Getting the right customer isn’t magic. It’s about clarity. In sales, too many people take whatever comes their way. That’s not integrity selling. That’s guessing.
If you want to sell with purpose, you need to know your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) from every angle. Here’s where to start.
Tune in next week for questions 7-12!
1. How has your work helped them achieve their objectives?
The ultimate reason anyone does business with you is simple: you help them achieve their goals.
Most salespeople don’t actually know what their customers’ objectives are. That’s a miss. Integrity means you take the time to dig in. Look at your past and current customers. How does your work move them closer to success? How does what you offer help them reach their targets?
If you don’t know, you need to find out. When you understand what your work actually does for your customer, you’re selling solutions, not just products.
2. What industry are they in?
You can’t serve everyone. You shouldn’t even try.
Know your customer’s industry—maybe even more than one, but be clear. Why? Because every industry has its own set of challenges, trends, and needs. Knowledge here is power.
Stay alert for new insights or information in your customers’ industry. That’s what helps you become more than a vendor. You become a resource. The deeper your awareness of their world, the more valuable you are to them.
3. What are their job titles?
Titles matter, but not as much as you think. They can be misleading. What counts is understanding the actual role and scope of responsibility.
Who are you really talking to? Are they a decision-maker, influencer, or just a messenger? Learn how the organization works and where your contact fits.
This isn’t just names on a business card. It’s knowing who gives the green light, who cares about the outcome, and who’s living with the results.
4. How long have they been in that role?
This is a piece most salespeople forget. But it changes everything.
If your contact is new in their role, they may not have the experience or credibility to make bold decisions. If they’ve been there a while, they bring history, perspective, and likely more confidence.
Understanding a customer’s tenure helps you see their view of risk. It shapes how they buy and what they care about. Ask them how they’ve made decisions like this in the past—then listen. Their answer will tell you everything.
5. What trade groups / associations do they belong to?
Your ideal customer doesn’t live in a vacuum. Their perspectives are shaped by peers, associations, and industry groups.
Find out which organizations they’re part of. This tells you where they get their information, what trends influence them, and who’s in their professional orbit.
When you know the associations that matter to them, you can get closer to their world. You gain credibility just by understanding, and even connecting with their community.
6. Who are their customers?
Go downstream. Your customer always serves someone else, even if they’re a consumer.
Most salespeople ignore this, but it’s vital. Who are your customers’ customers? What do they really need? When you understand what keeps your customer’s customer up at night, you stand out.
Get curious. The more you know about how their whole value chain works, the more insights you can provide. That’s how you spot opportunities and risks before anyone else.
You can’t shortcut this process.
Get these six questions answered, and you’re halfway home. Not only are you qualifying your customer, you’re equipping yourself to bring value that goes beyond the product.
Tune in next week for 6 MORE Questions to better understand your customer before you sell.
That’s Integrity First Selling. That’s winning with purpose.
The most significant differentiator isn’t your product, price, or even your pitch—it’s your integrity.
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Listeners will get a glimpse into how mindset, daily habits, and a well-defined personal “why” can fuel extraordinary growth, even when the odds seem stacked against you.
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Copyright 2026, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.
