If you work in B2B sales, you’ve probably had someone try to sell you a “GTM platform” or “AI-driven sales tool” in the last month. Most promise to transform your pipeline, coach your reps, and make your team unstoppable. But when you’re picking software—especially something as central as your sales stack—you want the truth, not marketing fluff.
This guide is for sales leaders, ops folks, and anyone stuck comparing tools like Gong, Salesloft, Clari, and Salesken. I’ll break down where Salesken shines, where it falls short, and how it stacks up against the competition. No nonsense, just the practical stuff you need to know.
What Counts as “B2B GTM Software” Anyway?
Let’s get this out of the way: “GTM” (Go-To-Market) software for B2B sales teams is a messy category. It usually means one or more of these:
- Conversation intelligence: Records and analyzes sales calls (Gong, Chorus, Salesken).
- Sales engagement: Automates email, calls, cadences (Salesloft, Outreach).
- Forecasting & pipeline management: Predicts deals, tracks numbers (Clari, InsightSquared).
- Coaching platforms: Surfaces moments for manager feedback (Lessonly, Mindtickle).
- All-in-ones: Tries to tie everything together.
Vendors blur these lines. They’ll say they do it all, but most have a sweet spot. Keep this in mind as you compare tools—don’t get distracted by “feature bingo.”
What Is Salesken, and What’s Its Real Focus?
Salesken positions itself as “AI for sales conversations.” At its core, it’s a conversation intelligence tool: it records calls (mostly in real-time), analyzes what’s said, and tries to nudge reps with on-screen suggestions or “battle cards” during the call.
The promise: Reps say the right thing, managers see what’s working, and deals move faster. It’s especially aimed at inside sales teams doing lots of calls and demos.
Main features: - Real-time call guidance (“talk tracks” triggered live) - Call recording/transcription - Deal-level analytics (e.g., talk/listen ratio, objection handling) - Coaching dashboards for managers - Integrations with CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)
What it isn’t: Salesken isn’t a sales engagement tool (no sequenced emails or automated calls), nor is it a forecasting platform. It’s all about what happens on the call.
Salesken vs. Gong, Chorus, and Other Conversation Intelligence Tools
If you’re strictly looking for conversation intelligence, your shortlist probably includes Gong, Chorus (now Zoom Revenue Accelerator), and Salesken. Here’s how they compare:
Where Salesken Wins
- Real-time coaching: Gong and Chorus mostly analyze calls after the fact. Salesken tries to guide reps during the call (e.g., “Mention this case study now”). If your team is newer or follows tight scripts, this matters.
- Simplicity: The interface is less overwhelming than Gong’s, especially for frontline reps. You don’t get buried in dashboards you’ll never use.
- Price: Usually less expensive than Gong, especially for SMBs or mid-market teams. (Always check: pricing changes and “custom quote” tricks abound.)
Where Salesken Falls Short
- Depth of analytics: Gong’s post-call analytics are more mature. You get richer keyword tracking, deal warnings, and call libraries. If you want to slice and dice every metric, Gong wins.
- Integrations: Salesken’s CRM integrations work, but Gong and Chorus have deeper plug-ins with Salesforce, Slack, and email. This matters if your team lives in those tools.
- Market ecosystem: Gong has a massive library of sales benchmarks, best practices, and 3rd party integrations. Salesken’s ecosystem is smaller.
Bottom line: If you want real-time nudges and don’t need deep analytics, Salesken is a strong bet. For larger teams who geek out over pipeline data or need airtight integrations, Gong is safer (if you can stomach the price).
Salesken vs. Sales Engagement Tools (Salesloft, Outreach, Apollo)
Some folks try to compare Salesken to tools like Salesloft or Outreach. Let’s be clear: these are different beasts.
- Salesken: Optimizes what reps say on the call.
- Salesloft/Outreach/Apollo: Automate sequences of calls, emails, and LinkedIn touches.
If you want to automate prospecting, reminders, and follow-ups, Salesken isn’t the answer. If you already have a sales engagement tool but your reps sound like robots on the phone, that’s when Salesken comes in. The tools can actually complement each other.
Pro tip: Don’t try to replace your engagement tool with Salesken. They’re apples and oranges.
Salesken vs. Forecasting & Pipeline Tools (Clari, InsightSquared)
Salesken does give you some analytics—like which reps handle objections well or which topics come up most—but it’s not a forecasting tool. It doesn’t predict which deals will close or help you run pipeline meetings.
- Clari: Focuses on pipeline health, deal inspection, and forecasting. Integrates heavily with your CRM and email.
- Salesken: Focuses on improving live sales conversations.
If your main pain is forecasting accuracy or deal slippage, start with Clari or InsightSquared. If you’re happy with your CRM reporting but want better calls, that’s where Salesken fits.
What Actually Matters When Choosing a GTM Tool?
Forget the hype. Here’s what you should care about:
- Does it fit your team’s workflow?
Fancy AI is useless if reps ignore it or it slows them down. - How fast can you see value?
Some tools need weeks of setup and training. Salesken is lighter, but still plan for onboarding. - Is it flexible?
Can you tweak talk tracks, set up your own analytics, or does it force you into a box? - What’s the total cost?
Not just the sticker price—factor in implementation, admin time, and what you might need to buy separately. - Will your team actually use it?
Be honest. If you have a veteran team that hates scripts, real-time nudges might annoy them more than help.
Honest Pros and Cons of Salesken
What Works
- Real-time coaching: Great for teams that need live reminders or are onboarding lots of new reps.
- Manager visibility: Makes it easy to spot coaching moments without listening to every call.
- Decent value: Cheaper than some big names, especially if you don’t need all the bells and whistles.
What Doesn’t
- Limited analytics: Fine for basic call stats, but not for deep-dive data nerds.
- Smaller ecosystem: Fewer integrations, less community content.
- Not a “do-everything” platform: You’ll still need a CRM, maybe a sales engagement tool.
What to Ignore
- AI hype: Every vendor says they use AI. Look at what the tool actually does—not what it claims to “unlock.”
- Feature bloat: More features aren’t always better. If you just need call coaching, don’t overpay for stuff you won’t use.
Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Core Strength | Weaknesses | Best For | |-------------|----------------------|------------------------------------|-------------------------------| | Salesken | Real-time call guidance | Lighter analytics, fewer integrations | Inside sales teams, onboarding-heavy orgs | | Gong | Deep analytics, integrations | Price, complexity | Large teams, data-driven orgs | | Salesloft | Sales engagement automation | No call coaching | Outbound prospecting | | Clari | Pipeline forecasting | No conversation analysis | RevOps, forecasting accuracy |
How to Decide (And What to Do Next)
- Map your main pain points
Are you losing deals because reps say the wrong thing? Or is it process/forecasting? That’ll narrow your options fast. - List your “must-have” and “nice-to-have” features
Don’t get sold on shiny dashboards if you’ll never look at them. - Test with a small team
Most GTM tools are better in practice than in theory. Run a pilot with 3–5 reps. See what sticks. - Ask for real customer references
Not just handpicked case studies—ask to talk to a company like yours that’s been using it for a while. - Keep your stack simple
Don’t try to do everything at once. Start with the tool that solves your biggest problem, then layer on more if you need it.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Choosing B2B sales software shouldn’t require a PhD or an endless spreadsheet. Figure out your team’s real needs, ignore the buzzwords, and pick the tool that solves one big pain point. If Salesken gives your reps the nudge they need, great. If you need heavier analytics or forecasting, look elsewhere.
The best sales teams don’t get distracted by hype—they keep it simple, measure what matters, and tweak as they go. That’s how you win.