Ideal Customer Profiles
Part of Prospect research for sales conversations
Separating verified account facts from assumptions
Check what an account source actually establishes, label seller inferences and keep uncertain claims out of sales conversation premises.
A verified account fact is a narrow statement supported by an identifiable source. An assumption is what you think that statement might mean. Record them separately before an inference becomes the premise of a sales conversation.
State only what the source establishes
If a company page says it plans a second site, the supported statement is that the company announced a plan. It is not yet verified that the site opened. If a job advert lists a data role, it shows that the role was advertised when viewed. Staffing pressure is an inference.
| Label | Question | Hypothetical example |
|---|---|---|
| Sourced observation | What does the source actually say, and when? | “The company announced plans for a second site.” |
| Seller inference | What might that mean for relevant work? | “Records may need coordination across sites.” |
| Open question | What answer could change our view? | “Is that coordination already handled?” |
The labels do not make the inference true. They keep the source from being turned silently into a diagnosis.
Match the check to the claim
Use an account’s current page or announcement to establish what it says about its plans. Use a dated internal record for what a contact previously told your team, while checking for later updates. ASIC’s business names register can identify the holder of a registered Australian business name. It cannot establish the holder’s operational needs or a named contact’s responsibilities.
Check whether a source is still available, whether its wording is forward-looking and whether later direct information changes the picture. Two pages repeating one press release are not independent confirmations. If a material claim remains unsettled, mark it unverified and check it, ask a neutral question or leave it out.
Handle claims about people carefully
An account claim and a claim about a named person have different consequences. A public job title may be useful context, but it does not establish someone’s current remit, preferences or consent to receive marketing.
APP 10 requires APP entities to take reasonable steps to ensure personal information they collect is accurate, up-to-date and complete. For information they use or disclose, reasonable steps must ensure it is accurate, up-to-date, complete and relevant, having regard to the purpose.
Under APP 3, an organisation may only collect solicited personal information where reasonably necessary for its functions or activities, and personal information must be collected by lawful and fair means. Collect only personal information reasonably necessary for the organisation’s functions or activities, and correct a record when reliable information changes.
A short research record can use source fact, contact statement, seller inference, unknown and superseded. Put the source and date beside a fact or contact statement. Record what a person actually said without adding urgency. Mark an older statement superseded when later evidence changes it; do not leave both looking current.
Key Australian Privacy Principles (APP) for Account Verification
- APP 3 – Collection of Personal InformationOnly collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for your functions; must be lawful and fair.
- APP 10 – Quality of Personal InformationTake reasonable steps to ensure collected information is accurate, up-to-date, complete and relevant.
Let uncertainty determine the next action
If the fact is sound but its implication is uncertain, ask a neutral question. If the underlying fact is uncertain, check it before citing it to the prospect. If the prospect corrects your premise, update the record.
A prospect’s current problem, constraints and next decision require a conversation and any necessary internal checks.
