If you’re running a revenue team—sales, SDR, RevOps—you’ve probably heard about tools that promise to “gamify” performance and drive results. Most sound great on a demo. But what actually works when the quarter’s on the line? This review goes deep on Hoopla, a B2B go-to-market (GTM) software tool built to motivate teams and track sales performance, and compares it to a few alternatives. No fluff, just the real story.
What Is Hoopla?
First off, let’s clear up what Hoopla actually does. It’s a platform for sales gamification and performance management. In plain English: Hoopla lets you broadcast metrics, leaderboards, goals, and contests to your team—usually on screens in the office, but also online or in Slack/Teams. The idea is to make sales goals visible and create friendly competition.
Core Features: - Real-Time Leaderboards: Tracks calls, deals closed, pipeline, etc., and displays rankings. - Custom Contests: Set up competitions—think “First to 10 meetings booked” or “Top closer this week.” - Recognition & Alerts: Celebrates wins with pop-ups, sounds, and even custom themes. - Integrations: Pulls data from Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRMs/tools. - TV & Digital Displays: Pushes updates to TVs, laptops, and mobile devices.
That’s the promise. The big question is: does this actually help teams hit targets? Let’s get into it.
Who Should Consider Hoopla?
Hoopla is made for: - Sales and SDR teams (10+ people is the sweet spot) - Revenue leaders hunting for ways to keep the team engaged - Offices with hybrid or in-person setups—TVs in the bullpen are their bread and butter
If you’re fully remote and your team hates public competition, you’re probably not their ideal customer. If you’re running a small team or you already have a super strong sales culture, you might not get enough out of it to justify the cost.
Setting Up Hoopla: What’s Actually Involved
Let’s talk about setup, because this is where plenty of tools fall down.
The Good: - CRM Integration is Solid: If you use Salesforce or HubSpot, connecting is pretty painless. Data comes in fast. - Out-of-the-Box Templates: You don’t start with a blank slate—there are prebuilt contests, leaderboards, and displays. - TV/Display Setup: If you want real “buzz” in the office, setting up a few TVs with Hoopla channels is straightforward.
The Not-So-Good: - Customization Depth Can Be Overwhelming: You can tweak almost everything, but the UI gets busy fast. Novices will need a walkthrough. - Data Quality is Everything: If your CRM data is messy, Hoopla just amplifies the noise. Garbage in, garbage out. - Remote Teams Get Less Value: The impact is clearly bigger when everyone can see the boards in person.
Pro Tip: Before rolling it out, get your sales ops or admin to clean up CRM fields you’ll be tracking. Otherwise you’ll end up with “leaderboards” for things no one cares about.
Day-to-Day Use: Does It Actually Motivate?
Here’s the honest truth: gamification works for some, and falls flat for others.
Where Hoopla Shines
- Teamwide Energy: Teams with competitive streaks get a visible boost. People do chase the board, especially in the first few months.
- Real-Time Feedback: Instant alerts and recognition (like a screen takeover when someone books a big meeting) actually feel good. It’s not just a “nice-to-have.”
- Manager Visibility: It’s easy to spot who’s lagging—or quietly crushing it—without digging into reports.
Where It Stalls
- Motivation Plateaus: The novelty wears off in 3-6 months if you don’t keep contests fresh or tie them to real rewards.
- Not for Every Personality: Some reps would rather just quietly do their thing. Public boards can annoy or distract them.
- Requires Maintenance: Someone has to keep contests and displays updated. If you “set it and forget it,” engagement drops.
What to Ignore: All the bells and whistles about “culture transformation.” If your sales org has deep problems, software isn’t a fix.
How Does Hoopla Stack Up Against Competitors?
Let’s compare Hoopla against a few other tools revenue teams love or tolerate.
1. Ambition
- Similarities: Also does leaderboards, goals, TV displays, and integrates with major CRMs.
- Where Ambition Wins: More robust coaching tools and scorecards. Better for teams that want 1:1 coaching tied to metrics.
- Where Hoopla Wins: Faster to launch. Less complex pricing. More focused on contests and “buzz.”
2. Spinify
- Similarities: Focuses on gamification, leaderboards, and celebration screens.
- Where Spinify Wins: Slightly cheaper, very lightweight, more playful themes.
- Where Hoopla Wins: More mature for larger teams, deeper contest options, and more integrations.
3. Custom Dashboards (Geckoboard, Klipfolio, etc.)
- When This Wins: If you just want to show metrics on a TV, this is cheaper and totally customizable.
- Where Hoopla Wins: Built-in contests, celebrations, and direct sales rep engagement features.
Bottom Line: Hoopla’s niche is teams that want a quick, purpose-built solution for sales contests and culture, without turning their managers into “dashboard admins.”
What Does It Cost? (And Is It Worth It?)
Pricing isn’t public, but in most cases you’re looking at $20-$40 per user per month, depending on features and team size. That’s in line with Ambition and pricier than Spinify.
Is It Worth It?
- If you’re a mid-sized or large team and want to inject energy into the floor (literally), it can pay for itself with even a small bump in sales activity.
- If you’re a tiny team, or remote, it’s probably overkill.
- If your CRM data is a disaster, fix that first or you’ll waste your money.
Pro Tip: Ask for a trial or proof-of-concept. If you don’t see an uptick in the first 90 days, you probably never will.
Limitations and Gotchas
- Limited Beyond Sales: Hoopla is built for sales teams. If you want to track CS, support, or marketing, you’ll hit walls.
- No Magic Bullet: It won’t fix broken comp plans, bad data, or low morale by itself.
- Admin Churn: If ownership changes hands, engagement often slips—someone needs to “own” the tool.
How to Get Real Value from Hoopla
If you’re going to invest in Hoopla, here’s what actually works:
- Start Small: Don’t try to gamify everything. Pick one or two key metrics (new meetings, closed deals) that drive the business.
- Keep Contests Fresh: Rotate challenges every month. Try team-based competitions, not just individual.
- Celebrate Wins, Not Just Volume: Recognize quality, not just “most dials.” Reward real pipeline or creative approaches.
- Tie to Real Rewards: Even small prizes (gift cards, team lunch) make a difference. Public recognition only goes so far.
- Solicit Feedback: What do reps actually care about? Adjust the program so it doesn’t become background noise.
- Review the Data: Track whether activity and results actually improve. If not, tweak or pull the plug.
The Verdict
Hoopla is a solid tool for B2B sales teams who want to make results visible and add some friendly competition. It’s not going to save a broken culture or replace good management, but it’s easy to launch and does what it says on the tin. If you’re not sure, keep it simple: pick one metric, try it for a quarter, and see if the energy and results justify the spend. Don’t overthink it. Iterate as you go. If it works, great—if not, move on to what actually drives your team.