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Let’s get real, ‘Darlin… B2B marketing is overflowing with advice that sounds smart but doesn’t always hold up in practice.
In this episode, Alison sits down with Joel Kelly to shine a light on some of the most common myths tripping up even the savviest B2B marketers. Plus, they’ll cover how to move forward with more confidence.
Who’s in the room:
- Joel Kelly, co-owner of Kelford Inc., helps scaling B2B companies ditch guesswork and build messaging that works.
- Alison Knott, founder of Alison K Consulting and our host, brings high-energy and sharp insight to help B2B brands find their audience and resonate with them to fill pipeline.
Why this episode matters:
If you’ve ever second-guessed your personas, stalled on messaging, or wondered if your ICP was just a PowerPoint fantasy, this is for you.
Mistake #1: Relying on paltry personas
Here’s a myth that’s quietly sabotaging a lot of B2B strategy: that a one-page persona is “good enough.”
You’ve seen them: “Busy Becky” or “SaaS Steve,” with vague firmographics and quirky snack preferences. These shallow personas might look polished, but they’re often created from assumptions, not actual insights.
“If your persona could describe both Ozzy Osbourne and the King of England, it’s not specific enough.” – Alison
“Fictional personas turn into fictional customers. If we want real customers, we need real information.” – Joel
What to do instead
Here’s what is recommended:
- Start with real customer interviews. Ask them what matters, what they almost walked away from, and how they describe you to others.
- Focus on behavior and motivation, not just job titles.
- Collaborate across teams. Sales, support, and leadership all have insights.
- Make personas living, testable documents. Update them often. Validate them with marketing.
“My ICP docs are usually two pages and built around questions the brand has to prove back.” – Alison
Forget the one-pager. If it doesn’t help you market better, it’s just branding theater.
Mistake #2: Ignoring the complexity of decision-making
It’s tempting to aim high. “50 new clients,” “Fortune 50 logos,” “$1M ARR”.
But goals like that are often dreams in disguise.
“Everything is path dependent.” – Joel
Instead of skipping to the finish line, zoom in on the next right step. Real growth comes from setting goals that build momentum, not just hype.
What to do instead
Here’s how to stay grounded while still building toward your big goals:
- Define checkpoints, not just outcomes. Focus on what you can control this quarter.
- Interview current clients. Learn what’s actually working for them.
- Commit to stop chasing low-value leads. Prioritize quality over quantity.
- Bake flexibility into your strategy. Plans should bend, not break.
“Strategy is not a plan. It’s a structure that lets you keep working even when things change.” – Joel
Mistake #3: Prioritizing “dream” clients over existing ones
Chasing shiny new leads feels exciting. But sometimes your best customers are already in the room.
“Most of our gold is actually right beneath our noses, if we take the time to dig.” – Alison
“Often, our ideal clients are already in our client base. We just need to double down.” – Joel
Many companies overlook existing ICP segments in favor of unproven “dream clients.” But the truth is, nurturing current relationships can uncover trends, surface upsell opportunities, and streamline your efforts.
What to do instead
Before you build a new campaign, try this instead:
- Interview your favorite current clients. What’s changing for them? What do they need more of?
- Segment what’s already working. Look at which clients are most profitable and easiest to support.
- Treat feedback like gold. Trends don’t always look like trends until you zoom out.
- Share insights internally. Make sure sales, support, and leadership are aligned on what great actually looks like.
- Use Alison’s Persona Prioritization Tool to reflect on your goals and determine which ICP you should go after next.
Mistake #4: Assuming competitors are what ICP seeks
This one’s sneaky and probably the most dangerous myth of all. It’s tempting to look at who your competitors are serving and say, “That’s who we want, too.”
But copying their ICP without context skips the hard part. This is building the track record and credibility that made those clients trust them in the first place.
“You don’t jump across the field of opportunity. You carve a path through it.” – Joel
Your competitors didn’t start with their best clients; they grew into them. If you want to attract similar accounts, focus on becoming the credible, go-to expert for the clients you can realistically win today.
That’s how you earn your way up.
What to do instead
Here’s how to avoid chasing the wrong crowd:
- Use competitors for inspiration, not duplication. Their success took time. Yours will, too.
- Focus inward. What do you do best right now? Who’s the best-fit client for that?
- Build your own credibility. Authority isn’t transferable; it’s earned.
- Ask better questions. Instead of “How do we get their clients?” ask “What’s the next best client we can win?”
Mistake #5: Over-focus on who ICP is, but not what they need
It’s easy to fixate on job titles, demographics, and firmographics, especially when ICP templates and LinkedIn posts keep pushing them.
But if your profile is all about “who” and not enough about “why now” or “what they’re trying to do,” you’re marketing to a label, not a person.
“They don’t know what it’s like to work with you. You have to earn the right to even be considered.” – Alison
“Marketing isn’t about convincing—it’s about meeting people when they’re already in a state of need.” – Joel
What to do instead
Think less about the label, more about the moment. Ask:
- What are they trying to achieve? Align with their goals, not just your value props.
- Why now? What’s changed to make this problem urgent?
- Where do they hang out, and why? Understand the intent behind their channel use.
- What have they tried already? Reflect that in your messaging so they feel understood.
“If you disappeared tomorrow, who would still go looking for you?” – Joel
If your ICP doc doesn’t help you understand what triggers interest, you’re flying blind. In B2B, people won’t take the risk of working with you if you can’t prove you get their world.
Mistake #6: Not reviewing ICP often enough
Defining your ICP isn’t a once-a-year strategy sprint. It’s a constant, evolving practice. Too many marketers treat it like a checkbox instead of the living, breathing process it should be.
“Don’t think of defining your ICP as a revolution. It’s evolution, one small insight at a time.” – Joel
What to do instead
Think of every client interaction as research. Your ICP should shift and sharpen as you learn more:
- Stay curious. Ask clients how they describe you to others. Then ask how they’d defend that referral if challenged.
- Refine constantly. What objections do clients overcome to work with you? That’s a clue to your real value.
- Spot patterns. Use sales calls, support tickets, and interviews to notice trends in who gets the most value.
- Narrow your focus. The more precisely you define what you’re the best at, the easier it becomes to attract the right-fit clients.
“You need the nosiness of a detective.” – Joel
Your ICP isn’t just a document. It’s a lens that should sharpen every time you talk to your clients.
Ready to fine-tune your ICP and messaging?
You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Let’s work together to build a sharper, more effective strategy.