If you’re responsible for growing a B2B business—whether you’re in sales, marketing, or leadership—you’ve probably heard a dozen pitches about “game-changing” sales enablement tools. Most of them sound the same, and it’s tough to figure out what’s hype and what’s actually going to help you book meetings and close deals.
This guide breaks down how Linkedin’s GTM (Go-To-Market) solutions stack up against other sales enablement platforms. I’ll cut through the fluff, explain what these tools actually do, and help you decide what’s worth your time (and budget).
What Counts as a “GTM Solution” or Sales Enablement Tool?
Let’s define the terms, because vendors love to blur them:
- GTM (Go-To-Market) Solutions: These help you find, reach, and engage your target customers. Think prospecting, messaging, and early relationship-building.
- Sales Enablement Tools: Broader category—includes anything that helps sales teams sell smarter or faster. Could be content libraries, analytics, automation, CRM add-ons, or training platforms.
Some products do both, but most do one thing well and fake the rest. Watch for that.
The Heavyweights: Linkedin GTM Solutions
Linkedin is the 800-pound gorilla in B2B. When people talk about its GTM offerings, they usually mean:
- Linkedin Sales Navigator: Advanced search, lead recommendations, and contact info for prospecting.
- Linkedin Campaign Manager: For running B2B ads to reach specific job titles, companies, or industries.
- Linkedin InMail: Paid messaging to reach people outside your network.
Where Linkedin Shines
- Data Quality: Because most professionals keep their Linkedin profiles up-to-date, you’re not chasing dead emails or outdated job titles.
- Targeting: You can get crazy specific—“VPs of IT at fintech companies in Boston with 51-200 employees.” Most other tools can’t touch that.
- Warm Outreach: Outreach on Linkedin is less cold than email or phone—people expect to network here.
Where Linkedin Falls Short
- Expensive: Sales Navigator and paid InMail aren’t cheap. If you’re a small team, the price can sting.
- Volume Limits: Linkedin throttles how many messages you can send. Good for not being spammy, but tough if you want to scale.
- No True Engagement Tracking: You can see if someone accepted your connection, but tracking what content they engage with is limited compared to some sales enablement platforms.
- Not a CRM: You’ll still need something else to track deals, notes, and pipeline.
The Contenders: Other B2B Sales Enablement Tools
There are hundreds, but here’s a breakdown of the most common categories, with examples and honest takes.
1. CRM Platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive)
What they do: Centralize contacts, deals, tasks, and communications. Some have built-in email tracking, calling, and automation.
Good for: - Keeping your team organized - Reporting and forecasting - Integrating with other tools
Not great for: - Prospecting (CRMs are for managing leads, not usually for finding them) - Direct outreach (unless you bolt on extra tools)
Pro Tip: Don’t let your CRM become a graveyard of “leads” that nobody follows up with. Automation helps, but only if your team actually uses it.
2. Sales Engagement Platforms (Outreach, Salesloft, Groove)
What they do: Automate and track email, calls, and tasks. Sequence outreach, measure what works, and nudge reps to follow up.
Good for: - Scaling outbound email and call campaigns - Tracking opens, clicks, and replies - Organizing multi-channel outreach (email, phone, sometimes social)
Not great for: - Finding new leads (you need to import lists or connect with a data source) - Bypassing spam filters (volume = risk)
Pro Tip: These tools can make you efficient, but it’s easy to fall into “spray and pray” mode. Quality beats quantity.
3. Lead/Data Providers (ZoomInfo, Apollo, Cognism)
What they do: Give you lists of potential prospects, with contact info and company data.
Good for: - Quickly building target lists - Getting direct emails and phone numbers
Not great for: - Data accuracy (no data source is perfect—expect bounces) - Real engagement (just because you have their email doesn’t mean they care)
Pro Tip: Always double-check data quality—especially if you’re paying by the contact.
4. Content & Collateral Platforms (Showpad, Highspot, Seismic)
What they do: Centralize all your sales decks, case studies, and one-pagers. Track who views what, and sometimes personalize content on the fly.
Good for: - Making sure your team uses the latest materials - Seeing what content prospects actually look at
Not great for: - Direct outreach (these are “enablement,” not “prospecting” tools) - Small teams (often overkill unless you have lots of assets and people)
5. Conversation Intelligence (Gong, Chorus)
What they do: Record and analyze sales calls. Flag coachable moments, track keywords, and generate summaries.
Good for: - Coaching reps - Spotting trends in customer objections - Improving talk-to-listen ratios
Not great for: - Finding new leads - Outreach (these are for what happens after you’ve got a meeting)
Honest Pros & Cons: Linkedin vs. the Rest
Let’s get real about when to use Linkedin GTM tools, and when you’re better off with something else.
| Use Case | Linkedin GTM | Other Tools | What Actually Works? | |-------------------------------|-----------------------------|------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------| | Finding Prospects | Excellent targeting | Data providers, CRM add-ons | Linkedin for accuracy, data tools for scale | | Initial Outreach | Warm, but limited volume | Sales engagement platforms | Linkedin for targeted, email for volume | | Tracking Engagement | Basic (profile views, replies) | Deep analytics (emails, calls, content) | Use both if you can | | Pipeline Management | Weak | CRM is a must | CRM wins every time | | Content Delivery | Limited (posts, DMs) | Content platforms | Content tools for big teams/assets | | Coaching & Analysis | Not built-in | Conversation intelligence tools | CI tools if you do lots of calls |
Bottom Line:
If you want quality over quantity, and your best leads are active on Linkedin, start there. If you need to scale outreach, layer in email/call tools and a CRM. For big teams, content and coaching platforms are nice-to-haves—not musts.
What to Ignore (or At Least Be Skeptical About)
- “All-in-One” Claims: No tool does everything well. If a platform says it’s a CRM, a data provider, and a sales engagement tool, expect at least one part to be mediocre.
- AI Hype: Some tools now promise “AI-driven insights” or “automated prospecting.” Reality: Most are just glorified filters or templates with a fancy badge.
- Activity for Activity’s Sake: More LinkedIn connections, more emails, more calls—none matter if you’re not reaching the right people with the right message.
How to Build a Stack that Actually Drives Growth
Here’s a practical, no-nonsense way to approach your sales tech stack:
- Start with Your Goals: Are you trying to break into a new market, or just get more meetings with your ICP? Don’t buy tools you don’t need.
- Pick a Core CRM: This is your home base. If you can’t track deals, you can’t scale.
- Layer on Targeting & Prospecting: Use Linkedin for precise targeting and warm outreach. Add a data provider if you need to go wider.
- Add Sales Engagement if Needed: If you’re doing a lot of outbound, a tool like Outreach or Salesloft saves time (if your team actually uses it).
- Only Add Content/Coaching Tools if You’re Ready: If you’re under 10 reps, you probably don’t need Highspot or Gong yet.
- Watch Your Budget: Most tools charge per user, and costs add up fast. Start small, prove ROI, then expand.
- Keep It Simple: The best stack is the one your team actually uses. Two or three good tools beat six that nobody logs into.
Final Thoughts
Don’t get dazzled by flashy demos or “AI-powered” promises. Most sales teams get the best results by using Linkedin for targeted outreach, a solid CRM for tracking, and—maybe—a sales engagement tool to keep the process humming.
Start with what you actually need, keep your stack lean, and iterate as you grow. Remember: It’s not about having the most tools. It’s about having the right conversations with the right people—consistently.