Stop Guessing Your ICP, with Ana Laskey

Episode 175

So many agency owners struggle with building a steady, profitable biz dev engine that doesn’t leak time, energy, money — and most importantly — opportunity. 

What if the biggest culprit isn’t the volume of your outreach, the size of your list, or even your pitch? 

What if the leaks are about something far more fundamental — understanding?

Working alongside agencies, we too often find their ideal client profiles aren’t nearly as sharp as they think. Too often, ICPs are built on assumptions — not data. And when that happens, everything downstream starts to wobble.

Targeting documents look good on paper but break down in execution. Messaging is crafted around what sounds clever — instead of what prospects are actually saying. And thought leadership is positioned around belief — not proof.

If right-fit prospects don’t hear their own words reflected back, in your voice, they won’t lean in. They won’t see you as the guide who “gets it.”

But — when you do capture their exact language, when you listen deeply and build strategy from their voice instead of your assumptions — the whole biz dev game changes. Suddenly, you’re speaking their dialect, and they can’t help but lean in.

Agencies that guess at their ICPs — or only check in with clients once a year — are really building pipelines on hope. And as we know — hope is not a strategy. 

Listening is.

That’s why I’m thrilled to welcome back today’s guest expert for an encore conversation. Ana Laskey, President and Founder of Ground Control Research joins to give us a deep dive into how agencies can stop guessing, listen deeply, and use both AI tools and human touch to extract critical client language that sharpens targeting, elevates your content, and builds a biz dev process that’s a real engine — not just a random act of marketing.

If you’re guessing at who your right-fit clients are, or if you’re hoping content sticks when you toss it at the wall — this conversation is for you.

Ana’s approach will help you stop shouting in a crowded arena — and instead, speak with such precision that your right-fit prospects say… “Finally. That’s exactly what I need!”

What you will learn in this episode: 

• Why most agencies’ ICPs are built on assumption — NOT data
• How to build an ICP so sharp that you attract right-fit clients on repeat
• How to use AI to spot the red threads in your client conversations — without losing the human touch
• Why it’s vital to understand your buyer’s company and the full “deal path” including secondary decision makers
• Ana’s tips for open-ended, empathy-driven interviews
• How to turn client insights into marketing strategies that actually move the needle

Resources:

• Website: www.groundcontrolresearch.com
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastassialaskey/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/groundcontrolresearch/
• Ana’s Bio Page: https://ana.bio/
• How to Sharpen Your ICP, with Ana Laskey