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Lesson 03 – Understanding the Client → CRM Hierarchy

After crafting a go-to-market (GTM) plan, teams must juggle prospects, accounts, and every sales conversation that keeps deals moving. Grasping the CRM hierarchy shows how these elements connect so nothing falls through the cracks.

This guide explains the structural relationships between the key entities in the Cortado Group CRM system. Understanding how these parts fit together is essential for navigating the platform, managing data, and building mental models of how users interact with the system.

\U0001F51D 1. Client

\U0001F4A1 What It Is:

The Client represents a company or tenant using the CRM system. Each client has its own independent environment, completely separate from other clients.

\U0001F310 Where It Appears:

  • The client is specified in the URL as a subdomain (e.g., test.cortadogroup.ai).
  • All records and activities are confined to that specific client’s data space.

\U0001F9D1‍\U0001F4BC 2. Staff

\U0001F4A1 What They Are:

Staff are the internal users who work at the Client organization. These are the people managing accounts, working deals, and interacting with the CRM system daily.

\U0001F517 Relationship:

  • Belong to the Client directly.
  • Not associated with any individual Account.
  • Often serve as sales reps, account managers, or support staff.

\U0001F3E2 3. Accounts

\U0001F4A1 What They Are:

An Account is a company or business entity that the Client interacts with—such as a customer, prospect, or partner.

\U0001F517 Relationship:

  • Accounts are owned by the Client.
  • They serve as containers for information about external organizations the client works with.
  • Accounts can be linked to multiple Contacts.

\U0001F464 4. Contacts

\U0001F4A1 What They Are:

Contacts are individual people who work at the external Accounts. These might be buyers, executives, coordinators, or any stakeholders the Client engages with.

\U0001F517 Relationship:

  • Each Contact is linked to a specific Account.
  • Contacts are nested under Accounts, not directly under the Client.
  • This models real-world relationships: a Client interacts with a company (Account) through specific people (Contacts).

\U0001F501 Hierarchy Overview (Visual)

Client (e.g., test.cortadogroup.ai)
│
├── Staff
│     (Internal users of the CRM)
│
├── Accounts
│     (External businesses the client works with)
│
│    └── Contacts
│          (People who work at those businesses)

\U0001F3AF Why This Matters

  • Understanding these relationships ensures clear thinking when navigating the Go-To-Market space, CRM systems, and the CortadoGroup.ai system.
  • It helps clarify where different data types live and who they belong to.
  • It reflects real-world structures: companies, their employees, and the internal team managing those relationships.