Start with the work you can actually do
Write down the problem your business solves and the kind of organisation that experiences it. Include the services you deliver today, rather than everything you might eventually offer. A profile is a working definition of fit, not a slogan about who would benefit from your product.
If you serve several different markets, separate them into distinct profiles. The reasons a local service business needs you may be very different from the reasons a software company does. Mixing both into one search can make the results difficult to interpret.
Choose observable criteria
Useful criteria can be checked. Industry, location, service model, customer type and the way a business presents its offer are better starting points than claims about hidden budgets or purchase intent. Name the evidence you would accept for each criterion.
Distinguish a required condition from a preference. A business outside your service area may be an exclusion. An unfamiliar website platform may simply be something to investigate.
Make exclusions explicit
Define who is a poor fit as carefully as who is a good fit. Existing clients, businesses you cannot serve and categories that require capabilities you do not have should not be treated as promising simply because they match a keyword.
Read a small set before scaling
Review a handful of results and inspect the evidence behind the fit explanation. If the same weak assumption appears repeatedly, change the profile before asking for more. Keep a short record of why you accepted or rejected a business so the next version is grounded in real observations.
Example: a small website studio
A studio might look for independent Australian service businesses with several service pages and a clear enquiry path. A missing booking link is a question to check, rather than proof of lost revenue. This is a fictional example, not a delivered lead.
A profile you can actually check
Your service
A small studio designing business websites.
Observable fit
A service business with an existing site and a clear enquiry path.
An explicit exclusion
A business looking for an online store, outside the studio’s offer.
Illustrative process. Review public evidence and your own circumstances.
Illustrative review process. This does not represent a real prospect or customer outcome.
Before you move on
- Describe the problem you solve
- Separate required criteria from preferences
- Write down exclusions
- Inspect evidence in a small sample
Public information can be incomplete or out of date. Check sources and your own circumstances before acting. This guide explains a review process; it does not guarantee a result.