| name | sales-icp |
| description | Ideal Customer Profile Builder — standalone skill invoked via `/sales icp <description>`. Takes a business/product description, conducts market research, and produces a comprehensive IDEAL-CUSTOMER-PROFILE.md with 6 ICP dimensions, negative ICP, 100-point scoring rubric, buyer personas, prospecting playbook, and competitive context. Industry-agnostic engine.
|
Ideal Customer Profile Builder
Tier 0 Doctrine
- Tier: Master (standalone skill, invoked directly)
- Authority: User provides business description; skill owns ICP production end-to-end
- Determinism first: All scoring uses declared formulas and calibration tables. No LLM interpretation of scores.
- No fabrication: Every criterion must be grounded in research or stated as an explicit assumption. Generic platitudes are forbidden.
IMO (Top-Level)
| Layer | Responsibility |
|---|
| Ingress | Business description text validated present (minimum 10 words, product/service identifiable) |
| Middle | 5-query market research; 6-dimension ICP analysis; negative ICP; scoring rubric; personas; playbook; competitive context |
| Egress | IDEAL-CUSTOMER-PROFILE.md written to working directory (read-only structured output, 12 sections) |
Constants
| Constant | Value | Authority |
|---|
| ICP Dimensions | Firmographic, Technographic, Behavioral, Pain Points, Budget, Channel | Fixed; 6 dimensions |
| Negative ICP Minimum | 8-10 disqualification criteria | Fixed |
| Total Score | 100 points | Fixed |
| Weight: Firmographic | 25 points | Fixed |
| Weight: Technographic | 15 points | Fixed |
| Weight: Pain Alignment | 20 points | Fixed |
| Weight: Budget Capacity | 20 points | Fixed |
| Weight: Contact Access | 10 points | Fixed |
| Weight: Timing Signals | 10 points | Fixed |
| Grade: A+ | 90-100 — drop everything and pursue | Fixed |
| Grade: A | 75-89 — high priority, personalized outreach | Fixed |
| Grade: B | 60-74 — worth pursuing, semi-personalized | Fixed |
| Grade: C | 40-59 — marginal, automated nurture only | Fixed |
| Grade: D | 0-39 — does not fit, do not pursue | Fixed |
| Scoring Tiers per Category | 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% of max points | Fixed |
| Quick Qual Questions | 5 yes/no questions | Fixed |
| Quick Qual Mapping | 5Y=A, 3-4Y=B, 1-2Y=C, 0Y=D | Fixed |
| Personas per ICP | 2-3 buyer personas | Fixed |
| Research Queries | 5 WebSearch patterns | Fixed |
| Output Sections | 12 sections in IDEAL-CUSTOMER-PROFILE.md | Fixed |
| Review Cadence | Quarterly or after major change | Fixed |
| Update Trigger: Deals Outside ICP | 3+ closed deals outside parameters | Fixed |
| Update Trigger: Lost Deals | 3+ losses to same competitor/objection | Fixed |
| Clarifying Questions Max | 1 question maximum, then proceed with assumptions | Fixed |
| Output Line Target | 300-400 lines of substantive content | Fixed |
Variables
| Variable | Source | Runtime |
|---|
business_description | User input via /sales icp <description> | Per-run |
product_service | Parsed from description | Extracted |
current_customers | Parsed from description (if mentioned) | Extracted |
price_point | Parsed from description (if mentioned) | Extracted |
differentiators | Parsed from description | Extracted |
industry_focus | Parsed from description | Extracted |
company_stage | Parsed from description | Extracted |
market_size_data | WebSearch: [category] market size TAM | Discovered |
competitor_data | WebSearch: [category] competitors alternatives | Discovered |
trend_data | WebSearch: [category] trends [year] | Discovered |
buyer_behavior_data | WebSearch: [category] buying process B2B | Discovered |
pricing_benchmarks | WebSearch: [category] pricing benchmarks | Discovered |
firmographic_criteria | Analysis of description + research | Computed |
technographic_signals | Analysis of description + research | Computed |
behavioral_indicators | Analysis of description + research | Computed |
pain_points | Analysis of description + research | Computed |
budget_qualifiers | Analysis of description + research | Computed |
Workflow
BLOCK 1: Input Parsing & Market Research
Governed by: C&V
Constants: Research queries (5 patterns), clarifying questions max (1), ICP dimensions (6)
Variables: business_description, product_service, current_customers, price_point, differentiators, industry_focus, company_stage, market_size_data, competitor_data, trend_data, buyer_behavior_data, pricing_benchmarks
IMO:
- Ingress: Business description validated: minimum 10 words, product/service identifiable. If too vague, ask ONE clarifying question then proceed.
- Middle:
- Parse description: extract product/service, current customers, price point, differentiators, industry focus, company stage
- If any field not mentioned, state assumption explicitly
- Execute 5 WebSearch queries to ground ICP in market reality:
[product category] market size TAM — addressable market[product category] competitors alternatives — positioning[product category] trends [current year] — market dynamics[product category] buying process B2B — buyer behavior[product category] pricing benchmarks — budget calibration
- Compile research findings for use in all subsequent blocks
- Egress: Parsed description fields + research dataset ready for analysis
Go/No-Go: Proceed if description is parseable (10+ words, product identifiable). If fewer than 10 words and no product identifiable, ask one question then proceed regardless.
BLOCK 2: 6-Dimension ICP Build + Negative ICP
Governed by: IMO
Constants: ICP dimensions (6), negative ICP minimum (8-10 criteria)
Variables: firmographic_criteria, technographic_signals, behavioral_indicators, pain_points, budget_qualifiers, channel_preferences, negative_icp
IMO:
- Ingress: Parsed description + research dataset from Block 1
- Middle:
- Firmographic: company size (revenue range + headcount range), industry verticals (3-5 primary, 2-3 secondary), geography, stage, growth rate. Present as table: Criteria | Ideal Range | Why It Matters | Red Flag If Missing
- Technographic: current tech stack by category, technical sophistication (1-5), integration needs, adoption patterns, digital maturity indicators
- Behavioral: content consumption, event attendance (5-10 named events), community membership, buying patterns, social signals, hiring patterns
- Pain Points: top 3-5 ranked. Each: name, severity (Critical/High/Medium/Low), manifestation, business impact (quantified), trigger events, current workaround, solution angle
- Budget: revenue thresholds, funding stage, tech spend %, deal size sweet spot, budget cycle timing, pricing sensitivity, ROI expectations, budget authority signals
- Channel: research channels, contact methods (ranked), decision process map (initiator/evaluator/approver/timeline), content preferences, engagement cadence, trust signals
- Negative ICP: 8-10 disqualification criteria: too small, too large, wrong industry, wrong tech stack, wrong stage, no budget signals, cultural misfit, long sales cycle risk, high churn risk, competitive lock-in. Each with specific red flag AND rationale.
- All criteria must use exact numbers, named tools, specific titles. No generic advice.
- Egress: 6-dimension ICP + negative ICP ready for scoring
Go/No-Go: Proceed if all 6 dimensions have at least one specific criterion and negative ICP has 8+ entries. If research returned no data for a dimension, state assumption and proceed.
BLOCK 3: Scoring Rubric + Personas + Playbook
Governed by: Circle
Constants: Scoring weights (25/15/20/20/10/10), scoring tiers (0-100%), grade bands (A+/A/B/C/D), quick qual (5 questions), personas per ICP (2-3)
Variables: scoring_rubric, buyer_personas, prospecting_playbook, competitive_context
IMO:
- Ingress: 6-dimension ICP + negative ICP from Block 2
- Middle:
- Scoring rubric: For each of 6 categories, define what scores 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% of max points. Must be specific enough that any salesperson can score a lead in under 5 minutes.
- Grade bands: A+ (90-100), A (75-89), B (60-74), C (40-59), D (0-39) with action guidance per band
- Quick qualification: 5 yes/no questions: (1) target industry? (2) ideal size range? (3) growth signals? (4) likely pain point? (5) decision maker findable? Map: 5Y=A, 3-4Y=B, 1-2Y=C, 0Y=D
- Buyer personas (2-3): Each: archetype name, title/age/career/reporting, day-in-the-life, goals/KPIs, top 3 pain points (their language), information diet, top 3-5 objections (their words + underlying concern), 2-3 message angles (subject lines + openers), turn-offs, how to win them
- Prospecting playbook: where to find (specific platforms/URLs), search strategies (actual query strings for LinkedIn Sales Nav, Google operators, job boards), signal monitoring (funding, leadership, hiring, product launches), prioritization framework (100 found -> top 10 how), enrichment checklist (10 items), warm path strategies, timing tactics, disqualification speed check (first 3 things), enrichment sources (named tools + what to extract), outreach templates per persona
- Competitive context: 3-5 primary competitors (target segment + differentiator each), positioning statement (1 sentence), displacement scenarios (switch-from triggers), 2-3 market trends affecting ICP relevance
- Egress: Scoring system + personas + playbook + competitive context ready for assembly
Go/No-Go: Proceed if scoring rubric covers all 6 categories and at least 2 personas are defined.
BLOCK 4: Document Assembly & Output
Governed by: CTB
Constants: Output sections (12), output line target (300-400), review cadence (quarterly), update triggers
Variables: All computed variables from Blocks 1-3
IMO:
- Ingress: All ICP components from Blocks 1-3
- Middle:
- Assemble
IDEAL-CUSTOMER-PROFILE.md with 12 sections in order:
- ICP Summary (2-3 paragraph executive summary)
- Firmographic Criteria (table format)
- Technographic Profile
- Behavioral Signals
- Pain Point Map (ranked with severity)
- Budget Qualifiers
- Channel Strategy
- Negative ICP (Who to Avoid)
- ICP Scoring Rubric (100-point scorecard + grade bands)
- Buyer Personas (2-3 full personas)
- Prospecting Playbook
- Competitive Context
- Append ICP Maintenance Guide: review quarterly; update triggers (3+ deals outside ICP, 3+ losses to same competitor, major feature/pricing/market change); feedback loop (after 10+
/sales prospect runs, compare scores to deal outcomes); version control (date-stamp, keep previous versions)
- Validate: every criterion is specific (exact ranges, not "medium-sized"), every recommendation is actionable, every persona feels real, scoring rubric is usable in under 5 minutes
- Egress: Write
IDEAL-CUSTOMER-PROFILE.md to working directory. Confirm file path to user. Provide brief ICP highlights summary + suggest next steps (/sales prospect <url>)
Go/No-Go: Output always produced. If any section lacks specificity, flag the assumption inline rather than omitting the section.
Rules
- Never ask more than one clarifying question. Work with what you have and state assumptions explicitly.
- Never produce generic advice. Every criterion must be specific to the user's business — exact ranges, named tools, specific titles.
- Never skip any required section. All 6 dimensions, negative ICP, scoring rubric, personas, playbook, and competitive context are mandatory.
- Never use filler content. Every sentence must add actionable value.
- Never let LLM interpretation drive scoring. Scoring weights, grade bands, and quick-qual mapping are constants applied mechanically.
- Never omit the negative ICP. Knowing who NOT to sell to saves more time than knowing who to sell to.
- Never fabricate market data. If research returns no results, state "Not publicly available" and note impact on the criterion.
- Never produce a rubric that takes more than 5 minutes to score a lead. If a salesperson needs help to use it, it is too complex.
- Never write personas as marketing abstractions. Use specific language patterns, real frustrations, actual objections in their words.
- Never hardcode industry names in scoring constants. The engine is industry-agnostic; industry specifics are variables discovered at runtime.
Reference Pointers
| Reference | Location |
|---|
| Prospect scoring (uses ICP) | skills/sales-prospect/SKILL.md |
| Opportunity assessment | agents/sales-opportunity.md |
| Full qualification (BANT + MEDDIC) | skills/sales-qualify/SKILL.md |
| ICP output file | IDEAL-CUSTOMER-PROFILE.md (working directory) |
| Doctrine | templates/doctrine/ARCHITECTURE.md (IMO, Hub-Spoke, CTB) |
| Skill creation rules | skills/skill-creator/SKILL.md |
