Trying to pick the right tool to help your B2B sales team work smarter—not just harder? You’re not alone. There’s no shortage of “game-changing” GTM (go-to-market) software these days, all promising to make your sales process faster, leaner, and more efficient. But behind all the hype, you want something that actually works for your team, not just another login page collecting dust.
This guide is for sales and operations folks who want to see how Apparound stacks up against other B2B GTM tools—and how to cut through the noise to find what really works for your sales process.
1. Get Clear on What “Sales Efficiency” Means for You
Before you even Google product comparisons, get brutally honest about what “sales efficiency” actually means for your team. Hint: it’s not just about automation or dashboards. It’s about helping reps close more deals, faster, with fewer headaches.
Ask yourself:
- Where are deals getting stuck? (Is it quoting, approvals, handoffs, or just plain confusion?)
- What do your reps complain about? (Be honest—listen to the eye rolls.)
- What are your non-negotiables? (e.g., mobile-first, integration with your CRM, offline access)
Pro tip: Write down your top three pain points. If a tool doesn’t solve at least one, move on.
2. Break Down the Types of GTM Sales Tools
Not all B2B sales software does the same thing. The term “GTM tool” covers a lot, but here’s how most options break down:
- CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote): Speeds up quoting, reduces errors, and helps with complex pricing.
- Sales Enablement: Centralizes content, training, and playbooks for reps.
- CRM Add-ons: Extends Salesforce, HubSpot, or other CRMs with extra features.
- Proposal & Contract Automation: Streamlines doc creation, electronic signatures, and version control.
- Analytics & Forecasting: Tracks pipeline and sales metrics, sometimes with AI-powered predictions.
Apparound falls into the CPQ and sales enablement space, but with some unique twists (more on that soon).
3. Build a Real-World Feature Checklist
Ignore the vendor checkboxes and focus on what your reps will actually use. Here’s a no-nonsense list to compare any GTM tool (including Apparound):
- Mobile usability: Can reps actually use this on a tablet or phone, or is it just “mobile-friendly” in theory?
- Offline access: Does it work without Wi-Fi? (Crucial in the field.)
- Product catalog management: How easy is it to update or change products, pricing, or bundles?
- Quoting speed: How many clicks to generate a quote? Can you do it in front of a customer?
- Document automation: Are contracts, proposals, and presentations handled in one place?
- Integration: Does it actually sync with your CRM, email, and ERP, or does it require duct tape?
- User adoption: Is it simple enough that reps won’t avoid it?
- Support and updates: Will you get real help, or just ticket numbers?
Ignore: AI features that sound cool but don’t tie directly to your pain points, or dashboards you’ll never look at.
4. See How Apparound Stacks Up
Let’s talk specifics. Apparound is pitched as a CPQ and sales enablement platform built for B2B teams with complex products or pricing. Here’s how it measures up on the real-world checklist:
- Mobile and offline: One of Apparound’s calling cards is true offline access and native mobile apps. If your reps are on the road or in places with spotty Wi-Fi, this matters.
- CPQ strength: The quoting engine is pretty fast and flexible, especially for complex bundles or discount scenarios.
- Content and proposal management: You can store and present sales content, generate proposals, and send contracts—all from one platform.
- Integrations: Out-of-the-box connectors for Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and some ERPs, but deeper integrations may require extra setup.
- User experience: Simpler than legacy CPQ giants, but still a learning curve for non-technical reps.
- Support: Generally responsive, but depends on your region and support tier.
What’s missing or weak? - Advanced forecasting: It’s not a pipeline analytics tool, so you’ll need something else for deep forecasting. - Heavy customization: More flexible than some, but not as endlessly tweakable as platforms like Salesforce CPQ. - Ecosystem: Smaller partner and app marketplace compared to the big CRM players.
5. Compare with Other Leading B2B GTM Tools
Here’s how other common options stack up, with a no-nonsense take:
Salesforce CPQ
- Strengths: Deep CRM integration, tons of customization, robust for enterprises.
- Weaknesses: Expensive, complex, slow to deploy. Overkill for smaller teams.
HubSpot Sales Hub
- Strengths: Easy to use, good for basic quoting and sales automation, integrates email and CRM.
- Weaknesses: Lacks advanced CPQ features, limited offline/mobile capability.
PandaDoc / DocuSign CLM
- Strengths: Strong for document automation, e-signature, templates. Good add-on to existing CRM.
- Weaknesses: Not a CPQ, limited product/pricing logic.
Showpad / Highspot
- Strengths: Great for content management and sales enablement. Strong analytics on content usage.
- Weaknesses: No quoting or pricing engine. Won’t help with deal configuration.
Pro tip:
If you need everything (CPQ, enablement, analytics, contracts) in one system, you’ll end up compromising somewhere—or paying a lot.
6. Run a Hands-On Pilot (Don’t Trust Demos Alone)
Never buy based on a sales demo. Demos show you the perfect-world version. Instead:
- Pilot with real users: Give your reps access for two weeks. Watch what they actually do, not what they say.
- Test in the wild: Try quoting a complex deal, offline, from a phone. Email a proposal. Sync data to your CRM.
- Score adoption: If a tool is gathering dust after a week, that’s a red flag.
- Ask for help: Test how fast and helpful support is when you’re stuck.
Warning: If it takes weeks to set up a pilot, that’s a sign the tool is too complicated for your needs.
7. Do the Math: Total Cost, Not Just License Price
Don’t just look at sticker price. Factor in:
- Implementation costs: How much will setup, integration, and training run you? (Vendors gloss over this.)
- Admin time: Who will maintain the tool? Does it require a specialist?
- Hidden fees: Are there charges for extra users, integrations, or support?
- Churn risk: If your reps hate it, you’ll waste hours (and goodwill) forcing adoption.
You want a tool that pays for itself in time saved, not one that becomes another sunk cost.
8. Gut Check: Will This Actually Make Sales Faster and Easier?
The final test: Ask yourself and your team, “Will this tool actually help us close more deals, faster—or is it just another thing to manage?” If you’re not sure, keep looking.
A few reality checks:
- If your reps are still emailing spreadsheets around, start simple.
- Fancy AI features don’t matter if your quotes are always delayed by basic errors.
- If you can’t explain why you picked a tool in two sentences, you’re overcomplicating it.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
You don’t need the “perfect” GTM stack—just the one your team will actually use. Start with the basics, solve your real pain points, and only add bells and whistles once you’ve nailed the essentials. Most sales efficiency gains come from removing friction, not adding features.
Test, learn, and don’t be afraid to switch if something isn’t working. At the end of the day, the best tool is the one that quietly helps your team do their job—and gets out of the way.