Chapter 4/10 • 18 min read
Data Model
Design your data architecture. Objects, relationships, and governance for accurate reporting.
⏱️ TL;DR: Map standard objects (Accounts, Contacts, Deals), define relationships, create essential custom fields, and establish data governance. Your data model determines your reporting capabilities.
Core Objects
Every CRM has standard objects. Understand how they relate:
Account (Company/Organization)
- Represents a company you sell to
- Has many Contacts
- Has many Deals/Opportunities
Contact (Person)
- Individual person at an Account
- Belongs to one Account
- Can be associated with multiple Deals
Deal/Opportunity
- Potential sale in progress
- Belongs to one Account
- Has multiple Contacts (buying committee)
Activity
- Emails, calls, meetings, tasks
- Linked to Contacts/Accounts/Deals
- Historical record of engagement
Essential Custom Fields
Standard fields aren't enough. Add these:
Account Fields
| Field | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| ICP Score | Number | Fit score 0-100 |
| Industry | Dropdown | Segment analysis |
| Employee Count | Number | Size segmentation |
| Tech Stack | Multi-select | Tools they use |
| Lifecycle Stage | Dropdown | Prospect/Customer/Former |
Contact Fields
| Field | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Job Title | Text | Role identification |
| Seniority | Dropdown | C-level/VP/Manager/IC |
| Lead Source | Dropdown | Attribution |
| Lead Score | Number | Engagement score |
| MQL Date | Date | Funnel timing |
Deal Fields
| Field | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Deal Source | Dropdown | Inbound/Outbound/Partner |
| Close Date | Date | Forecasting |
| ARR/ACV | Currency | Revenue value |
| Lost Reason | Dropdown | Loss analysis |
| Competitor | Dropdown | Competitive intelligence |
💡 Less is More
Don't create fields "just in case." Each field adds maintenance burden. Only create fields you'll actually report on.
Data Relationships
Understanding relationships enables reporting:
One-to-Many
- One Account → Many Contacts
- One Account → Many Deals
- One Deal → Many Activities
Many-to-Many
- Many Contacts ↔ Many Deals (contact roles)
- Many Contacts ↔ Many Campaigns
Data Governance
Rules to maintain data quality:
1. Field Requirements
- Required fields at each stage
- Validation rules for format
- Automation to fill known values
2. Ownership
- Who owns data quality for each object?
- RevOps typically owns Account data
- Reps own their Deal data
3. Deduplication
- Matching rules (email, company name, domain)
- Merge process and permissions
- Regular dedup audits
4. Data Hygiene
- Enrichment schedules
- Stale data cleanup
- Bounce handling
⚠️ Garbage In, Garbage Out
Poor data quality undermines all RevOps efforts. Invest in governance early.
Data Model Checklist
- ☑️ Core objects defined (Account, Contact, Deal)
- ☑️ Essential custom fields created
- ☑️ Relationships documented
- ☑️ Required fields configured
- ☑️ Deduplication rules in place
- ☑️ Data ownership assigned
- ☑️ Hygiene processes scheduled