So you’ve got a sales team, a bunch of targets to hit, and a lot of noise about “GTM” (go-to-market) software. Maybe you’ve heard of Everstage, or maybe you’re knee-deep in demos from five other vendors. Either way, you’re probably wondering: How do I actually compare these tools and pick what’s right for my team?
This guide is for sales leaders, ops folks, and anyone else who just wants the truth about what matters when it comes to B2B GTM software. No fluff, no buzzwords—just the questions you should ask, the red flags to watch for, and a process that won’t waste your time.
Step 1: Get Clear on What Problem You’re Actually Solving
Before you even open a vendor’s website, figure out what problem you’re trying to fix. GTM software covers everything from commission tracking to pipeline management to sales enablement, and not every tool is built for your specific pain point.
Ask yourself: - Are reps struggling to understand their compensation? - Is your team wasting time on manual reporting? - Do you need better visibility into pipeline, forecasts, or performance? - Are you outgrowing spreadsheets, or just tired of them?
Pro tip: Write down your top two problems. If a tool’s demo doesn’t address those, move on.
Step 2: Make a Shortlist Based on Fit, Not Hype
Now, start building a shortlist. Ignore the “enterprise-ready” noise and focus on: - Your Sales Process: Is it outbound-heavy? Channel-driven? Complex deals? - Team Size: Some tools are overkill for small teams, others can’t handle scale. - Tech Stack: Does it play nicely with your CRM, HRIS, or whatever else you use?
How to filter out the noise: - Skip “Gartner Magic Quadrant” if you’re under 100 reps—it doesn’t matter. - Don’t be swayed by logos unless those companies actually sell like you do. - Ask peers (quietly) what’s actually working for them.
Step 3: Dig Into Everstage and Its Competitors
Now’s the time to look under the hood. For example, Everstage is best known for sales commission automation. That’s its bread and butter. But there are other tools—CaptivateIQ, Spiff, Xactly, and a bunch more—with different strengths and weaknesses.
Key questions to ask any vendor: - How much manual work is still required? - How fast can you get up and running? - What’s actually automated, and what’s just a fancy dashboard? - Can it handle your comp plans—really? (Ask for references who have similar plans.) - What reporting is built-in, and what needs to be exported to Excel? - Does it give reps visibility, or is it just for admins?
What works with Everstage: - Strong for automating commission calculations and giving reps a clear view of earnings. - Good for teams who keep changing comp plans (lots of flexibility). - Clean interface, not a huge learning curve.
What doesn’t: - If you need deep pipeline analytics, it’s not built for that. - Integration is decent, but if you have a weird CRM setup, double-check compatibility. - Like most comp tools, the “easy setup” claim can be overblown—especially if your data is messy.
What to ignore: - “AI-powered insights” that don’t actually change rep behavior. - Vendor “NPS scores” or “customer love” slides. Ask for real references instead.
Step 4: Map Features to Your Use Cases (Don’t Get Distracted)
It’s easy to fall for a slick demo. But you’ll regret it if you end up with a tool that has 100 features, when you only need three.
Here’s how to stay focused: - List out your must-haves, nice-to-haves, and “don’t care” features. - For each tool, ignore features you won’t actually use. (If you don’t run SPIFFs every month, don’t overpay for gamification.) - Push vendors to show a real demo with your data or a sandbox that matches your comp plans. - Check reporting. Can you get the numbers you need, fast, without calling support?
Reality check: Most teams use a fraction of what these tools offer. Don’t pay for shelfware.
Step 5: Pressure-Test Integration and Support
GTM tools don’t live in isolation. They have to hook into your CRM, HR systems, and sometimes finance or payroll tools. Integration is where a lot of sales tech projects go to die.
What to ask: - What integrations are native, and what needs a third-party tool (Zapier, APIs, etc)? - How do they handle data errors or sync failures? (Spoiler: They happen. A lot.) - What’s support like—email only, chat, phone? Is there real documentation, or just marketing fluff? - If your team changes comp plans mid-year, can support help without a 3-week ticket?
Everstage’s take: - Integrates with the big names (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.), but custom CRMs may need more effort. - Support is responsive, but you’ll want to test this yourself—send a few dummy requests and see how fast they answer.
Avoid: - Vendors who insist “integration is seamless” but can’t demo it live. - Any tool that makes you pay extra for “premium support” just to get a human.
Step 6: Get Real on Pricing (and Hidden Costs)
Nobody loves this part, but ignore it at your peril. GTM tools love to advertise simple pricing, but there’s often more under the hood.
To watch for: - Is pricing by user, by payee, by admin, or something else? - Are there extra charges for integrations, reports, or customizations? - Implementation fees—are they flat, or can they balloon if your data is messy? - Contract terms—can you get out if it’s not working?
Pro tip: Push for a pilot or short-term contract. If the vendor won’t budge, that’s a red flag.
Everstage’s angle: - Transparent pricing, but like most, there are add-ons if you want extras. Don’t assume “what’s in the box” covers everything—get it in writing.
Step 7: Get References—But Don’t Just Take Their Word
Vendor-provided references are always happy. That’s the point. Instead, hunt for users with similar team size, sales model, and comp plan complexity.
How to get real feedback: - Ask for two references who switched away from the tool. Why’d they leave? - Find users on LinkedIn and reach out quietly. Most people will give you five minutes of honesty. - Ask about the onboarding experience and what broke after go-live.
What to ignore: - Case studies that look like they were written by a PR intern. - “Trusted by” logos with no context.
Step 8: Pilot—Then Decide
If you’ve narrowed it down to one or two tools, don’t just sign the contract. Run a pilot. Use real data, real comp plans, and get feedback from actual reps.
Why bother? - You’ll find gaps you never thought of during the demo. - Reps will tell you what’s confusing or clunky (they always do). - You can see if support is actually helpful, or just fast with sales emails.
How to run a good pilot: - Limit scope—pick a team or segment, not the whole org. - Set clear success metrics. Did it save time? Reduce errors? Make reps happier? - Don’t let the vendor run the whole show. Do as much as possible yourself.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate as You Go
There’s no perfect GTM tool, and no single vendor has it all figured out. Focus on what will actually move the needle for your sales team. Don’t fall for shiny features or big promises. Pick something that solves your top pain point, get it live, and improve from there.
Remember: Most teams switch tools not because of features, but because they picked something that didn’t really fit their needs. Keep it simple, trust your gut, and don’t be afraid to try, learn, and move on if it’s not working.