If you’re building a SaaS company and looking to ramp up sales, you’ve probably heard about products like Gan and a dozen other B2B go-to-market platforms. The pitch is always the same: “We’ll help you find, target, and close more customers. Magic!” But which one actually works for a growing SaaS business, and what’s just noise? This guide is for founders, revenue leaders, and anyone tired of demo calls that never answer the real questions.
Here’s how to cut through the marketing fluff and compare Gan vs. the rest, so you can pick something that helps you grow—without wasting six months and half your budget on the wrong tool.
1. Get Clear on What You Actually Need
Before you dive into feature lists, ask yourself: what’s actually slowing down your go-to-market motion? Is it finding qualified leads? Getting them into the pipeline? Closing deals? Or is it something less obvious, like connecting marketing and sales data?
Pro tip: Write down your top two or three problems before you even look at platforms. Otherwise, you’ll get distracted by shiny dashboards you’ll never use.
Common needs for growing SaaS teams: - Automating outbound prospecting so reps aren’t stuck scraping LinkedIn - Better lead scoring and routing - Consolidating sales, marketing, and product usage data - Coordinating campaigns across teams (without endless Slack threads) - Quick integration with tools you already use (CRM, email, etc.)
Anything you add beyond these should have a clear “why.” Ignore features that don’t solve your current pain.
2. Understand What Gan (and Its Competitors) Really Do
Most B2B go-to-market platforms fall into a few buckets: - Sales Engagement: Think Outreach, Salesloft—help reps manage sequences and follow-ups. - Data Providers: ZoomInfo, Apollo—give you contact data and firmographics. - Revenue Orchestration: Gan, Clari, Demandbase—try to stitch together sales, marketing, and sometimes product data for a unified view. - ABM Platforms: 6sense, Demandbase—focus on account-based everything: targeting, ads, scoring.
Gan positions itself as a “revenue orchestration” platform. It tries to connect all your GTM data (sales, marketing, product usage, etc.) so teams can act on real signals. In theory, this means: - No more chasing leads that’ll never buy - Marketing and sales don’t step on each other’s toes - Execs get a dashboard that’s actually useful
But here’s the thing: Every platform claims this. They all say they’ll “align” your teams and “surface the best opportunities.” The difference is in the details—how data flows, how easy it is to use, and whether it fits how your team actually works.
3. Compare on What Matters (Not Just What’s in the Demo)
a. Data Quality and Integration
This is where most platforms stumble. You want something that: - Pulls in data from your CRM, marketing tools, and product usage without weeks of custom dev work - Keeps data up to date (not just a one-time sync) - Handles messy real-world data (duplicate accounts, fuzzy matches, etc.)
What to ask:
- “Show me, live, how you set up an integration with Salesforce/HubSpot/Segment.”
- “How do you handle bad or missing data?”
- “Can I test this on my own data before I buy?”
Red flag: If everything looks great in a sandbox but “real” integration is a custom project, run.
b. Usability for Real Teams
You know who hates new platforms? Sales reps who just want to hit quota. If your team can’t figure out the tool in a week, adoption will crater.
- Is the UI actually usable, or do you need a consultant to run a report?
- How fast can a new user get value?
- Can non-technical folks set up workflows and alerts?
Pro tip: Ask for access to a real, hands-on trial. Not just a walkthrough, but something your team can poke at.
c. Signal vs. Noise
Some platforms bombard you with alerts, “hot leads,” and insights that don’t help you close deals. Others surface just a few, high-confidence actions per day.
- Does the platform tell you what to do next, or just dump data on you?
- Can you customize the signals you care about?
- How easy is it for reps to ignore the noise?
What works: Tools that surface a handful of clear, actionable signals.
What doesn’t: Dashboards with a thousand metrics and no clear next step.
d. Pricing and Gotchas
Most of these platforms price by seats, data volume, or integrations. Watch out for: - Surprise costs for “premium” data or add-ons - Minimum contracts that lock you in for a year before you know it works - Expensive onboarding or “success packages” that should be included
What to ask: - “What’s the all-in price for my team size and data volume?” - “What’s not included in the base package?” - “What happens if we want to cancel?”
Ignore: Fluffy ROI calculators. Ask for real customer references or case studies from companies your size.
4. Stack Rank Platforms—Side by Side
Now that you know what to look for, write it down. Make a table with these columns: - Must-haves - Nice-to-haves - Dealbreakers
Then compare Gan, your current stack, and 1-2 other serious contenders (don’t waste time with a dozen). Fill in how each one stacks up—be honest.
Example:
| Feature / Fit | Gan | 6sense | Outreach | Your Stack | |---------------------------|------|--------|----------|------------| | Quick CRM/Product Integration | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | | Real-Time Signal Surfacing | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | | Easy for Sales Reps | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | | Price Transparency | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
If a platform looks great on paper but comes with a 6-month onboarding, that’s a dealbreaker for a fast-moving SaaS team.
5. Test With a Real-World Pilot
Don’t trust the demo—run a pilot with real users, real data, and real workflows. Here’s how: - Pick one or two target teams (e.g., SDRs and AEs). - Set measurable goals (e.g., “10% more meetings booked in 30 days” or “reps spend 20% less time on research”). - Give them hands-on access—no “sandbox” accounts with fake data. - Check in weekly: what’s working, what’s confusing, what’s ignored? - Be ruthless: if adoption is lagging, or you’re not seeing clear wins, move on.
Pro tip: Involve a skeptical rep in the test. If they like it, the rest will follow.
6. Watch Out for Hype (and Common Pitfalls)
- “AI-driven insights”: Almost every platform says this now. Ask for specific examples and ignore vague claims.
- “Single pane of glass”: Usually means “another dashboard no one checks.”
- “Seamless integration”: Means something different to every vendor. See it live, with your stack.
- “Enterprise-grade security”: If you’re not a Fortune 500, don’t overpay for features you don’t need.
What to ignore:
- Magic “intent data” that never matches your ICP
- Overcomplicated scoring models no one trusts
- Features that sound cool but don’t move the needle in your sales cycle
7. Make a Decision You Can Reverse
Here’s the truth: no platform is perfect, and your needs will change as you grow. So: - Pick the one that solves today’s biggest pain, not every possible future scenario. - Favor tools that are easy to swap out if they don’t work. - Start simple; you can always add complexity later.
Summary:
Comparing Gan to other go-to-market platforms isn’t about counting features or falling for shiny demos. It’s about knowing what slows you down, testing what matters, and ignoring the rest. Keep it simple, get your team involved, and don’t be afraid to move on if a platform isn’t making a difference.
Pick what helps today, and keep iterating. The best stack is the one your team actually uses.