If you’re responsible for driving revenue in B2B and tired of juggling messy spreadsheets, endless tabs, and half-baked “all-in-one” platforms, you’re not alone. The market’s packed with GTM (go-to-market) software that claims to automate, simplify, and supercharge your sales process—but most of it just adds to the noise. This guide is for sales leaders, ops folks, and founders who want to cut through the hype and actually make selling easier.
We’ll break down how Fathom compares with the usual suspects—Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and a few others—without glossing over the real-world tradeoffs. Whether you’re overhauling your stack or just want one less headache, here’s what’s worth your time.
What “B2B GTM Software” Actually Means (and Why Most of It Disappoints)
Let’s be real: most B2B GTM software is just CRM with some bells and whistles. They promise unified data and streamlined workflows but usually force you into their way of working. You end up paying for features you never use, or worse, spending months just to get up and running.
Here’s what you really need from GTM software: - Quick setup (days, not months) - Actual visibility into deals, not just another dashboard - Automation that saves time, not just clicks - Plays nicely with your existing tools (email, calendar, Zoom, etc.) - Doesn’t make your team want to quit
If a tool can’t nail these, it’s just more clutter.
Fathom vs. The Usual Suspects: What’s Different?
Let’s put the big names head-to-head on what matters. There’s no “one size fits all.” Here’s how the main players shake out:
1. Fathom
What it is:
Fathom is built for B2B sales teams who run complex, multi-stakeholder deals. It’s not a CRM. It’s a deal management and collaboration layer that sits on top of your meetings, notes, and action items—so nothing slips through the cracks.
Strengths: - Real-time call capture: Turns Zoom/Meet calls into shareable notes and follow-ups, without manual effort. - Deal rooms: Single source of truth for each opportunity, so everyone sees the same info. - No CRM bloat: Doesn’t try to be everything. Focuses on what actually moves deals.
Drawbacks: - Not a full CRM: You’ll still need something for pipeline reporting and forecasting. - Less built-in marketing automation: If you want email sequences or nurture campaigns, look elsewhere.
Who it’s for:
Teams who live and die by meetings, and need a lightweight way to keep deals moving, not another heavy system to maintain.
2. Salesforce
What it is:
The granddaddy of CRMs. Does everything—from opportunity tracking to automation to reporting—if you can stomach the learning curve.
Strengths: - Customizable: If you can dream it (and pay for it), Salesforce can probably do it. - Ecosystem: Tons of integrations, third-party apps, and consultants.
Drawbacks: - Complexity: Setup and customization can take months. Even basic changes can require admin help. - Overkill for small teams: You may end up using 10% of what you pay for. - Pricey: Costs add up fast, especially as you scale.
Who it’s for:
Large or growing teams with unique, complex processes and budget for admins and consultants.
3. HubSpot Sales Hub
What it is:
CRM and sales automation, with a slick interface and quick onboarding.
Strengths: - Ease of use: Friendly UI and fast setup. - Integrated marketing/sales: Good if you want everything in one place. - Affordable entry-level tiers.
Drawbacks: - Feature creep: Quickly gets expensive as you add needed features. - Limited customization: Great out of the box, but can feel restrictive for nuanced sales processes. - “Jack of all trades” risk: Not best-in-class for any one function.
Who it’s for:
SMBs or mid-market teams that want a simple, unified tool and don’t need deep customization.
4. Outreach/Salesloft
What they are:
Sales engagement platforms built for outbound teams—think email sequences, call tracking, and task automation.
Strengths: - Great for high-volume outreach: Automate follow-ups, track touchpoints, keep reps on task. - Solid analytics: See which sequences actually work.
Drawbacks: - Not a CRM: You’ll still need something to manage deals. - Can annoy prospects: Easy to over-automate and burn leads if not careful. - Setup can get messy: Integrations and workflows can be brittle.
Who they’re for:
Teams focused on top-of-funnel pipeline building and want to scale outbound.
5. “Point Solutions” (Chorus, Gong, Clari, etc.)
What they are:
Specialized tools that do one thing really well—like call recording, revenue forecasting, or pipeline analytics.
Strengths: - Best-in-class for their niche: Excellent call transcription, forecasting, or analytics. - Integrate with other tools: Usually play well with major CRMs.
Drawbacks: - Another tool to manage: More tabs, more logins, more data silos. - Costs add up: Each tool charges per seat, and value can overlap.
Who they’re for:
Mature sales orgs that need deep insights in a specific area and can justify the spend.
When Fathom Actually Makes Sense (And When It Doesn’t)
Fathom stands out if: - Your sales process relies on live conversations and follow-ups. - You’re tired of losing action items in the post-call chaos. - You want everyone—AE, SE, CSM, even the customer—to see the same summary and next steps.
What it won’t do: - Replace your CRM entirely. - Run automated outbound campaigns (look at Outreach for that). - Handle pipeline reporting for investors or execs.
Bottom line: If your team’s bottleneck is scattered information and poor follow-through after sales calls, Fathom is actually useful. If you need a single source of truth for all sales and marketing data, or deep automation, stick with a more traditional CRM or stack.
What Actually Moves the Needle: Real-World Criteria
Forget the analyst grids and vendor “magic quadrants.” Here’s what you should care about:
- Adoption: If reps don’t use it, it’s useless. Pick the tool they’ll actually open.
- Integration: Will it pull info from your email, calendar, and Zoom automatically, or will you be stuck copy/pasting?
- Speed to value: Can you get something meaningful done in a week, not a quarter?
- Cost creep: Watch out for “starter” pricing that balloons as you add features or users.
- Support: Do real humans answer your questions, or do you get stuck in a chatbot maze?
Pro tip:
Test-drive with a real deal or workflow, not just a demo environment. See what falls apart.
How to Make a Decision—Without Overthinking It
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Map your real workflow.
Where do things break down now? (Missed follow-ups? Scattered notes? Slow onboarding?) List your actual pain points, not a wishlist. -
Shortlist tools that address your bottleneck.
Ignore features you’ll never use. Focus on how each tool solves your top 2-3 problems. -
Run a “day in the life” test.
Set up a real deal or campaign. Get reps to use it for a week. Watch where they get stuck. -
Count total cost—not just sticker price.
Factor in setup time, training, integration headaches, and churn from annoyed reps. -
Iterate.
No tool is forever. Get something in place, see what works, and don’t be afraid to swap out what doesn’t.
TL;DR: Don’t Let the Tech Run the Show
Software’s supposed to make your life easier, not give you another thing to manage. Fathom is a solid choice if your biggest headache is keeping meetings actionable and everyone on the same page. Salesforce and HubSpot are still the go-tos for all-in-one CRM (if you can stomach the setup). Outreach and point solutions play nicely if you need to scale outbound or get hyper-specific insights.
The best stack is the one your team will actually use—so keep it simple, solve for your biggest pain, and don’t get distracted by shiny features. Try, tweak, and move on. That’s how real sales teams win.