Ideal Lead Profile - The missing link in lead scoring strategy
Gokul Anantha
Most marketing leaders know the struggle: figuring out which leads actually deserve your team’s attention. The go-to options are usually a) Default MAP scoring (e.g., HubSpot’s built-in model) or b) Third-party scoring tools (e.g., 6sense, intent-based data
But here’s the problem – most of these scoring models:
Are static, costly to customize, and rarely updated based on real conversion data
Produce qualification results that don’t match sales outcomes, eroding trust
Struggle with multi-product or multi-motion GTM models
The result?
Mid-funnel paralysis. Leads sit in limbo — too warm to ignore, but too cold for sales — and momentum dies.
Ideal Lead Profile vs Ideal Customer Profile : The often-missed distinction
We all know the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) — the “wish list” company your founders or product leaders define early in your growth journey.
But here’s the catch: most early funnel interactions happen with people, not companies. That’s where the Ideal Lead Profile (ILP) comes in
Key Differences
Aspect | Ideal Lead Profile | Ideal Customer Profile |
Focus | Individual fit + readiness | Company fit + potential |
Entity | Lead/contact | Account/company |
Attributes | Demographics, behavior, engagement | Firmographics, technographics |
Timing | After a lead enters your funnel | Before GTM strategy execution |
Primary Use | Prioritize leads for nurture or sales | Decide which companies to target |
Bottom line
ICP tells you which companies to go after. ILP tells you which people within those companies are worth your time right now
Building an Ideal Lead Profile has been hard (until now)
An ILP is data-backed, built from your own historical lead-to-close patterns.
The challenges?
Data silos across marketing and sales systems
Translating messy CRM data into usable ML signals
Adjusting for evolving behavior patterns
And yes, the quality of historical data can be questionable — but modern data unification and scoring models are making ILPs far more accessible.
The Impact: Before vs. After ILP
When teams switch from traditional MQL qualification to an ILP-driven approach, the results can be dramatic. Illustrative business case below
Metric | Before ILP | After ILP | Impact |
Lead → MQL | 40% qualify, low quality | 25% qualify, high quality | -37% volume, +quality |
MQL → SQL | 20% | 50% | +150% |
SQL → Opportunity | 25% | 45% | +80% |
Win Rate | 18% | 28% | +55% |
Avg Deal Size | $28k | $35k | +25% |
Sales Cycle | 90 days | 60 days | -33% |
CAC per Opportunity | $2,500 | $1,850 | -26% |
Forecast Accuracy (MQL Stage) | ±30% | ±12% | +60% |
The Takeaway
If your lead scoring model isn’t producing results that match reality, the gap might not be in your scoring method — it’s in the absence of an Ideal Lead Profile.
By combining your ICP with a well-built ILP, you give your marketing and sales teams the precision they need to act with confidence and speed.
Up next:
Building a lead score using an ideal lead profile. Stay tuned!
