Understanding the Demandbase Database

What is a database?

A database is a structured set of data in a computer that’s organized as a set of tables with rows and columns. Each row is called a record and each column is called a field. Each record is about a separate instance of whatever the subject of the database is, for example, an account. Each field contains an attribute of that particular item (a thing that describes the account), for example, the industry of the account.

Here’s an example of what a table of accounts might look like:

There are multiple tables within a database, which are typically related in some way. For example, several rows of accounts (for example, Account A, Account B, and Account C) with their attributes in the columns constitutes a list, and you could also have a table of lists (for example, your pilot program, your highest performers, your current customers, your competitors) with attributes like the type of list and number of members.

Each record (row) in a table is about something unique, such as an account, an account list, a person, or an opportunity. The remaining fields describe some attribute of the account and may have duplicates in different rows. For example, many accounts could be in Indiana, or have the same number of employees or the same Pipeline Predict score. This will come in very handy for your business purposes later on, because you can group similar companies and assign them to an SE or approach them with the same message.

Where does the data come from? 

Records in the Database may originate from: 

• Integration 
• Data Import (CSV)
• Demandbase

The source of an Account is available at  Database > Accounts in the Source field and in other tables throughout Demandbase by showing their source icons. See Account Source Hierarchy and Understanding Fields.

Data in the Demandbase Database

To access the Demandbase Database, from the left navigation bar, click the  Database icon.

The Database is made up of:

• accounts
• people 
• opportunities
• activities 

and their related lists and filters. A single event, such as a person attending a webinar, can contain or imply all four pieces of this data: 

• the company (or “account”) the person comes from
• the person attending the webinar 
• the activity (the event, such as a webinar)
• an opportunity (if enough activities add up for an account) 

Sometimes we may only have part of this information, which we then verify and add to through various cross-checks from different sources of information.

Each type of data (accounts, people, opportunities, or activities) has its own table of the complete raw data set that Demandbase has identified, along with some of its attributes.

Click into a row of Accounts, People, Opportunities, or Activities to find more data associated with it:

• Fields, Activity log, and the data on the other two lists. For example, an account would have a tab for Opportunities and People that are associated with it.
• The Activity log shows the activities any people from the account have engaged in, and details about the activity, for example, for a page visit, which page they visited, as well as the Engagement Minutes assigned to the activity for the past 3 months. By default, activities are in descending order by date by default.
• Click Edit Fields Layout to edit which fields display in your accounts table and Export Fields to export the fields (either the visible fields or all of them) to a CSV file. 

Account Data

Each record (row) in the Accounts database table shows a unique identified account, which, when available, include its:

• Account Name
• Source
• Industry
• Employees
• Billing State/Province
• Days in Journey Stage
• Pipeline Predict score
• Qualification score
• Engagement Minutes for the past 3 months

Tip: Click Edit Columns at the bottom of the table to add or remove columns.

People Data

Each record (row) of the People database table shows a unique person, which, when available, includes:

• Name (Account the person comes from)
• First Name
• Last Name
• Title
  
• Lead or Contact
• Email
• Status
• Engagement Minutes for the past 3 months 

Tip: Click Edit Columns at the bottom of the table to add or remove columns.

To see more data about a person, click into their name. If you click into the Account they’re associated with, Demandbase flips back to the Account detail above. 

People data comes from your leads and contacts in CRM and Marketo, and we augment people with our own data based on their activities.

Opportunity Data

Each record (row) of the Opportunities database table shows a unique opportunity, which, when available, includes:

• Opportunity Name (usually a combination of the account name and the name of the product or service about to close)
• Name (Account the opportunity is for)
• Stage
• Opportunity Type
• Close Date
• Owner Name (Name of the Account owner)

Tip: Click Edit Columns at the bottom of the table to add or remove columns.

Once your account team helps you set up Demandbase, your next step is to define Demandbase for your business strategy, including your account lists and intent and the configuration for your ABX goals. This configuration provides the basis for how Demandbase recognizes when an account becomes an opportunity, so it can alert you to take timely and relevant action. 

Activity Data

There are five main sources of activities:

• Salesforce
• Marketing Automation System
• Email/Calendar
• Web Tracking Tag
• Intent

Each record (row) of the Activity database table shows the account and people (if known) that have engaged in an activity that indicates an interest in your products or services, and, when available, includes:

• Name (Account the activity is from)
• First Name
• Last Name
• Title
• Type of activity
• Details (for example, the page name of a page visit)
• Engagement Minutes
• Activity Date

With enough activities, an account may become an opportunity.

Tip: Click Edit Columns at the bottom of the table to add or remove columns.

Lists

Accounts, People, and Opportunities can be part of an associated list.

Click into a specific row of a list to see:

• List - Provides details about the members of the list. 
• Sort each column by clicking the column name.
• Edit which columns you want to see by clicking Edit Columns at the bottom of the table. 
• Export the list to a CSV file by clicking Export at the bottom of the table. 
• Selector - Use Selectors to add advanced filters for dynamics lists to find specific accounts, people, and opportunities.
• Detail - Provides key metadata about the list.

Account Lists

Account Lists are lists of prospects, customers, partners, or competitors. Account lists serve as role models to fuel your search for successful opportunities in cooperation with Demandbase data-driven account-selection methodologies. An account can belong to one or many lists.

The account lists that you create are collections of Accounts. Lists can be created to help define accounts with greater potential or other representations.

For more information, see:

• Understanding Account Lists, the Heart of Your ABM Strategy 
• Manage Account Lists

Person Lists

Person Lists are lists of people associated with accounts in your accounts list. People data comes from your leads and contacts in CRM and Marketo and we augment it based on their activities. Although the emphasis in Account-Based Marketing shifts from individual leads to accounts, people and their titles are still important because we often take action with specific individuals at an account. 

Opportunity Lists

Opportunity Lists are lists of opportunities that are associated with specific accounts and products.  By virtue of their engagement, opportunities represent a strong potential to close a deal.

Activities

Demandbase doesn’t have activity lists. Activities log the activities that accounts have engaged in that may indicate an interest in your products or services. With enough activities, an account may become an opportunity. Instead of lists, activities provide their value by being part of engagement. See  Analytics > Engagement for a table of Activities for the selected account or list.

See also Understanding Activities, Intent, Engagement, and Data.

Lists in Analytics

In addition to seeing this data in the database, you can go to  Analytics and select Accounts,  Account Lists, People Lists, and Opportunity Lists from the drop-down list at the top of the page. When you select All, each type of data is labeled and identified with their icon. When you select one of these, the analytics that display on the dashboard apply to that type.

Activities are shown in  Analytics > Engagement, where the Heatmap summarizes activities, color shaded from high to low activity. The table at the bottom of the page shows activities, by default.

Filters

You can view, create, and take action on specific data and lists. And you can save filters for frequent reuse for each type of list.

For more information, see:

• Understanding Filters
• Create and Save Filters
• Manage Filters

Demandbase has three out-of-the-box filters that help you create lists according to the intent they are showing. See Reference: Three Demandbase Out-of-the-Box Intent Filters.

Many accounts share the same attributes, like being in the same industry or state or within the same range, so you can group accounts according to their similarities and find out things like what your top ten financial service accounts are in Indiana.

Click into a specific row of a filter to see:

• List - Provides details about the members of the list. 
• Sort each column by clicking the column name.
• Edit which columns you want to see by clicking Edit Columns at the bottom of the table. 
• Export the list to a CSV file by clicking Export at the bottom of the table. 
• Selector - Use Selectors to add advanced filters to find specific accounts, people, opportunities, and activities.
• Detail - Provides key metadata about the filter.