STRATEGY & POSITIONING · CAPABILITY

Finding the Buyers in Your Fairway

A repeatable system for defining who to pursue, how to prioritize them, and which buying roles must be engaged.

Fairway approaches ICP and segment definition as a strategic growth discipline, not a list-building exercise. We connect market opportunity, customer evidence, commercial priorities, and buying-group dynamics to define where your organization should focus.

The result is a shared targeting system that helps marketing, sales, and revenue operations recognize strong-fit accounts, prioritize the right opportunities, and coordinate action.

The Fairway Targeting Method™

Define the accounts, segments, and buying roles most likely to produce meaningful commercial outcomes.

1

Survey the Course

Assess the available market, customer base, commercial goals, historical performance, and strategic constraints.

2

Mark the Fairway

Define the firmographic, technographic, operational, and situational characteristics associated with strong customer fit.

3

Map the Players

Identify the people involved in recognizing the problem, evaluating options, approving the purchase, and realizing value.

4

Set the Target

Prioritize segments and accounts by combining customer fit, commercial potential, strategic importance, and likelihood to buy.

5

Build the Playing Rules

Translate the targeting strategy into practical rules for campaigns, qualification, routing, sales coverage, and measurement.

Before

Broad Target-Market Definition

Target: Organizations That Want to Reduce Energy Costs

"AeroGrid targets medium and large businesses in retail, hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, education, and commercial real estate. Primary contacts include operations, facilities, finance, sustainability, IT, procurement, and executive leadership."

Rules:
• Company has >500 employees
• Company operates in the US
• Contact has manager-level title or above

The Diagnosis

  • × The addressable market is too broad to guide investment
  • × Employee count does not reflect operational complexity or energy exposure
  • × Industries with different buying motions are treated the same
  • × No negative-fit or disqualification criteria are defined
  • × Marketing and sales cannot consistently explain why one account should be prioritized over another
After

Fairway-Aligned ICP & Segmentation

Primary ICP
Distributed Retail Operators

North American retailers operating 75 to 500 physical locations, with centralized facilities leadership, material energy exposure, and limited location-level visibility into avoidable consumption.

Firmographic Rules
Required Fit
  • • 75+ physical locations
  • • Repeatable operating formats
  • • Centralized facilities mgt.
× Disqualifying (Exclude)
  • • Primarily franchise-operated
  • • Fewer than 50 locations
  • • Inconsistent operating models
Core Buying Roles
  • Operational Champion: VP/Dir of Facilities
  • Economic Buyer: COO / CFO
  • Technical Evaluator: VP of IT / CIO
Scoring Dimensions
Account Fit 35%
Commercial Potential 25%
Problem Intensity 20%
Readiness & Timing 20%
From targeting anyone who could buy To prioritizing the accounts most likely to create mutual value.
Deliverables

What We Build

A complete ICP and segmentation engagement produces the rules, models, and decision tools your teams need to focus resources consistently.

Ideal Customer Profile

A precise definition of the organizational characteristics, business conditions, and constraints associated with strong customer fit.

Segment Architecture

A practical market structure that groups accounts by shared needs, commercial potential, and strategic priority.

Firmographic Rules

Required, preferred, and disqualifying criteria that can be applied consistently in data, systems, and campaigns.

Buying-Group Framework

The roles, priorities, influence patterns, and information needs involved in the purchase decision.

Scoring & Tiering Model

A weighted method for evaluating fit, value, problem intensity, intent, and readiness.

Targeting & Qualification

Operational guidance for audience creation, suppression, routing, qualification, and account progression.

Activation Guidance

Recommendations for applying the ICP across ABM, outbound sales, content, paid media, and account planning.

Measurement Framework

Metrics for assessing segment penetration, account engagement, opportunity quality, and win rate.