If you run a B2B sales team, you’ve probably heard the hype about revenue intelligence tools. Everyone promises more deals, faster ramp, and some magical AI that’ll fix your pipeline while you sleep. Few tools get as much buzz as Gong. But does it actually help your reps sell more, or is it just another dashboard you’ll ignore after the kickoff call? Let’s cut through the noise and see what Gong really does for sales teams, how it fits into your go-to-market (GTM) stack, and where it falls short.
Who This Review Is For
- B2B sales leaders burned out by software that overpromises and underdelivers.
- RevOps pros who want honest answers about what’s worth rolling out.
- Sales enablement folks looking to train and coach without drowning in admin work.
- Anyone tired of “transformative AI” claims and just wants to know: will this help my team win more business?
What Gong Actually Does
At its core, Gong is a conversation analytics platform for sales. It records, transcribes, and analyzes calls, emails, and meetings, then pulls out patterns and insights. The idea: if you listen to everything, you’ll spot what’s working (and what isn’t), so you can coach reps and close more deals.
Here’s what you get:
- Automatic call recording and transcription for Zoom, Teams, and phone.
- Deal and pipeline tracking based on actual conversations, not just CRM data.
- AI-powered insights (think: talk-time analysis, objection trends, competitor mentions).
- Coaching tools—shareable call snippets, scorecards, and feedback features.
- Integration with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRMs.
What’s different from old-school call recording? Gong tries to make sense of the mountain of sales conversations—surfacing trends and letting you search, filter, and act on them. It’s less about “Big Brother” and more about practical coaching and deal inspection. At least, that’s the pitch.
How to Use Gong to Actually Improve Sales Performance
Let’s be clear: Gong isn’t going to double your win rate overnight. But if you use it right, it can tighten your process and help you coach at scale. Here’s how teams typically get the most value.
1. Set Up the Basics (and Skip the Fluff)
Don’t get lost in all the configuration options. Start simple:
- Integrate Gong with your calendar, conferencing tool, and CRM.
- Decide which calls should be recorded. (Pro tip: get buy-in from reps and let them opt out of sensitive stuff.)
- Set up permissions so the right people can see the right calls—no one wants their pipeline review shared with the whole company.
Honest take: Skip the fancy sentiment analysis dashboards at first. Just focus on making sure every sales call is recorded and easy to find.
2. Make Coaching a Habit (Not a Slog)
Gong’s coaching features are the real reason to use it. But here’s the catch: if managers don’t actually review calls and give feedback, the tool collects dust.
What works:
- Weekly “call of the week” reviews—pick one call, listen as a team, and talk through what worked and what didn’t.
- Scorecards—build a simple rubric (e.g., Was there a clear next step? Did we ask about budget?) and stick to it.
- Peer feedback—encourage reps to comment on each other’s calls. They’ll learn more from each other than from you.
What doesn’t:
Trying to review every call. You’ll burn out, and so will your team. Focus on key deals, new hires, or areas where someone’s stuck.
3. Use Gong for Deal and Pipeline Reviews—But Don’t Ignore the CRM
Gong’s deal boards pull data from actual conversations, not just what reps log in the CRM. That means you can see when a deal is really active—or when it’s been dead for weeks.
How to use it:
- Spot deals with stalled activity: If there haven’t been calls or emails in a month, time for a reality check.
- Track buyer engagement: See who’s in the loop and who’s ghosting you.
- Surface risks: Gong will flag deals with red flags (like pricing objections or new stakeholders popping up).
But here’s the thing:
Gong’s deal boards aren’t a replacement for your CRM. Use them to gut-check what’s in the forecast, but don’t expect them to capture every nuance. Some reps still live in email, and not every conversation gets picked up.
4. Roll Out Real-World Enablement
Gong can be a goldmine for enablement—if you actually use the data.
- Build a library of winning calls: Make it easy for new reps to hear what good sounds like.
- Tag and organize calls by objection, industry, or stage: Don’t let great examples get buried.
- Shorten onboarding: New hires can listen to real deals, not just role-plays.
Skip:
Chasing theoretical “best practices” based on generic AI analysis. Focus on what works in your market, with your buyers.
5. Avoid Data Overload and Stay Focused
Gong spits out a ton of data and insights. It’s tempting to track every metric, but most don’t move the needle.
What’s worth watching:
- Talk-to-listen ratios: Are your reps actually listening, or just pitching?
- Next steps and follow-ups: Are they clear, or does every call end with “I’ll email you”?
- Objection handling: Are common blockers coming up, and how are they being handled?
What to ignore:
- Sentiment analysis and “AI win scores”: These are fun to look at but rarely actionable.
- Overly broad keyword trackers: You’ll just get noise.
Where Gong Shines—and Where It Doesn’t
The Good
- Easy, reliable call capture: No more “Oops, I forgot to record.”
- Coaching at scale: Managers can actually help reps improve, not just nag them about CRM hygiene.
- Deal reality checks: Cuts through rep optimism (“It’s closing this quarter, I promise!”).
The Not-So-Good
- Pricey: Gong isn’t cheap, especially for smaller teams.
- AI insights can be generic: The magic isn’t in the AI; it’s in what you do with the data.
- Change management is real: If managers and reps don’t buy in, usage drops fast.
- Doesn’t replace CRM or human judgment: Still need to combine with other tools and gut checks.
A Few Honest Tips
- Get rep buy-in early. If they feel spied on, adoption will tank.
- Don’t expect instant ROI. Results show up when you actually use the insights to coach and change behavior.
- Pick a few metrics that matter, and stick with them. Ignore the rest.
Should You Buy Gong?
If you have a sales team that actually talks to customers (not just sending proposals), and you’re serious about coaching and deal discipline, Gong is worth a close look. But it’s not a silver bullet. You’ll get out what you put in—mostly in the form of better coaching, faster ramp, and fewer “surprise” lost deals.
If you want a tool to fix everything for you, keep dreaming. If you want a practical way to get visibility into calls and help reps improve, Gong delivers—as long as you actually use it.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
You don’t need every feature Gong offers. Start with the basics: record calls, review a few each week, give honest feedback. Use the real-world examples to coach and train. Don’t let dashboards distract you from what really matters: good conversations with buyers.
Iterate as you go. Keep what works, ignore what doesn’t, and don’t be afraid to turn off the “AI magic” if it’s just adding noise. Selling is hard enough—your software shouldn’t make it harder.