Let’s be honest—choosing a B2B go to market (GTM) platform is a headache. You want to grow, but the sheer number of tools, features, and wild promises out there makes it tough to know what actually works. This guide is for founders, revenue leaders, and ops folks at growing B2B companies who want to pick a GTM platform that gets results, not regrets. No fluff—just what you need to focus on, and what you can safely ignore.
1. Get Clear on What “Go To Market Platform” Actually Means
First off, don’t get blinded by buzzwords. “Go to market” can mean anything from sales enablement and lead generation to CRM and marketing automation, depending on who’s selling it. Before you even look at vendors, nail down what you really need:
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Are you looking to organize sales outreach?
You probably need a sales engagement platform (think Outreach, Salesloft). -
Need to track leads and deals?
That’s classic CRM territory (HubSpot, Salesforce). -
Want to automate email, ads, or content?
Now you’re in marketing automation land (Marketo, Pardot). -
Trying to collect and showcase testimonials for social proof?
You’ll want a tool like Senja.
Don’t get distracted by platforms promising to “do it all.” They rarely do everything well, and you’ll overpay for features you’ll never use.
2. Map Out Your Actual Process (Not the Fantasy Version)
Vendors love selling you a vision of how your team “could” work—if only you’d buy their platform. Ignore that. Instead:
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Write down your real process.
How do leads come in? Who follows up? What needs to be tracked? Draw it on paper or in a doc. -
Ask your team what slows them down.
Are they double-entering data? Hopping between tools? Losing track of follow-ups? -
List the “must have” workflows.
For example, “Assign inbound demo requests to an SDR within five minutes,” or “Trigger a personalized email when a prospect downloads a white paper.”
If a platform can’t fit these real-world needs, it’s not right for you—no matter how flashy the dashboard.
3. Set a Budget (And Don’t Forget the Hidden Costs)
Sticker prices rarely tell the whole story with GTM software. Here’s what to watch for:
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Per-user pricing:
Most platforms charge by seat. Factor in your whole team, not just the sales reps. -
Implementation and onboarding:
Some “enterprise” tools require paid setup or weeks of training. Ask about this upfront. -
Integrations:
Need it to work with your CRM, email, or Slack? Some charge extra or require third-party connectors. -
Annual contracts:
Month-to-month flexibility is rare at scale. Be ready for a 12-month commitment.
Pro tip: Budget 20–30% extra for “unexpected” costs. Migration, consulting, and add-ons add up faster than you think.
4. Decide What Matters (And What’s Just Noise)
You’ll see endless feature lists. Most of it’s irrelevant to your day-to-day. Focus on:
Must-Haves
- Ease of use:
If it takes weeks to learn, your team won’t use it. - Core integrations:
It should sync with your CRM, email, and calendar—seamlessly. - Reporting that makes sense:
Can you actually get the numbers you care about, without exporting to Excel every time? - Solid support:
When things break, you want a human who’ll help—quickly.
Nice-to-Haves
- Automation:
Helps, but only if you have repeatable, well-defined processes. - Templates and playbooks:
Handy, but you can build these as you grow. - AI features:
Often more hype than help—don’t pay extra unless you’re sure you’ll use them.
Ignore
- Social media integrations (unless that’s central to your sales process).
- Gimmicky dashboards with more colors than substance.
- “Predictive” anything, unless you have massive amounts of clean data.
5. Shortlist and Demo (But Don’t Let Demos Fool You)
Now that you know what you need, pick 2–4 platforms that actually fit. Run each through a real-world test:
- Bring your own data:
Don’t just let them show you pre-baked demo accounts. - Try your workflows:
Ask, “Can I see how we’d assign a new lead and trigger a follow-up?” or “Show me how to export a list of prospects by industry.” - Quiz their reps:
“How long does it take to get set up? What’s your average response time on support tickets?” - Check their knowledge base:
Is it up to date and actually helpful, or just fluffy how-to videos?
Pro tip: If the demo feels like a magic show, ask for a trial. If they won’t give you one, that’s a red flag.
6. Talk to Real Customers (Not Just the References They Give You)
Vendors cherry-pick happy customers for their case studies. Go beyond that:
- Find independent reviews:
G2, Capterra, Reddit—look for complaints as well as praise. - Ask your network:
Find someone at a similar-sized company and ask what they love and hate. - Check for deal-breakers:
Frequent outages? Bad support? “Locked in” to contracts? These matter more than that one feature you might use someday.
7. Plan for Growth (But Not Fantasy Growth)
Don’t buy a platform for the company you hope to be in five years. Buy for the team you have now, plus a year or two of realistic growth.
- Can you add users easily?
- Does pricing scale in a way that won’t kill you later?
- Will it handle your likely process changes?
Ignore “enterprise” features if you’re still building product-market fit. They’ll only slow you down.
8. Make the Call—And Actually Commit
Once you pick, go all in:
- Train your team.
Don’t just send a login and hope for the best. Block off time for hands-on learning. - Set up your real processes.
Don’t settle for out-of-the-box defaults—customize it to match your workflows. - Review after 60–90 days.
Are people using it? Is it saving time or creating new headaches? Be honest, and tweak as needed.
A Few Honest Pitfalls to Avoid
- Buying for tomorrow, not today.
You’ll end up with shelfware and a lighter wallet. - Getting wowed by “AI” or “automation” without a clear use case.
- Ignoring the pain of switching later.
Choose something you can live with for at least two years. - Underestimating setup time.
Most tools aren’t plug-and-play, no matter what the sales rep says.
Keep It Simple—And Don’t Be Afraid to Change
Here’s the real secret: There’s no “perfect” B2B go to market platform. Start with something that fits your actual needs and budget, make it work for your team, and don’t be afraid to switch if it isn’t delivering. The flashiest tool isn’t always the best fit. Focus on clear processes, honest feedback, and steady iteration. That’s how you actually grow.