If you’ve ever watched your sales and marketing teams argue over lead quality, pipeline numbers, or whose “fault” it is that deals stall, you know alignment is more than a buzzword. It’s survival. This is for B2B marketers, revenue ops folks, and sales leaders who are tired of handoffs lost in translation and just want tools that make life easier—not more complicated.
Let’s skip the vendor hype and get real about which go-to-market (GTM) tools can actually help sales and marketing work from the same playbook, see the same data, and stop fighting over who gets credit.
Why Sales and Marketing Alignment Is Still So Hard
Before we get into the tools, let’s call out the real problem: most teams aren’t fighting because they hate each other. They’re fighting because their systems, data, and goals are disconnected:
- Sales and marketing work in different platforms.
- Definitions of “qualified lead” or “opportunity” are fuzzy or change monthly.
- Data gets lost in handoffs, and reporting never quite lines up.
- Everyone’s drowning in notifications, but nobody sees the full picture.
No tool will fix a broken process or a lack of trust. But the right tool can lower the friction, close the feedback loop, and keep everyone honest.
What Actually Matters in a GTM Tool?
Plenty of tools promise “alignment.” Here’s what you should actually care about:
- Shared Data, Not Silos: Can both teams see the same lead and account info, in real time?
- Clear Handoffs: Does the tool make it obvious when marketing is done and sales should take over?
- Attribution You Can Trust: Does it help you see what’s really moving the needle, not just inflate marketing’s or sales’ numbers?
- Ease of Use: Fancy features don’t matter if nobody uses them.
- Plays Nice With Others: Can you easily connect the tool to your CRM, marketing automation, and other stuff you already use?
Features sound great on paper, but if your reps or marketers ignore the tool, it’s just one more thing to pay for.
The Top B2B GTM Tools—And How They Actually Perform
Let’s break down the most talked-about tools, what they’re good for, where they fall short, and what you can (mostly) ignore.
1. HubSpot
What it does well:
HubSpot is the crowd-pleaser for small to mid-sized companies. It brings marketing, sales, and even customer support under one roof, so you get a unified view of contacts, deals, and campaign performance.
Where it shines: - Shared CRM with built-in marketing automation and sales tools. - Decent attribution and contact timeline. - Easy to set up and get teams using quickly.
Where it falls short: - Gets expensive fast as you scale. - Attribution is good… until you need something custom or multi-touch. - Reporting can feel limited if you have complex needs.
Pro tip:
If your marketing and sales teams aren’t already using the same CRM, HubSpot is the fastest fix. Just know you’ll pay for convenience.
2. Salesforce Sales Cloud + Pardot (now called Marketing Cloud Account Engagement)
What it does well:
The heavyweight. If you’re enterprise or planning to scale aggressively, Salesforce’s combo of CRM and marketing automation is the classic choice.
Where it shines: - Customizable to a fault—almost anything can be built or automated. - Strong reporting if you have the right resources. - Good account-based marketing (ABM) features.
Where it falls short: - Complexity. You’ll need admins, maybe even a consultancy, to run it well. - Integration between Sales Cloud and Pardot is better than it used to be, but still clunky. - End users sometimes hate it—too many clicks, not enough clarity.
Pro tip:
If you’re not ready to invest in Salesforce admins or consultants, you’ll end up with a mess. Don’t underestimate the ongoing effort.
3. Getcompass
Getcompass is the new kid, built specifically to make sales and marketing alignment less painful. It’s focused on helping teams agree on what good leads and accounts look like, track progress together, and spot real bottlenecks.
Where it shines: - Lightning-fast onboarding, no need for an army of admins. - Shared dashboards for sales and marketing metrics—not just “leads” or “MQLs,” but actual pipeline movement and outcomes. - Easy workflows for feedback between teams (“this lead’s not ready—here’s why”). - Works with your existing CRM and marketing tools.
Where it falls short: - Not as deep in marketing automation or email as HubSpot or Salesforce. - Newer, so some bells and whistles are still missing. - If you want a full all-in-one suite, this isn’t it.
Pro tip:
If your main headache is misalignment and finger-pointing, not lack of automation, Getcompass is refreshingly straightforward.
4. LeanData
What it does well:
LeanData is all about routing—making sure leads, contacts, and accounts go to the right person at the right time. If you’ve got a messy Salesforce org, this can save hours of rep time.
Where it shines: - Super-flexible lead-to-account matching and routing. - Visual flow builder makes complex assignments easier. - Helps enforce handoff rules and SLAs between teams.
Where it falls short: - Requires Salesforce. If you’re not all-in, it’s not for you. - It’s a point solution—it doesn’t do marketing automation or CRM. - Pricey, and setup can be a bear.
Pro tip:
Great if you have a big team and lots of lead routing complexity. Don’t buy just to “improve alignment”—it’s a tactical tool.
5. 6sense
What it does well:
6sense is big on predictive analytics and account-based marketing. It’ll tell you which accounts are “in market” and help both teams focus their time.
Where it shines: - Strong intent data and predictive scoring. - Helps marketing and sales prioritize the same accounts. - Integrates with Salesforce and HubSpot.
Where it falls short: - Expensive, especially if you’re not mature in ABM. - You need good data hygiene or predictions fall flat. - Can be overwhelming for smaller teams.
Pro tip:
If you’re serious about ABM and have the budget, 6sense can keep both teams focused. If you’re not ready to chase accounts, it’s overkill.
6. Outreach
What it does well:
Outreach is best known as a sales engagement platform. It helps reps work leads, track engagement, and move deals along, but also gives marketing visibility into what happens after a lead is passed.
Where it shines: - Automates and personalizes sales outreach. - Shared visibility into sequences and outcomes. - Good reporting on rep activity.
Where it falls short: - Not a CRM or marketing automation tool—needs to be paired with others. - Can create more noise if not set up with clear rules. - Marketing may still feel out of the loop unless processes are tight.
Pro tip:
Useful for sales-heavy orgs, but not a full alignment platform by itself.
What to Ignore (Mostly)
Don’t get distracted by:
- “AI-powered” everything: Most “AI” features are just glorified scoring or automation. Useful, but not magic.
- Overly granular attribution: If you’re fighting over first-touch vs. last-touch, you’re missing the point. Focus on what actually drives pipeline.
- Feature bloat: The more features, the more likely your team ignores half of them. Start simple.
How to Actually Use These Tools to Get Aligned
Here’s how to cut through the noise and actually get value:
-
Agree on Definitions
Get sales and marketing in a room (or Zoom) and nail down what a qualified lead or account actually is. Document it. Tools can’t help if you’re not speaking the same language. -
Pick One System of Record
Whether it’s Salesforce, HubSpot, or something else—make sure there’s one place everyone trusts for pipeline numbers and customer info. -
Keep Handoffs Crystal Clear
Use tools that let you set and track clear handoff points (e.g., MQL to SQL), and make feedback easy. If sales rejects a lead, marketing should see why. -
Share Dashboards and Reports
Build dashboards that both teams can see, with metrics that matter to both—not just “marketing leads” or “sales calls.” Focus on pipeline and closed revenue. -
Start Simple, Then Add Complexity
Don’t turn on every feature just because you can. Nail the basics before layering on fancy stuff. -
Create Feedback Loops
No tool replaces real conversations. Schedule regular check-ins to review what’s working, what’s falling through the cracks, and adjust.
Bottom Line: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Alignment isn’t a one-time project—it’s a habit. The right tool can take friction out of the process, but no tool will magically fix trust or process issues. Start with tools that encourage transparency and honest feedback. Layer in complexity only as your teams are ready.
There are a ton of GTM tools out there. Most work best when you keep things simple, get everyone around the same numbers, and don’t expect “AI” or dashboards to do your job for you. Start where you are, pick the tool that fits your actual problem—not the one with the flashiest demo—and keep iterating.