Why Manchester B2B Teams Must Lock In Their Ideal Target Market

Manchester’s business scene is thriving. From fast-scaling startups to established firms reinvesting in the region, there is no shortage of “potential” conversations. But for many B2B sales teams, this abundance of opportunity hides a significant trap.

When a market is buoyant, it is easy to drift into reactive selling; replying to every inbound query, quoting for every enquiry, and chasing any lead that looks like revenue. While this keeps a team busy, it often results in an unpredictable pipeline, squeezed margins, and stalled deals.

If your sales forecast feels like guesswork, it is rarely because your team isn’t working hard enough. Usually, it’s because they are working hard on the wrong targets.

The Hidden Cost of “Taking What We Can Get”

Every proposal carries a cost that extends far beyond the paper it’s written on. There is the time invested by salespeople, technical teams, and finance, as well as the management time required for reviews and approvals. Perhaps most importantly, there is the opportunity cost, the high-value deals you didn’t pursue because you were buried in admin for a low-margin lead.

In a fast-moving region like Greater Manchester, the primary threat to growth isn’t always competition; it’s distraction. Without a clear filter, teams fall into a cycle where “quick wins” become low-margin burdens and major opportunities stall because the team is engaged with influencers rather than decision-makers.

Why a Locked-In ICP Beats “More Leads”

An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is not just a description of who could buy your product; it is a strategic decision about who you should invest time in.

Focus is the foundation of predictable sales. According to TOPO’s Account Based Benchmark Report, organisations with a strong ICP achieve 68% higher account win rates. Furthermore, HubSpot reports that companies with clearly defined ICPs see 36% higher conversion rates. When you stop trying to sell to everyone, selling becomes significantly more efficient.

The Manchester Reality: Prioritising Sectors

In the North West, opportunities span a diverse range of sectors, from professional services and tech to manufacturing and construction. While your business might be able to serve many of them, you cannot prioritise all of them equally.

A robust ICP gives your team the permission to:

● Pursue best-fit customers faster.

● Disqualify poor-fit opportunities early and professionally.

● Protect margins by selling on value rather than volume.

Building a Practical ICP for the North West

A functional ICP must be explicit. Moving beyond vague descriptors like “SMEs in the North West,” B2B teams should define their target market using five key pillars:

1. Sector Focus: Identify where you win most often and deliver the best outcomes.

2. Geography: Be honest about where you can support customers effectively, not just where you can sign them.

3. Size & Complexity: Determine the company size that offers the best ROI on sales and delivery effort.

4. Buying Signals: Define what “ready” looks like; be it rapid growth, new leadership, or regulatory pressure.

5. Disqualifying Criteria: Define who you should stop chasing, such as those with unrealistic timelines or a history of chronic price-shopping.

Engaging the Real Decision-Makers

Many deals in Manchester stall because momentum is built with a friendly contact who lacks the authority to sign off. Your ICP work must identify the target roles, the budget holders and problem owners, who have the urgency and accountability to act. This shifts the internal conversation from price to impact.

Moving from Random Effort to Predictable Growth

In a booming market, focus is your greatest competitive advantage. The teams that win consistently are those that are crystal clear on who to target, who to avoid, and which problems they are uniquely positioned to solve. To help North West businesses sharpen their focus, SalesStar utilises the One Page Sales Plan. By simplifying the strategy into visible, actionable sections, sector, geography, size, signals, and contacts, teams can move away from reactive chasing and toward sustainable, predictable growth.

By Alison Fell – Practice Partner, SalesStar