If you run a sales team at a mid-sized company, you know there’s no shortage of software promising to “unlock sales performance” or “gamify your pipeline.” But what actually helps your team sell more, and what’s just a shiny distraction? This guide cuts through the noise and compares Salesscreen to other go-to-market (GTM) tools designed to motivate sales teams, track results, and (in theory) drive revenue.
Whether you’re a sales manager tired of manual leaderboards, or a VP trying to get more out of your CRM, this is for you. We’ll break down what’s actually useful, what you can skip, and how to avoid getting buried in dashboards.
What Counts as GTM Software—and What Doesn’t?
Let’s set the table. “GTM software” is a catch-all. For this article, we’re talking about software that directly supports sales teams in hitting their targets. That includes:
- Sales performance management platforms (like Salesscreen)
- Sales enablement tools (think: Showpad, Highspot)
- Sales engagement tools (Salesloft, Outreach)
- CRM add-ons that focus on motivation, contests, or activity tracking
We’re not covering basic CRMs (like Salesforce or HubSpot) or pipeline reporting tools—those are table stakes. We’re looking for what actually moves the needle for sales performance.
The Big Players: A Quick Overview
Let’s look at the main tools medium-sized sales teams actually consider:
- Salesscreen: Gamifies sales activities, broadcasts wins, and runs contests.
- Ambition: Focuses on sales coaching, scorecards, and real-time dashboards.
- Spinify: Leaderboards and gamification, with a heavy focus on visual motivation.
- LevelEleven: Emphasizes performance metrics, scorecards, and manager insights.
- Salesforce-native tools: Stuff like Sales Cloud’s built-in gamification, or AppExchange add-ons.
- Sales Enablement Platforms: Highspot, Showpad — less about contests, more about content and training.
All these tools claim to help you “drive performance.” But each one actually solves (or doesn’t solve) different problems.
What Actually Moves Sales Teams?
Before you buy anything, get clear on this: No tool will magically make your team care more or work harder. But the right software can:
- Make sales goals visible and front-of-mind
- Recognize and reward good work
- Show who’s falling behind (and why)
- Add a little fun—without turning your office into a circus
The best tools do a few things well, instead of trying to do everything. Here’s how Salesscreen and others stack up.
Salesscreen: What It Does (and Doesn’t)
Salesscreen is built around gamification. In plain English, that means:
- Leaderboards: Real-time rankings for deals, calls, demos—whatever you care about.
- Contests: You can set up sprints, team battles, or custom competitions.
- Recognition: Big screens, notifications, and even sounds when someone lands a win.
- Integrations: Connects to Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, and others.
Where Salesscreen shines:
- Simple, visual motivation: If your team responds to seeing their name in lights, it works.
- Easy contests: Takes minutes to set up, and you don’t need to be a developer.
- Flexible tracking: You can gamify almost any metric.
What’s not so great:
- Light on coaching: If you want deep analytics or personalized coaching, look elsewhere.
- Can get noisy: Too many alerts or games, and it just becomes background noise.
- Not a CRM replacement: You’ll still need your main CRM for everything else.
Bottom line: Salesscreen is best for energizing sales teams who thrive on competition and public recognition. If your team hates “rah-rah,” it’ll fall flat.
Ambition: More Coaching, Less Flash
Ambition does a lot of what Salesscreen does—leaderboards, contests, real-time tracking. But its real focus is on:
- Scorecards: Customizable targets for each rep, updated live.
- Coaching workflows: Built-in check-ins, feedback, and performance reviews.
- Deeper analytics: For managers who want to slice and dice performance data.
Where Ambition wins:
- Manager tools: Great for structured coaching and tracking improvement.
- Custom metrics: Easy to build scorecards for different roles.
- Less about spectacle: More about steady improvement.
Where it lags:
- UI isn’t as fun: If you want visual flair, it’s not as slick as Salesscreen or Spinify.
- Takes more setup: More knobs to turn means a longer learning curve.
Pro tip: If your main goal is ongoing development, not just hype, Ambition is worth a look.
Spinify: Flashy Gamification
Spinify is all about making sales numbers fun—badges, sounds, leaderboards, and more.
What’s good:
- Easy, visual leaderboards: Great for TV screens or Slack.
- Lots of customization: Themes, avatars, and quirky gamification options.
- Affordable: Tends to be cheaper than others.
What’s not:
- Can feel gimmicky: Not every team wants confetti every time someone books a meeting.
- Light on serious analytics: Not built for coaching or skill development.
Use Spinify if: You want lightweight motivation, but don’t need deep reporting.
LevelEleven: Metrics and Manager Insights
LevelEleven focuses on scorecards, key performance indicators (KPIs), and manager visibility.
Strengths:
- Great for metrics-driven teams: Track and coach to specific activities.
- Salesforce integration: Deepest if you live in Salesforce.
- Manager dashboards: Easy to see who’s up, who’s down, and why.
Weaknesses:
- Not as fun: Less about contests, more about accountability.
- Requires Salesforce: Outside Salesforce, it’s a harder sell.
If you’re all about numbers and living in Salesforce, LevelEleven works. Otherwise, it’s probably overkill.
What About Sales Enablement Platforms?
Tools like Highspot and Showpad do a different job. They give reps access to the right content, training, and playbooks—less about motivation, more about enablement. They’re great if you have a big team or lots of complex products, but they won’t fire up your team or drive contests.
If you’re looking for leaderboards or competition, skip these.
What to Ignore
- “All-in-one” promises: No tool does everything well. If it claims to replace your CRM, coaching, enablement, and contests, it’s probably mediocre at all of them.
- Complex dashboards: If it takes more than an hour to set up basic contests, you’re overpaying for complexity.
- Overblown analytics: Most sales teams need clear goals and quick feedback, not endless charts.
How to Choose: A No-Nonsense Checklist
- Know your team’s style: Are they competitive? Do they hate noise? Buy what fits.
- Decide what you actually need: Motivation? Coaching? Just visibility?
- Test before you buy: Most tools offer free trials or demos—use them.
- Start simple: Set up one contest, one leaderboard. Don’t roll out 10 at once.
- Don’t ditch your CRM: These tools are add-ons, not replacements.
- Ask for honest references: Talk to a real customer, not just the vendor’s “happy case study.”
Pro tip: The best ROI comes from tools your managers will actually use every week. If it collects dust, you’ve wasted your money.
The Real-World Takeaway
No software fixes bad management or a checked-out team. But if you want to make sales goals visible, celebrate wins, and keep everyone rowing in the same direction, tools like Salesscreen or Ambition help—if you keep it simple.
Don’t buy more features than you need. Start with one or two things that’ll make your team’s life easier, and iterate from there. Sales is hard enough—your software should make it easier, not more complicated.