If you’re tired of chasing leads that go nowhere, you’re not alone. Most sales teams waste hours on prospects who were never a good fit in the first place. Segmentation by Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) isn’t just a buzzword — it actually works, but only if you do it right. This guide is for anyone using Revenue (that’s this tool) who wants to stop guessing, start filtering, and spend less time on dead-ends.
Let’s break down how to use Revenue to segment your prospects by ICP, what to watch out for, and how to make sure you’re not just slicing data for the sake of it.
Step 1: Get Clear on What Your ICP Actually Is
Before you open up Revenue and start clicking around, you need a real, working definition of your ICP. This isn’t just a wishlist of “big logos” or “companies with money.” It’s about identifying the types of prospects who actually become happy, profitable customers.
Don’t skip this. Vague ICPs lead to vague results.
Ask yourself: - Who are our best customers right now? - What do they have in common? (Industry, company size, geography, tech stack, etc.) - Where did we think we’d win, but didn’t? - Are there any red flags we should filter out (e.g., industries that always churn)?
Pro tip: Talk to your Customer Success team, not just Sales. Sometimes the best “fit” isn’t who closes fastest, it’s who sticks around.
Write out these ICP criteria somewhere visible. You’ll need them as you build your segments.
Step 2: Map Your ICP Criteria to Revenue Fields
Now, log in to Revenue. The platform gives you a lot of data, but not all of it will match your ICP criteria out of the box. This is where things can get messy if you’re not careful.
How to approach this: - Match your ICP attributes (like industry, employee count, location) to the actual data fields Revenue tracks. - If Revenue doesn’t have a direct field (say, for “uses Salesforce”), see if you can use tags, custom fields, or integrations. - Be honest about what you actually have data for. Don’t build segments you can’t populate.
What works: - Standard firmographics (industry, size, region) — usually easy. - Tech stack, funding stage, or buyer intent — possible, but may need integrations or enrichment.
What doesn’t: - Fuzzy stuff like “innovative culture” or “likely to buy soon.” Only segment on things you can measure or at least estimate well.
Step 3: Build ICP Segments in Revenue
This is where you put your research to work. Revenue lets you create segments or lists based on filters. Here’s how to do it without making rookie mistakes:
- Go to your prospect database.
- Click “Create Segment” or similar.
- Apply filters based on your ICP criteria. For example:
- Industry = SaaS
- Employee count = 50–500
- Headquarters in North America
- Not in “Churned” industry list
- Name your segment clearly. (“ICP — Core SaaS Accounts,” not “Segment 1”)
- Save and review. Look at the list. Is it too broad? Too narrow? Do you see obvious bad fits sneaking in?
Don’t overcomplicate it. You don’t need 15 filters to get started. Focus on 2–4 big ICP criteria that actually matter.
What to ignore: Fancy scoring models or “AI-suggested” segments, at least at first. They sound cool, but if you can’t explain your segment logic in plain English, you’re probably overthinking it.
Step 4: Test and Refine Your Segments
Segmentation isn’t a “set it and forget it” deal. The first version of your ICP segments probably won’t be perfect. That’s normal.
How to check your work: - Pull a random sample of accounts from your new segment. Would you honestly want your reps spending time on these? - Compare conversion rates: Does this segment actually perform better than your old prospect lists? - Get feedback from reps: Are they finding the segment useful, or is it just more busywork?
Pro tip: If you spot patterns (like a segment full of companies that never reply), adjust your filters. Maybe your industry definition is too broad, or your data is outdated.
What works: Fast iteration. Don’t wait months to tweak your segments.
What doesn’t: Building “perfect” ICP segments in a vacuum. The market changes, and so should your filters.
Step 5: Use Segments to Prioritize Outreach (Not Just for Show)
A segment is only useful if you actually do something with it. Here’s where a lot of teams fall down: they build smart segments, but then keep working the same old lists.
How to make it real: - Assign top reps to your highest-value ICP segment. - Tailor your messaging for that segment’s pain points. - Track engagement and results by segment, not just overall.
Don’t: - Dump all your segments into one big sequence. - Treat every segment the same just because you made them in Revenue. The point is to focus.
What works: Small, focused campaigns for each ICP segment. Test what messaging actually lands.
What doesn’t: “Set it and forget it” campaigns or blasting all segments with the same email.
Step 6: Automate (But Don’t Abdicate)
Revenue has tools for automating lists, routing, and sequences. This can save a ton of time, but only if you keep an eye on the quality.
How to automate without losing control: - Set up automated alerts when new companies enter your ICP segment. - Integrate with your CRM to push ICP segments to sales workflows. - Schedule regular reviews — don’t assume your segments stay accurate forever.
Watch out for: - Garbage in, garbage out. If your underlying data is a mess, automation just makes bad lists faster. - Over-automation: If reps never review or update segments, your ICP will drift out of reality.
Step 7: Keep It Simple, Keep It Honest
The urge to build ultra-fancy segments is real, but most of the time, simple works best. The best segmentation is one your team actually uses — and trusts.
- Review your ICP at least quarterly. Are you missing new patterns?
- Don’t be afraid to kill segments that don’t drive results.
- Always ask: “Would I want to sell to these people?” If the answer is no, fix your filters.
Summary: Iterate, Don’t Agonize
Segmenting by ICP in Revenue isn’t rocket science, but it does take some thought. Start with what you know, build simple filters, and see what happens. The goal isn’t a perfect spreadsheet — it’s spending more time with prospects who might actually buy. Keep it simple, check your work, and don’t let the “AI” do all the thinking for you. You’ll get better results and waste less time.