Putting on the blinders

"We've sent 500 outreach messages this month with zero responses."

"Our marketing content gets views but never generates leads."

"Our LinkedIn posts and emails just disappear into the void."

I hear these statements from agency owners a lot.

They're creating content no one engages with. Sending outreach that never gets replies. Watching their connection requests go ignored.

Most painfully, they're seeing competitors with seemingly identical services absolutely thrive in the same market.

Why?

Because they’re committing the cardinal sin of outreach.

Because they’re not wearing their blinders.

The Expensive Illusion of "Everyone Is Our Customer"

Being vague about who you serve might work when leads come to you.

It fails spectacularly when you need to proactively find them.

And scalable growth always requires outreach.

The problem is devastatingly simple: if you try to attract everyone, you attract no one.

It's like standing in a crowded room and shouting "Hey!" Nobody turns around. Nobody responds. Nobody even acknowledges you exist.

But call out "Hey John!" and every John in the room immediately pays attention.

That's the power of specificity in a noisy world.

When I challenge agencies on this, they inevitably push back: "We don't want to limit our potential market."

What they fail to realise is that by trying to appeal to everyone, they've already limited themselves to nobody.

Your messaging becomes invisible. Your expertise becomes questionable. Your outreach becomes ignorable.

The only path forward for those looking for sustainable growth is to pick a lane. Here's how to do it intelligently.

Identifying your Ideal Client Profile (5 criteria)

Identifying your perfect prospects isn't guesswork. It's a systematic process based on five critical criteria:

1. Market Growth

Target ICPs that are expanding, not contracting:

• Is this industry growing year over year?

• Are new businesses regularly entering this space?

• Does this sector embrace innovation and new solutions?

Avoid industries fighting for survival - they view your services as a cost, not an investment.

2. Market Size

Your target ICP needs sufficient scale:

• Are there at least 50,000 potential prospects?

• Is the pool large enough to support sustainable growth?

• Can you expand geographically within this ICP?

Too small a pond limits your growth ceiling no matter how effectively you execute.

3. Accessibility

Can you actually reach these prospects efficiently?

• Are decision-makers identifiable and contactable?

• Do they congregate in specific channels, forums or events?

• Can you build a reliable lead generation system targeting them?

Some ICPs are nearly impossible to penetrate systematically - avoid these regardless of other factors.

4. Financial Capacity

They must be able to afford your solutions:

• Do they have established budgets for services like yours?

• Is their business model profitable enough to invest in growth?

• Are they accustomed to paying professional service fees?

Chronically cash-strapped industries like early-stage startups or struggling local businesses often make terrible clients.

5. Urgent Pain Point

They must have problems worth solving urgently:

• Is there a specific, expensive problem you solve well?

• Does this problem cause significant operational pain?

• Are they actively seeking solutions right now?

Without genuine pain, prospects will endlessly delay decisions and haggle over every penny.

Simplifying your business with a clear ICP

The true power of the ICP Framework extends far beyond targeting. It transforms your entire business model.

When you serve the same type of client repeatedly:

• Your fulfilment becomes predictable and systematised

• Your team develops deep, specialised expertise

• Your case studies and testimonials resonate perfectly with prospects

• Your margins increase as you eliminate wasted effort

• Your referrals multiply as you become THE go-to specialist

This compound effect is why agencies with laser-focused ICPs typically charge much more than generalists while delivering better results with fewer resources.

“Okay I get it. How do I get started?”

Implementing the ICP Framework requires a little courage.

Here's how to begin:

1. Audit your current client base

Create a venn diagram of the following:

Which clients are most profitable? Most enjoyable to work with? Where do you consistently get the best results?

The overlap will reveal your natural ICP.

2. Apply the five criteria ruthlessly

Rate potential ICPs against each of the 5 criteria. Be honest about weaknesses - a failing grade in any category should be disqualifying.

3. Commit fully to your selection

Half-measures produce half-results.

4. Create the verticals

Break your ICP down into targetable criteria so they're easy to reach with list-building tools like Sales Navigator. Start with:

• Industry (specific sectors and sub-sectors)

• Headcount/Revenue range (realistic parameters that indicate ability to pay)

• Geography (regions where you can realistically serve or have market knowledge)

• Buyer Persona (specific job titles who make or influence buying decisions)

Focus is the solution

The paradox is that narrowing your focus actually expands your opportunities.

When you target everyone, you reach no one effectively.

When you target specific prospects with surgical precision, you create space for:

• Premium pricing that reflects your specialised expertise

• Predictable, scalable content that genuinely resonates

• Efficient, high-response outreach campaigns

• Genuine authority and thought leadership

Most importantly, you create the foundation for sustainable growth without the constant feast-famine cycle that plagues generalist agencies.

The question isn't whether you can afford to narrow your focus.

It's whether you can afford not to.