If you’re tired of sales software that promises the world but mostly just adds busywork, you’re in the right place. This guide is for B2B sales leaders, ops folks, and anyone responsible for buying or recommending sales tools. We’ll cut through the hype and lay out how to actually compare Charma with other B2B go-to-market (GTM) software tools—so you can make a clear-headed decision and stop wasting time.
1. Get Clear on What “Streamlining” Actually Means for You
Before you start comparing features or reading reviews, get specific about what “streamlining your sales process” looks like for your team. Most tools claim to make things easier, but that means different things depending on your workflow.
Ask yourself: - Where are deals getting stuck right now? - What’s eating up your team’s time—manual data entry, handoffs, follow-ups, reporting? - What can’t your current stack do that you wish it could? - How important are integrations with your CRM, email, or calendar?
Write these down. If you skip this step, you’ll end up distracted by shiny features that don’t actually solve your real problems.
Pro tip: If your process is fundamentally broken, no software is going to magically fix it. Get your core workflow in order first; then look for tools that fit.
2. Know What Kind of Tool Charma Is (and Isn’t)
There’s a flood of “GTM” software out there, all promising to transform your sales process. But they don’t all do the same thing—or even try to.
Charma bills itself as a workflow and meeting management tool designed to help sales and customer-facing teams run better meetings, keep action items on track, and actually follow through. It’s not a CRM, not a dialer, and not a marketing automation platform. Charma fits in the “process and accountability” category.
When comparing Charma to other tools, make sure you’re looking at apples-to-apples. Here are some common categories you might see in this space: - CRMs: Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive. They track deals, contacts, activities. - Sales engagement platforms: Outreach, Salesloft. Automate emails, calls, cadences. - Meeting and workflow tools: Charma, Fellow, Hypercontext. Focus on meetings, follow-ups, accountability. - Sales enablement: Showpad, Highspot. Content delivery and training.
If you need a system to help your team run better meetings and actually get stuff done after the call, Charma is in the running. If you’re looking for a full CRM replacement, it’s probably not.
Don’t get fooled: A lot of software claims to “streamline sales,” but if you dig in, many of them are just different flavors of the same spreadsheet or inbox-in-disguise.
3. Build a Shortlist (and Ignore the Hype)
Once you know what you need, make a shortlist of tools that actually fit. Resist the urge to sign up for everything that gets mentioned on LinkedIn or in “Top 10” blog posts. Use your criteria from Step 1 to filter ruthlessly.
How to build a real shortlist: - Ask peers at similar companies what’s actually working for them. - Read a few in-depth reviews (not just G2 star ratings). - Check out the documentation or help center—does it look well-maintained, or does it feel like an afterthought? - Watch a demo video, but skip the marketing site’s promises and look at how it’s used day-to-day.
Ignore: - Fancy AI features that sound cool but don’t fit your workflow. - Integrations you’ll never use. - “Personalization at scale” claims that just mean sending more spam.
4. Dig Into Specific Features—But Don’t Get Distracted
Once you have a shortlist, compare features—but do it based on your must-haves, not what the vendor shouts about.
For Charma and Its Peers, Look At:
- Meeting management: Can you actually run a meeting from the tool? Set agendas, take notes, assign follow-ups?
- Action item tracking: Is it easy to see who owns what, and do people get reminders?
- Accountability: What happens after the meeting? Can you track if things get done, or does it all disappear into a black hole?
- Integrations: Does it play well with your CRM or calendar, or does it force you to duplicate work?
- Ease of use: Can your least technical rep figure it out without a week of training?
- Reporting: Can you see patterns in meetings or follow-up? Or is it all just a prettier version of your Google Doc?
What doesn’t matter as much: - Slack integration (nice, but rarely a game-changer) - Fancy dashboards you’ll never look at - “Gamification” badges—most reps ignore them
Red flag: If a tool makes it hard to get your data out, think twice. You don’t want to be locked in if it’s not working.
5. Test with Real-World Use Cases (Not Just a Demo)
A lot of tools look great in a demo, but fall apart when you try them with your actual team, accounts, and meetings. Push for a real trial—ideally with your own data and your actual sales process.
How to run a real-world test: - Pick a small group (pilot team) who’ll actually use the tool for 2-3 weeks. - Set up your most common meeting types and see if things really get easier. - Try integrating with your CRM and calendar—does it work, or is it a headache? - Ask the pilot team to be brutally honest: What’s better? What’s annoying? What are they still doing outside the tool?
Don’t: - Let the vendor run the whole trial for you—they’ll cherry-pick the easy stuff. - Ignore feedback from the people who’ll actually use it every day.
6. Evaluate Pricing and “Hidden” Costs
Pricing for B2B sales tools is notoriously murky. Many vendors hide their real costs behind “Contact us” buttons or offer a low entry price that balloons with add-ons. Charma is generally positioned in the mid-market, but always check the details.
What to watch: - Is pricing per user, per feature, or something else? - Are there setup or onboarding fees? - What happens if you want to scale up (or down) later? - Will you need to pay for integrations or API access?
Pro tip: Do the math for your actual user count and needs—not just the starting price for a 5-person team.
7. Don’t Overlook Support and Implementation
The best tool in the world won’t help if you can’t get your team up and running. Some vendors offer hands-on support and onboarding; others leave you on your own with a wiki.
Questions to ask: - How responsive is support? (Test it by submitting a ticket.) - Is there real documentation, or just a handful of FAQ articles? - Will they help with setup and training, or do you have to figure it out yourself? - What happens if you need to migrate data out someday?
Watch out: If it’s hard to get help before you buy, it won’t get better after.
8. Avoid the Trap of “Feature Creep”
It’s tempting to pick the tool with the most features, but more isn’t always better. Every extra bell or whistle is something else to train, maintain, or break.
Stay focused on: - The core problems you set out to solve - What your team will actually use - How much change management you’re willing to take on
Most sales teams only use a handful of features, no matter how robust the software is. Don’t pay for stuff you won’t use.
Keep It Simple and Adjust As You Go
The best sales process is the one your team actually uses. Don’t get sucked into months-long evaluations or pick a tool just because it’s trendy on LinkedIn. Start with your real needs, test in the real world, and don’t be afraid to switch if it’s not working.
Instead of chasing the “perfect” GTM platform, pick something that makes your day-to-day life a little easier—then tune from there. Keep it simple, ignore the hype, and trust your gut (and your team’s feedback) over the marketing noise.