If you run a B2B sales team, you’ve probably heard about Clari. Maybe your CRO mentioned it or you’ve seen the logo splashed across LinkedIn. They promise better forecasting, pipeline clarity, and smoother revenue operations. But does it actually help, or is it just another dashboard you’ll ignore after a month?
Let’s get under the hood—no hype, just what you need to know if you’re thinking about using Clari.
Who Should Actually Care About Clari?
Clari’s not for the solo rep or the brand-new startup. It’s for B2B sales teams with enough deals in flight that forecasting is actually hard—and where missing your number means real headaches.
- B2B sales orgs (20+ reps): If you’re running sales in spreadsheets, or if your CRM’s “forecast” is a joke, Clari’s in your wheelhouse.
- Revenue leaders & ops folks: If your job is to answer “Are we going to hit the number?” and you’re tired of ping-ponging between CRM reports, Clari is built for you.
- Teams already using Salesforce (or similar): Clari plugs into your CRM and tries to make sense of the chaos.
If you’re still figuring out product-market fit, or you close five deals a quarter, Clari’s overkill. Spend your money elsewhere.
What Does Clari Actually Do?
Clari calls itself a “Revenue Platform,” which is a fancy way of saying they try to make sense of your sales pipeline and help you forecast better. Here’s what you’re really getting:
1. Automated Forecasting
- Pulls in data from your CRM, emails, and calendars.
- Uses algorithms (and some AI) to spot deal risks and calculate forecast numbers.
- Lets reps, managers, and execs view and adjust forecasts on the fly.
Reality check: It’s not magic. If your CRM data is a mess, Clari can only do so much. But it does surface risks (like deals stuck in a stage, or no activity in weeks) in a way most CRMs can’t.
2. Pipeline Management
- Shows pipeline by stage, owner, and health (based on activity and signals).
- Highlights “slipping” deals or sandbagging.
- Lets you see what’s changed in your pipeline week-to-week.
Reality check: The visual pipeline is a big improvement over static CRM reports. You’ll spot weirdness faster (like that deal that’s been “90% to close” for six months).
3. Deal Inspection
- Drill into any deal to see emails, meetings, and engagement signals.
- Flags deals with no recent activity or single-threaded contacts.
- Helps managers coach reps on real opportunities, not just gut feel.
Reality check: You’ll catch deals at risk earlier, but you still need managers who’ll actually have the tough conversations.
4. Revenue Operations Tools
- Rolls up forecasts across teams, regions, and products.
- Tracks forecast accuracy over time.
- Provides reports for board meetings (without hours of spreadsheet wrangling).
Reality check: If your execs ask, “What changed since last quarter?” Clari gives you answers faster—but only if your team actually uses it.
Setting Up Clari: What’s Easy, What’s Painful
The Good
- Integration with Salesforce is fairly straightforward. Most teams are up and running in a week or two.
- No more spreadsheet hell: Forecasts and pipeline views live in Clari, not a mess of .xlsx files.
- Permissions and roles map nicely from your CRM.
The Not-So-Good
- Garbage in, garbage out: If your CRM is full of junk data, Clari just reflects that in fancier charts.
- Change management: You’ll need to nudge reps and managers to actually use Clari. Some will grumble.
- Customization can get tricky: If you want fancy, custom fields or workflows, you’ll need help from Clari or your ops team.
Pro tip: Don’t try to boil the ocean on day one. Start with basic forecasting and pipeline views, then layer on more features as your team gets the hang of it.
The Day-to-Day: How Sales Teams Really Use Clari
For Sales Reps
- Update forecasts in real time: No more end-of-quarter fire drills.
- See which deals need love: Activity signals (or lack of them) are hard to ignore.
- Fewer status meetings: Managers can see what’s happening without pestering reps.
What reps like: Less admin, more clarity on where they stand.
What reps hate: Another tool to log into (unless your ops team automates login and makes it the source of truth).
For Sales Managers
- Spot at-risk deals early: No more “I thought that was closing!” surprises.
- Coach based on data: See which reps are padding their pipeline or chasing ghosts.
- Track team performance: Real-time dashboards replace manual reports.
Manager gripe: If your team refuses to update the CRM, Clari’s data gets stale—fast.
For Revenue Leaders & Ops
- Roll up forecasts across teams: See gaps and risks before the board does.
- Compare historical accuracy: Get a sense if your team’s sandbagging or overcommitting.
- Show your work: Build trust with finance and execs using real data.
Ops reality: You’ll still need to babysit data hygiene, but it’s a lot better than spreadsheet mayhem.
What Clari Gets Right (And Where It Falls Short)
The Good Stuff
- Visibility: You get a single pane of glass for your pipeline, forecast, and deal health. You’ll spend less time chasing down updates.
- Deal inspection: Quickly spot deals that need attention—no more “all green” pipeline reviews hiding trouble.
- Forecast accuracy: With enough history, you can see if you’re consistently missing, hitting, or sandbagging the number.
The Limitations
- Data quality is everything: If your CRM is a dumpster fire, Clari can’t fix that.
- Not cheap: Pricing isn’t public, but expect this to be a significant line item if you’re a mid-sized team.
- Feature overload: There’s a lot in the box. If you try to use everything at once, you’ll overwhelm your team.
- Not a CRM replacement: You still need Salesforce or HubSpot in the background.
What to Ignore
- “AI” hype: Clari’s AI suggestions are helpful, but don’t expect a robot to close deals for you.
- Over-customization: Start with the basics. Don’t let your ops team build a Rube Goldberg machine.
Is Clari Worth It?
Clari’s not a silver bullet. But if you’ve outgrown spreadsheets, and your CRM isn’t cutting it for forecasting, it’s one of the best tools out there. It’s especially useful if:
- You have a big pipeline and need real-time visibility.
- Your execs want data they can trust.
- You’re tired of “gut feel” forecasts and want something concrete.
If you’re a small team or just getting started, you’ll get more mileage by tightening up your CRM process before adding another tool.
Key Takeaways & How to Get the Most from Clari
- Fix your CRM first. Clari can’t polish a turd.
- Start simple. Use core forecasting and pipeline features before layering on extras.
- Train your team. A tool only works if people actually use it.
- Check it weekly. Don’t wait for end-of-quarter panic. Make it part of the routine.
Want to run a tighter sales ship? Clari’s a strong option—if you keep things simple and focus on the basics. Get your data right, use the tool regularly, and don’t let feature bloat distract you from what matters: knowing where you stand, and what’s real in the pipeline. The rest is just noise.