If you’re tasked with picking go-to-market (GTM) software for a B2B team, you know the market’s flooded with buzzwords, vague promises, and overlapping features. Everyone says they’ll “accelerate growth” and “align your teams,” but few tools actually move the needle. This guide is for sales, marketing, and revenue leaders who want to compare Provarity with other B2B GTM software—without getting sucked into the hype.
Let’s cut through the noise and figure out what matters, what’s fluff, and how to make a decision you won’t regret three months from now.
1. Get Clear on What GTM Software Actually Does (and Doesn’t)
Before you even start comparing, nail down what you need. “GTM” software is a catch-all term. Depending on the tool, it could mean:
- Sales enablement (content management, playbooks, training)
- Revenue operations (forecasting, pipeline tracking, analytics)
- Product marketing (launch planning, messaging, competitive intel)
- Customer engagement (onboarding, upsell/cross-sell tools)
- Collaboration (project management, shared dashboards)
Pro tip: Don’t assume any tool covers all of these. Most focus on a couple areas, even if their website says otherwise.
What to ignore: Any vendor that claims to “do everything.” That’s marketing, not reality.
2. Make a Short List of What Your Team Actually Needs
Ask your team what’s breaking down in your GTM process. Is it:
- Handoffs between marketing and sales?
- Messy or missing competitive intel?
- Reps not using the latest messaging?
- No visibility into what’s working?
Write down the top 3-4 pain points. These are your “must fix” problems.
Pro tip: If you can’t name a pain point, you probably don’t need a new tool (yet). Save your budget.
3. Map Features to Problems, Not Just Shiny Objects
Now, look at what tools like Provarity, Highspot, Seismic, Clari, or Showpad actually do. Compare their features—but only for your big problems, not their full laundry list.
Example: What Provarity Actually Brings
At its core, Provarity is focused on making your go-to-market process more data-driven and coordinated. It’s usually pitched for:
- Organizing competitive intelligence and win/loss insights
- Surfacing what’s working in deals (and what’s not)
- Getting teams to actually use and contribute to GTM content
It’s not a CRM, not a sales engagement platform, and not a full “revenue operations cloud.” That’s a good thing—jack-of-all-trades tools are rarely best-in-class.
What Other GTM Platforms Focus On
- Highspot/Seismic/Showpad: Best for content management, training, and sales enablement—great if your reps can’t find or use collateral.
- Clari/BoostUp: All about pipeline visibility, forecasting, and revenue analytics. Useful if your issue is forecasting, less so for messaging.
- Crayon/Klue: Deep on competitive intelligence and battlecards.
Watch out for: Tools that bolt on features to check boxes but don’t really go deep. If a tool “does” competitive intel but it’s a glorified folder, skip it.
4. Dig Into Real-World Usability (Not Just Demo Theater)
Most GTM tools look slick in a controlled demo. Reality is messier. Here’s what to check:
- Setup time: How long before your team is actually using the tool? (Not just you as admin.)
- Integrations: Does it actually connect to your CRM, Slack, email, etc., or will you be babysitting sync errors?
- Adoption: Will your reps, marketers, and product folks use this, or will it collect dust like that wiki from 2017?
- Customization: Can you tweak it to match your sales stages, messaging, or process—or are you stuck with one way to work?
Pro tip: Ask for a sandbox or trial with your own data. If the vendor resists, that’s a red flag.
5. Compare Pricing Transparently (and Beware Hidden Costs)
Pricing for B2B GTM software is rarely upfront. Here’s what to look for:
- Per-user or flat fee? Some tools charge for every seat; others do company-wide licenses.
- Add-ons: Is “competitive intelligence” or “analytics” included, or is it an upcharge?
- Implementation fees: Will you pay extra for onboarding or integrations?
- Annual contracts: Most will push you into yearly deals—watch out for long lock-ins.
Honest take: The sticker price is almost never the real price. Always ask for all-in quotes, including onboarding, support, and must-have integrations.
6. Get Beyond the Hype: What Actually Works in the Wild
G2 reviews, case studies, and reference calls are all helpful, but they often paint a rosy picture. Instead, try these:
- Talk to a peer: Ask someone at another company—not the one the vendor suggests—how the rollout really went.
- Ask about failures: What did they try and stop using? Why?
- Request a “day in the life” walkthrough: Not a demo. Ask a vendor to show how a rep/marketer/manager would actually use it to solve your pain points.
What doesn’t work: Buying based on analyst “magic quadrants” or vendor webinars alone. Real usage beats glossy reports every time.
7. Don’t Just Buy—Plan for Change Management
Even the best GTM tool is dead on arrival if no one uses it. You’ll need:
- Clear process: Where in your workflow does this tool fit?
- Training: Bite-sized, role-specific, and repeatable.
- Feedback loop: How will you know if it’s actually helping? What’s your fallback if it isn’t?
Pro tip: Nominate a “champion” on each team to drive adoption. If you can’t find one, that’s a sign the tool isn’t solving a real problem.
8. Quick Reference: Provarity vs. Common Alternatives
Here’s a stripped-down snapshot comparing Provarity and popular B2B GTM tools based on real use cases:
| Tool | Best For | Weaknesses | Typical Buyer | |---------------------|-------------------------------|----------------------------------|--------------------| | Provarity | Win/loss insights, GTM content, competitive intel | Not a CRM, not deep on pipeline analytics | Product marketing, enablement | | Highspot/Seismic | Sales enablement, content findability, onboarding | Less insight into deal outcomes, competitive data is surface-level | Sales enablement | | Clari/BoostUp | Pipeline, forecasting, deal analytics | Not for messaging/content or competitive intel | Revenue ops, sales leaders | | Crayon/Klue | Competitive intel, battlecards | Not a full GTM platform, limited enablement | Product marketing, competitive | | Showpad | Content management, onboarding | Lighter on analytics, not for win/loss | Sales enablement |
Ignore: Any tool that tries to be all of the above. You’re better off with two focused platforms that actually solve problems.
9. Watch Out for These Common GTM Tool Traps
- “Single pane of glass” claims: Sounds great; usually means a confusing dashboard that nobody owns.
- AI everything: Most “AI” features are basic automation or glorified keyword search. Useful, but not magic.
- All-in-one bundles: Jack-of-all-trades, master of none. If it solves your biggest pain, great—otherwise, pass.
- Over-relying on integrations: If a tool needs five integrations just to get basic value, it probably isn’t purpose-built for your needs.
10. Make a Decision You Can Live With (and Change Later)
No tool will be perfect, and your GTM needs will change. So:
- Pick a tool that solves your must-fix problems well.
- Don’t overthink “future-proofing” or every possible use case.
- Make sure you can pilot or phase it in—don’t rip and replace everything at once.
- Set a three- or six-month check-in: Is it being used? Are your problems smaller?
Remember: It’s software, not a marriage. If it stops working for you, move on.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Picking GTM software—whether Provarity or anything else—shouldn’t be a months-long odyssey. Get clear on your team’s real problems, ignore the hype, and focus on what gets used. The rest is just noise. Make a choice, try it, measure, and don’t be afraid to change course. That’s how you actually win at go-to-market.