Template · 10 min read
The GTM data dictionary
The minimum shared language a revenue team needs before it can trust reporting, routing, or AI workflows.
Key idea
A useful dictionary is a decision-making tool, not a spreadsheet of every CRM field.
Start with decisions, not fields
Begin with the objects and measures that power a real operating decision. If a definition never changes a decision, it can wait.
| Decision | Required definition | Failure if unclear |
|---|---|---|
| Route an inbound lead | Qualified lead, owner, territory, routing timestamp | Slow follow-up or duplicate ownership |
| Prioritize an account | ICP fit, intent signal, account tier, last activity | High-value accounts get treated like everyone else |
| Report pipeline health | Qualified opportunity, stage, sourced date, amount | Teams debate the number instead of acting on it |
| Run an AI workflow | Allowed context, consent status, source freshness | Confident output based on stale or restricted data |
The template
Create one row for each definition that matters. Publish it where Sales, Marketing, CS, and Data can find it.
| Field / metric | Definition | System of record | Owner | Refresh / rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target account | Account that meets the current ICP and territory policy | CRM | RevOps | Re-evaluated when fit or territory changes |
| Qualified lead | Person meeting documented fit, intent, and contactability criteria | CRM | Marketing Ops | Never inferred solely from an enrichment vendor |
| First response time | Minutes from eligible inbound creation to meaningful human or approved automated response | Warehouse | GTM Engineering | Exclude test and disqualified records |
| AI-ready context | Current, permissioned, source-linked information allowed in a workflow | Warehouse / knowledge base | Data owner | Requires source and last-verified date |
Operating rules that keep it alive
- Give each definition one accountable owner; collaborators are not owners.
- Record the source of truth even when data is copied to other tools.
- Add a plain-language “do not use for” note to high-risk fields.
- Review definitions when a process, territory model, or lifecycle changes—not once a year by default.
- Version material changes and communicate who is affected.