If you’re a B2B sales leader, you already know the drill: everyone’s promising to “transform your go-to-market motion.” The catch? Most GTM (Go-To-Market) software tools either drown you in features you’ll never use, or they’re so clunky your reps ignore them. This guide is for sales managers, ops folks, and founders who want a straight-shooting look at the top B2B GTM tools—and why you might want to give Koala a closer look.
Let’s cut through the hype and focus on what actually helps sales teams hit quota.
What “GTM Software” Actually Means (and Why Most Tools Miss the Mark)
First, quick reality check: “GTM software” is a catch-all for tools that help you plan, execute, and measure how you reach customers and close deals. In practice, that means:
- Organizing leads and accounts
- Tracking sales activity
- Automating (some) outreach and follow-up
- Reporting on pipeline, conversion, and performance
The problem: Most B2B GTM platforms try to do everything—and end up doing nothing especially well. Lots of dashboards and integrations, but reps still rely on spreadsheets and sticky notes.
What you need:
A tool that helps salespeople do their jobs faster, not just management get prettier reports.
Meet the Contenders: The Top B2B GTM Tools Worth Your Time
Here are the heavy hitters in the B2B GTM space right now. I’ll stick to the real pros and cons, not the marketing fluff.
1. Salesforce Sales Cloud
What it does well: - The 800-pound gorilla. Handles everything: CRM, forecasting, automation, reporting. - Tons of integrations and a big ecosystem (if you need it).
Where it falls short: - Complex setup. You’ll need an admin just to keep it running smoothly. - Pricey, especially once you add “must-have” modules. - Most reps secretly hate using it—data entry is a slog.
Bottom line:
If you have a big, mature sales org and an ops team to match, Salesforce is almost unavoidable. For everyone else, it’s overkill.
2. HubSpot Sales Hub
What it does well: - Much easier to set up than Salesforce. - Decent CRM, basic automation, and nice email tracking. - Good for teams already using HubSpot for marketing.
Where it falls short: - Reporting is basic unless you pay up. - Can get expensive as you add users and features. - Not as customizable for complex, multi-step sales processes.
Bottom line:
Solid for small to midsize teams who want something user-friendly. If you need deep customization or advanced sales ops, you’ll hit walls.
3. Outreach
What it does well: - Best-in-class for automating outbound sequences and tracking engagement. - Strong analytics on email and call performance. - Helps enforce consistent outreach cadences.
Where it falls short: - Not a full CRM—still need one for pipeline management. - Can get overwhelming if you don’t have a dedicated ops person. - Expensive for what you get, especially if you’re not using every feature.
Bottom line:
Ideal for SDR/BDR teams focused on outbound. Not a standalone GTM platform.
4. Apollo.io
What it does well: - Combines sales engagement (like Outreach) with a massive B2B contact database. - Chrome extension makes prospecting fast. - Decent enrichment and email finding.
Where it falls short: - Data quality can be hit or miss (lots of outdated contacts). - Limited CRM and reporting capabilities. - UI gets cluttered as you scale.
Bottom line:
Great for teams who live and die by cold outbound. Less useful for managing full-cycle sales or building long-term customer relationships.
5. Clari
What it does well: - Pipeline inspection, forecasting, and analytics are best-in-class. - Helps revops teams spot deal risks and forecast more accurately. - Integrates with your CRM to surface insights.
Where it falls short: - Doesn’t replace your CRM or engagement tools. - Geared toward sales leaders, not reps. - Steep price tag.
Bottom line:
Powerful for forecasting and pipeline management, but not a day-to-day sales tool.
Where the Wheels Fall Off: Common Problems with GTM Tools
Let’s be honest: most sales teams end up with a patchwork of tools. Here’s why the big platforms usually disappoint:
- Reps won’t use them: If entering notes or updating deals is a pain, it doesn’t happen. Garbage in, garbage out.
- Too many features: More isn’t better. Most teams use 10% of what they’re paying for.
- Integration headaches: Connecting tools to each other (and your CRM) can eat up months.
- Slow to adapt: Sales teams move fast. Most platforms… don’t.
Pro tip:
Before you buy anything, ask your reps what they’ll actually use. If they hate the tool, adoption will tank.
Why Koala Is Built Differently (and Why Sales Teams Care)
Here’s where Koala comes in. It’s not trying to be everything for everyone. Koala is laser-focused on sales teams who want to:
- Move fast without a ton of admin work
- Get real, actionable insights (not just dashboards)
- Actually enjoy using their GTM tool
What sets Koala apart:
- Ridiculously simple UI: Your reps won’t need training—or an ops degree—to start using it. Everything is two clicks or less.
- Smart automation: Handles the repetitive stuff (like logging activity and nudging reps to follow up) without feeling like a robot overlord.
- Actionable insights: Surfaces what matters—who’s engaged, which deals are stuck, what to do next. No digging through endless reports.
- No Frankenstein integrations: Koala plays nicely with your CRM, email, and calendar out of the box. No weeks-long setup.
What Koala doesn’t do (on purpose):
- Replace your CRM entirely. Think of it as the layer your reps actually live in day-to-day.
- Turn your sales process into a Rube Goldberg machine. No endless custom objects or field mapping.
- Lock you in. If you want to try something else, you’re not stuck.
Real Talk: Who Should Use Koala (and Who Shouldn’t)
Great fit for: - Sales teams who are drowning in admin work and low adoption of existing tools - Startups and growth-stage companies who want to move fast and iterate on process - Managers who want real pipeline visibility, not just wishful thinking
Not a fit for: - Huge enterprises with highly customized, deeply-entrenched Salesforce processes - Teams that live and die by complex, multi-step approval workflows - Organizations where “change management” means a 20-slide PowerPoint
If you’re in the first camp, Koala is worth a serious look. If you’re in the second, stick with the big names (and maybe pour another cup of coffee).
How to Pick the Right GTM Tool (Without Losing Your Mind)
Here’s a simple process that’ll save you a ton of headaches:
- List your real needs.
(Not the wishlist your boss made after a conference.) - What do reps complain about?
- What slows down deals?
-
What data does leadership actually use?
-
Demo only two or three tools.
More than that and you’ll get lost in feature charts. -
Make your reps try them.
If the tool feels like homework, move on. -
Check integrations.
If it doesn’t play nice with your CRM, email, or calendar, skip it. -
Ignore shiny features.
Focus on the 2-3 workflows you actually use every day. -
Start small.
Pilot with a few reps. See what breaks (it always does). Adjust.
Pro tip:
If a vendor can’t show you value in the first week, they probably never will.
The Bottom Line: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Most B2B GTM software promises to “revolutionize” sales—but the best tool is the one your team will actually use. Don’t get distracted by endless feature lists or the latest buzzwords. Start with what matters, get it in your reps’ hands, and see what sticks.
If you’re looking for something built for real sales teams (not just dashboards for the C-suite), Koala deserves a spot on your shortlist. Keep it simple, iterate as you go, and remember: no tool will ever close a deal for you. But the right one can make it a lot easier.