> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.alvahq.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Profile Types Explained

> Understand the five discovery profile types: ICP, IVP, IPP, ISP, and CP.

Alva supports five profile types, each designed for a different kind of company relationship. The profile type determines how discovered companies are categorised, what lifecycle stages they follow, and where they appear in your CRM.

<Note>
  Profile type is about the **relationship** (and therefore the pipeline companies land in), not about *how* you search. You choose a profile type whichever [company Search Agent](/discovery/creating-a-discovery-profile) you use — [Local & service businesses](/discovery/creating-a-discovery-profile) or [Funded & high-growth companies](/discovery/company-intelligence).
</Note>

## The five profile types

### ICP — Ideal Customer Profile

**Purpose:** Find companies that would be ideal customers for your products or services.

**Example description:** "Marketing agencies serving B2B technology companies"

**When discovered companies are imported:**

* Relationship type is set to **Customer**
* Lifecycle stages: Target → Prospect → Lead → Customer
* Companies appear in the **CRM** module

This is the most common profile type and the starting point for most sales teams.

***

### IVP — Ideal Vendor Profile

**Purpose:** Find companies that would be ideal vendors — companies that could sell or distribute your products and services.

**Example description:** "IT resellers and managed service providers serving small businesses"

**When discovered companies are imported:**

* Relationship type is set to **Vendor**
* Lifecycle stages: Target → Evaluating → Negotiating → Vendor
* Companies appear in the **VRM** (Vendor Relationship Management) module

Use this when you're building a network of companies that sell, distribute, or resell your products and services.

***

### IPP — Ideal Partner Profile

**Purpose:** Find companies that would be ideal strategic or channel partners.

**Example description:** "Digital agencies offering web design and development services to small businesses"

**When discovered companies are imported:**

* Relationship type is set to **Partner**
* Lifecycle stages: Target → Engaging → Negotiating → Partner
* Companies appear in the **PRM** (Partner Relationship Management) module

Useful for building referral networks, reseller channels, or co-marketing partnerships.

***

### ISP — Ideal Supplier Profile

**Purpose:** Find companies that could supply products or services to your business.

**Example description:** "Plumbing and heating contractors serving residential customers"

**When discovered companies are imported:**

* Relationship type is set to **Supplier**
* Lifecycle stages: Target → Evaluating → Negotiating → Supplier
* Companies appear in the **SRM** (Supplier Relationship Management) module

Use this when you need to build a supply chain, a network of subcontractors, or a pool of service providers.

***

### CP — Competitor Profile

**Purpose:** Find companies that are direct competitors in your market.

**Example description:** "Sales and CRM software companies serving small and mid-sized businesses"

**When discovered companies are imported:**

* Relationship type is set to **Competitor**
* Companies are **automatically linked to your competitors table** in the Context section
* This populates battle card data that Alva uses in deal analysis

Use this for competitive intelligence gathering. Discovered competitors are added to your competitor database where you can track their strengths, weaknesses, and differentiation.

***

## How profile type affects the workflow

| Feature       | ICP   | IVP             | IPP              | ISP               | CP                |
| ------------- | ----- | --------------- | ---------------- | ----------------- | ----------------- |
| CRM module    | CRM   | VRM             | PRM              | SRM               | —                 |
| Pipeline view | Deals | Vendor Pipeline | Partner Pipeline | Supplier Pipeline | —                 |
| BDR agents    | ✅     | ✅               | ✅                | ✅                 | ❌                 |
| Auto-links to | —     | —               | —                | —                 | Competitors table |

<Note>
  BDR agents can target any profile type except Competitor Profiles. You wouldn't typically send automated outreach to competitors.
</Note>

## Choosing the right profile type

Ask yourself: **what is my relationship with these companies?**

* If you want to **sell to them** → ICP
* If you want them to **sell your products** → IVP
* If you want to **partner with them** → IPP
* If you want them to **supply to you** → ISP
* If they **compete with you** → CP

You can run multiple profiles of different types simultaneously. A typical setup might be one ICP for finding customers, one CP for tracking competitors, and one IPP for building a partner channel.