If you're running sales, CS, or onboarding at a B2B company, you've probably got more tools than you know what to do with—and none of them quite solve the “single source of truth” problem for client-facing work. Enter Dock, a GTM (go-to-market) tool that's supposed to bring all your sales and onboarding stuff into one collaborative space. But does it actually make life easier, or just add another tab to your browser? Here’s the honest take, warts and all.
Who Dock Is Actually For
Dock isn’t trying to be a CRM replacement, and it won’t automate your cold outreach or give you AI-powered pipeline predictions. What it does try to do: streamline the messy, back-and-forth parts of B2B sales and onboarding by giving teams and clients a shared, organized workspace.
It’s aimed at:
- Sales teams who run multi-step, consultative deals (think SaaS, B2B services, agencies)
- Customer success and onboarding folks who need to get clients off to a smooth start
- GTM teams tired of “where’s that doc?” and endless email threads
If you’re selling $10/month widgets, Dock is probably overkill. If your deals last weeks or months and involve several folks on both sides, it’s worth a look.
What Dock Actually Does
At its core, Dock gives you “spaces”—basically, custom client portals. These spaces are where you house all the docs, timelines, tasks, and resources that come up in a deal or onboarding project. You can invite your buyer or client in, so everyone’s on the same page—literally.
Main Features, Minus the Marketing Spin
- Shared Workspaces: Spaces you can brand and organize with files, videos, timelines, checklists, and more.
- Templates: Save time by setting up reusable workspace templates for deals, onboarding, QBRs, etc.
- Task Management: Assign and track tasks for both your team and the client—no more “did they actually do that?” mystery.
- Mutual Action Plans: Build out step-by-step plans so everyone knows what’s next (and who’s responsible).
- Content Sharing: Easy to drop in decks, videos, contracts, and other resources.
- Analytics: See who’s actually looking at what, and when. (Useful, but don’t expect full-blown BI dashboards.)
- Integrations: Plays nicely with Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, and Google Drive. Some integrations (like Notion or advanced automation) aren’t there yet.
Setting Up Dock: The Good, The Bad, and the “Meh”
The Good
- Fast Setup: You can get your first workspace up and running in under 30 minutes. The UI is clean, and you don’t need a consultant to make it look professional.
- Templates Save Time: If you’re onboarding clients the same way every time, templates are a genuine timesaver. No more hunting for that “last deal’s” checklist.
- Client Experience: It’s easy for clients to jump in—no login required for most stuff, and it looks polished out of the box.
- Task Coordination: Assigning tasks to the client side (not just your own team) actually works, and folks tend to do things when they see their name attached.
The Bad
- Customization Limits: You can tweak the look and feel, but you’re still working within Dock’s guardrails. If you want a totally bespoke portal, this isn’t it.
- Learning Curve for Power Users: Drag-and-drop is easy, but if you’re trying to automate complex workflows or want granular permissions, you’ll hit some walls.
- Integrations Are a Work in Progress: The basics are there, but if your team lives in Notion or has a wild Zapier setup, expect to do some manual work.
The “Meh”
- Analytics: You get basic engagement stats (who viewed what, when), but nothing fancy. Don’t expect to run your quarterly business review out of Dock’s reporting.
- Mobile Experience: It works on mobile, but it’s clearly designed for desktop-first.
How To Use Dock: A Step-by-Step Guide
Here’s how most B2B teams actually get value from Dock. You don’t need to boil the ocean—just start simple.
1. Map Your Process First
Before you even log in, sketch out your sales or onboarding process. What steps do you follow? What do clients need to do? Keep it simple.
Pro tip: Don’t try to “Dock-ify” every edge case on day one. Focus on your main use case.
2. Build a Workspace Template
- Create a new space in Dock.
- Add sections for files (contracts, decks), timelines, checklists, and FAQs.
- Drop in your standard resources—onboarding docs, demo videos, links to support.
- Brand it with your logo and colors. It’ll look professional, but not over the top.
3. Set Up Mutual Action Plans
- Outline the key steps for your deal or onboarding.
- Assign tasks to both your team and the client.
- Add due dates (but don’t go overboard—keep it realistic).
- Use checklists, not essays. Clear, actionable steps work best.
4. Share with the Client
- Send them a link—they don’t need to create an account.
- Walk them through it live the first time. (Don’t just email and hope for the best.)
- Encourage them to comment or mark tasks complete. This turns the workspace into a real collaboration tool, not just a fancy file dump.
5. Monitor, Adjust, Repeat
- Use Dock’s engagement analytics to see what’s getting used and what’s ignored.
- Tweak your templates as you go. If clients never look at your “Welcome Video,” maybe it’s time to drop it.
- After a few deals or onboardings, you’ll have a template that actually fits your process—not just what Dock says you should do.
What Dock Gets Right (And Where It Falls Short)
Where Dock Shines
- Client Collaboration: It’s a heck of a lot easier than wrangling email threads, Google Drive folders, and rogue Slack channels.
- Repeatability: Once you’ve built a decent template, you can roll out new client workspaces fast.
- Professionalism: Even if your internal process is a bit messy, Dock makes you look put-together to clients.
Where Dock Doesn’t Quite Nail It
- Deep Customization: If you need workflows that branch, approvals, or advanced user permissions, Dock’s not built for that.
- Reporting: Dock tells you who’s engaged, but you’ll still need your CRM or BI tool for real reporting.
- Price: For small teams or low-complexity deals, Dock can feel pricey. It makes more sense if you’re running multiple concurrent deals or onboarding projects.
What to Ignore (At Least at First)
- Fancy Integrations: You don’t need to wire up every tool you use on day one. Get your core workspace working first.
- Overbuilt Templates: Start with a simple template and add to it as you see what clients actually use.
- Trying to Replace Your CRM: Dock isn’t a CRM, and trying to make it one is a waste of time.
Real Talk: Is Dock Worth It?
If your team juggles complex deals, long onboarding projects, or just needs a home base for client-facing work, Dock does what it promises. It won’t magically fix your sales process or make clients more responsive, but it’ll cut down on confusion and make you look more organized.
Don’t buy Dock expecting it to “transform your GTM motion.” Use it to keep things simple, cut the back-and-forth, and give clients a clear path forward. Start basic, improve as you go, and don’t sweat the edge cases—your process will get smoother with each iteration.