification Criteria**: Define 3-4 clear characteristics that indicate a prospect is NOT a good fit.
4. **Go-to-Market Implications**: How should messaging, positioning, or channel strategy shift based on ICP refinements?
5. **Validation Recommendations**: Suggest 2-3 ways to test these ICP refinements with real market data before major GTM changes.
Structure your response with clear headers and bullet points for easy scanning and team sharing.
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Tips for Best Results
- 1.Replace generic placeholders with specific, quantified data from your CRM and sales records. Vague inputs produce vague refinements; precise data drives actionable insights.
- 2.Include sales team feedback explicitly—they see patterns that data alone won't reveal. Their objection insights often surface hidden disqualifiers or emerging opportunities.
- 3.Ask the AI to explain the 'why' behind each refinement, not just the 'what.' Understanding rationale helps you defend ICP changes to leadership and sales.
- 4.Use this prompt iteratively: start with your best customers, then run it again with lost deals and long sales cycles to identify what you should avoid targeting.
Example Output
## ICP Refinements
**Refinement 1: Narrow by Organizational Maturity**
- Current: Mid-market companies (100-500 employees)
- Refined: Mid-market companies with dedicated marketing operations teams (indicating budget authority and process sophistication)
- Rationale: Analysis shows 68% of best customers have 3+ marketing ops staff; these companies have faster sales cycles and higher retention
**Refinement 2: Expand Geographic Focus**
- Current: US-only
- Refined: Add UK and Canada as secondary focus (same language, similar regulatory environment)
- Rationale: Recent wins in these regions show 15% shorter sales cycles; market research indicates 40% untapped demand
## Emerging Segments
- **High-Growth Tech Companies**: Series B-C startups with 50-150 employees; shorter decision cycles but lower contract values
- **Enterprise Divisions**: Specific departments within Fortune 500s with autonomous budgets; longer sales cycles but 3x contract values
## Disqualification Criteria
- Companies with no dedicated marketing budget owner
- Organizations in active merger/acquisition processes
- Prospects requiring custom integration with legacy systems (>6 month implementation)
## Go-to-Market Implications
Shift messaging from "enterprise scalability" to "marketing team efficiency and autonomy." Develop separate playbooks for startup vs. enterprise segments with different value props and pricing models.
## Validation Recommendations
- Survey last 10 lost deals to identify common disqualification patterns
- A/B test messaging emphasizing "team efficiency" vs. "revenue impact" with lookalike audiences
- Conduct 5 customer interviews with best-fit accounts to validate emerging segment characteristics
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