Getting Started with Discovery Filters (Sales Intelligence)

Overview

Discovery helps you move from a broad list of companies to a focused list that aligns with your territory and selling motion. Discovery allows for filtering to a focused result of Company or People records.

The most effective way to use Discovery is to:

1. Start with CRM-based filters to anchor results to accounts you own or care about (Salesforce, HubSpot CRM, Microsoft Dynamics)

2. Layer in intent, technologies used, or engagement signals

3. Refine based on your specific use case (expansion, competitive takeout, churn risk, etc.)

Access Discovery in Sales Intelligence

Before you begin building filters, first navigate to Discovery within Sales Intelligence.

Start by logging in to your organization’s 6sense instance using your credentials. Once you’re in the platform, use the main navigation to open Sales Intelligence, which is your central workspace for exploring accounts and contacts.

Within Sales Intelligence, select Discovery. This is where you’ll build and refine account lists based on your criteria.

When you open Discovery, you’ll see a filters panel alongside a results table. The filters panel allows you to define criteria such as CRM fields, intent signals, or technographics, while the results table dynamically updates as you apply those filters.

From here, you can begin narrowing your account list and exploring opportunities aligned with your goals.

Tip:  Start with CRM-based filters

If your CRM (such as Salesforce) is integrated with 6sense, it should be your starting point.

Why this matters

Your CRM defines:

• Account ownership

• Customer status

• Account segmentation

Using these fields ensures your Discovery results match how your business operates.

Example: Filter for your accounts

To start with your owned accounts:

1. Select the filter:
   Example: Salesforce Account → Owner ID

2. Choose your name

This ensures you’re only viewing accounts assigned to you in your CRM.

Optional: Add Account Segmentation

Depending on your CRM setup, you can refine further using:

• Account Type (e.g., Customer, Prospect)

• Sub-type or tier

• Custom CRM fields

Tip: Field names vary by organization. If you're unsure what to use, check with your RevOps or CRM admin.

Common Discovery Use Cases

Below are practical ways to apply Discovery filters based on common sales workflows.

Current Customers (Expansion & Upsell)

Use this when you want to identify accounts for expansion opportunities.

Recommended filters:

• Salesforce Account → Owner ID = Your name

• Salesforce Account → Account Type = Customer (or equivalent)

How to refine:

• Add intent signals to surface customers researching relevant topics

• Layer in additional segmentation (e.g., product line, tier)

Outcome: Focus outreach on customers showing signs of interest or growth potential.

Competitive Takeout

Use this to identify accounts that may be evaluating competitors.

Step 1: Start with your accounts

• Salesforce Account → Owner ID = Your name

Step 2: Exclude active customers (if needed)

• CRM Account → Active Customer ≠ True
  (or equivalent field in your CRM)

Step 3: Add competitive and technology signals

• Technologies Used → Select competitor technologies

• Status → Currently Using

• Confidence Score → 70–100

Outcome: Identify accounts that are likely using competitor solutions and prioritize outreach accordingly.

Churned/Lost Customers

Use this to identify former customers who may be ready to re-engage.

Recommended filters:

• Salesforce Account → Owner ID = Your name

• Active Customer = False
  (or equivalent CRM field)

Optional filters:

• Days as Customer = 0 (if available)

• Website Visits > 0 (to confirm recent engagement)

Outcome: Surface accounts that are no longer customers but are showing renewed activity.

Churn Risk (Customer Retention play)

Useful for both Sales and Customer Success teams.

Recommended filters:

• Salesforce Account → Owner ID = Your name (or team ownership)

• Active Customer = True

Add behavioral signals:

• Keywords Researched (e.g., competitor names or alternative solutions)

Tip: Your organization may already have predefined keyword groups. If you notice gaps, reach out to your 6sense admin.

Outcome: Identify customers researching alternatives and proactively engage to reduce churn risk.

Best Practices

• Start with ownership first
  Always anchor your search using CRM ownership (Owner ID or equivalent, depending on how it is set up in your CRM)

• Build iteratively
  Start simple, then layer in intent, technologies, or engagement data

• Align with your workflow

  • AEs: Focus on owned accounts and expansion

  • SDRs: Expand into net-new or high-intent accounts

• Leverage your CRM setup
  Discovery reflects how your CRM is configured, so you will want to understand which fields are available and how they’re used. If you see a field in your CRM that is not showing as available in 6sense, you might want to double check with your CRM admin that the field is public.

Key Takeaways

Discovery is most effective when you:

1. Filter by who owns the account

2. Segment by customer status or type

3. Layer in intent, engagement, or technographic signals

This approach helps you move from a large dataset to a focused, actionable list of accounts ready for outreach.