What is an Ideal Client Profile (ICP) and How Do I Define Mine?

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Your ideal client profile (ICP) is a description of the type of client you want to work with — the industries, roles, company sizes, and problems that make someone a great fit for your services.

On Fluum, your ICP is the foundation of match quality. The more specific you are, the better the AI can find relevant prospects and warm intro paths.


Why your ICP matters

Without a clear ICP, you’ll get matches that are too broad or irrelevant. With a specific ICP, Fluum can:

  • Surface prospects who actually need what you offer
  • Identify warmer intro paths through relevant connections
  • Generate more personalised intro requests
  • Save you time by filtering out poor fits

Think of your ICP as instructions for your AI prospecting assistant.


What to include in your ICP

ElementWhat to specifyExample
IndustryWhich sectors do you serve?SaaS, fintech, healthcare, professional services
Company sizeRevenue, employee count, or funding stageSeed to Series B, 10-100 employees, £1-10M revenue
Role/titleWho do you typically sell to?CFO, Head of Growth, Founder, VP Marketing
GeographyWhere are your clients based?UK, US, Europe, remote-friendly
Problem you solveWhat pain point do you address?“Startups that need to build their first finance function”
Buying signalsWhat indicates they need you now?Just raised funding, hiring for a role you replace, scaling quickly

How to write a strong ICP

Be specific, not broad

Too broadBetter
“B2B companies”“Series A-B SaaS companies in the UK”
“People who need marketing help”“Startup founders without a full-time CMO who need to build a demand gen engine”
“Finance professionals”“CFOs and Heads of Finance at companies with 20-200 employees”

Focus on problems, not just demographics

The best ICPs describe the problem you solve, not just who the person is:

  • “Startups that have raised funding but don’t have financial reporting in place”
  • “Agencies struggling to generate leads without relying on referrals”
  • “B2B founders who’ve tried cold outreach and aren’t seeing results”

Think about who you’ve already helped

Your best future clients usually look like your best past clients. Ask yourself:

  • Which clients were easiest to work with?
  • Which got the best results?
  • Which came back or referred others?

Use those patterns to define your ICP.


How to set your ICP in Fluum

When you set up your Fluum profile, you’ll be asked to define:

  1. Industries you serve — select or type the sectors you work in
  2. Company size — specify funding stage, employee count, or revenue range
  3. Roles you sell to — list the titles or functions you typically engage
  4. Problems you solve — describe in a sentence or two what you help with

You can update your ICP anytime from your profile settings.


How your ICP affects match quality

ICP qualityMatch quality
Vague or broadGeneric matches, lower relevance
Specific and detailedHighly targeted matches, better conversion

If you’re not happy with your matches, refine your ICP first. It’s the single biggest lever for improving results.


Common ICP mistakes to avoid

MistakeWhy it hurts
Too broad (“any B2B company”)AI can’t prioritise, matches are generic
Too narrow (“only Series B fintech in London with 50-60 employees”)Not enough matches
Focused on demographics onlyMisses the problem/intent signals that drive conversion
Never updatingYour ICP should evolve as you learn what works

Summary

Your ideal client profile tells Fluum who to find for you. The more specific you are about industries, roles, company sizes, and problems you solve, the better your matches will be.

A strong ICP is the difference between wasting time on irrelevant leads and having conversations with people who actually need what you offer.

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