Targeting
In short
Targeting is the decision about which companies and people your team will pursue, and which it will leave alone. It uses criteria such as industry, size, tech stack, role, and buying signals to focus limited time and budget.
Segmentation divides a market into groups. Targeting is the next step: choosing which of those groups to go after first. The result usually appears as a target account list and a set of target roles.
Layers of targeting
- Account targeting: Which companies, chosen with firmographic and technographic criteria from your ICP.
- Persona targeting: Which roles inside those companies, such as the economic buyer and the day-to-day user.
- Timing targeting: Which accounts show signals such as hiring, funding, or leadership change that suggest they are ready now.
- Channel targeting: Where those people are reachable, such as email, LinkedIn, events, or paid ads.
How to set targeting criteria
Start from outcomes
Look at which customers stayed, expanded, and were cheap to win. Use their shared traits as your first filters.
Add must-haves and exclusions
A must-have is a trait without which the product will not work. An exclusion removes accounts that predict churn or long stalls.
Tier the list
Give the best-fit accounts more personal effort and the rest lighter, automated touches.
Example
Say a security vendor sells best to financial services firms with 200 to 2,000 employees and an in-house security team. The team filters on those traits, excludes firms already using a rival tool, and targets the head of security and the CIO. Accounts that recently hired a security lead go to the top of the list because the timing is likely good.
Common mistakes
- Targeting everyone: A list with no exclusions is not a target.
- Stale criteria: Check filters against recent wins each quarter.
- Fit without reachability: A perfect account with no valid contact data cannot be worked.
- One message for all: Different segments and roles need different messages.
Targeting FAQs
What is targeting in sales and marketing?
Targeting is choosing which companies and people to focus on based on fit, need, and timing. It lets teams concentrate budget and rep time on accounts most likely to buy and succeed, rather than spreading effort thinly.
What is the difference between segmentation and targeting?
Segmentation splits a market into groups with similar traits or needs. Targeting is choosing which of those groups to pursue. You segment to understand the market and target to decide where to act.
How do you choose a target market for a B2B company?
Review your best customers, find the traits they share, check that those traits do not also describe lost or churned deals, and choose the segments with enough accounts, clear need, and a reachable buying group.
What are the main types of targeting in B2B?
The main types are account targeting by company traits, persona targeting by role, timing targeting based on signals, and channel targeting based on where buyers can be reached. Strong programs combine all four.
