If you’re trying to build smarter B2B partnerships and keep hearing about “GTM” and “data-driven” tools, you know how tough it is to cut through the noise. Every vendor promises smarter insights, tighter integrations, and magical revenue boosts. But you’ve got to make a real decision: should you use Reveal or one of the other go-to-market (GTM) tools for your partnership motion?
This guide is for anyone who’s actually responsible for choosing and implementing partner tech—not just evaluating slide decks. We’ll get real about the differences, what to ignore, and how to compare options so you don’t regret your pick in six months.
Step 1: Get Clear on What You Actually Need
Before you even look at demos, get your priorities straight. Most B2B teams fall into one of these camps:
- You want to see which accounts you and partners have in common.
- You need to share leads, notes, or pipeline data with partners.
- You want to track influence and sourced revenue from partnerships.
- You’re hoping for some kind of “magic” that makes your partners sell for you.
Let’s be honest: the last one is a pipe dream. Focus on getting real, usable account data and making it easy for your team to act on it.
Pro tip: Write down your top 3 “must-haves” and your top 3 “nice-to-haves” before you even book a sales call.
Step 2: Understand What Reveal (and Its Competitors) Actually Do
Reveal is probably the biggest name in the “account mapping” category. It lets you securely compare your CRM data with your partners’—so you can spot overlapping accounts, find warm intros, and avoid stepping on toes.
But Reveal isn’t alone. You’ll see a bunch of other tools pitched as “GTM platforms” or “partner ecosystems.” The names change, but the core features usually fall into a few buckets:
- Account mapping: Matching your accounts/opportunities with your partners’ to find overlap.
- Lead and deal sharing: Sending leads, intros, or pipeline info between companies.
- Influence tracking: Trying to connect partnerships to closed revenue.
- Collaboration tools: Messaging, notes, or tagging partners in CRM.
Here are the main players you’ll run into: - Reveal - Crossbeam - PartnerTap - WorkSpan - Impartner and other PRMs (Partner Relationship Management tools)
Each has strengths, and plenty of overlap. Don’t get hung up on tiny feature differences—most mature tools handle the basics. The devil’s in the details (like integrations, usability, and trust).
Step 3: Compare the Core Features—But Don’t Get Distracted by Bells and Whistles
Let’s break down what actually matters when you’re comparing Reveal to others:
1. Data Security and Privacy
You’re sharing customer lists with outside companies. If the tool gets this wrong, you’re toast.
- Does the tool give you total control over what you share and with whom?
- Are there clear audit logs and access controls?
- What’s their track record on data breaches (or awkward leaks)?
Ignore: Fancy AI “insights” if the basics aren’t locked down.
2. CRM Integrations
If it doesn’t connect smoothly to your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.) and your partners’ CRMs, it’ll turn into another spreadsheet.
- Is it a real-time sync or a janky export/import?
- How painful is setup and maintenance?
- Does it actually work with the CRM fields your reps use?
Ignore: Claims about “any CRM” support—test it, or talk to a customer who’s live.
3. Ease of Use (For Real Humans)
Some of these tools are built for ops folks; others are friendly for sellers and partner managers.
- Can a normal salesperson or partner manager figure it out in 10 minutes?
- Is the UI cluttered with features you’ll never use?
- Can your partners (who might not be as tech-savvy) use it without a training course?
Ignore: Over-designed dashboards. Focus on the 1 or 2 screens your team will actually use.
4. Partner Network and Ecosystem
The value of these tools comes from who else is using them.
- Are your key partners already on it?
- What’s the process for inviting a new partner?
- Is it easy to collaborate cross-platform if your partner uses a different tool?
Ignore: Hype about “ecosystem size” if your partners aren’t actually active.
5. Reporting and Attribution
You’ll get asked “How much did partnerships impact our pipeline?” The tool should help, not make this harder.
- Can it show sourced and influenced revenue tied to partnerships?
- Does it plug into your existing reporting stack, or make you export and wrangle CSVs?
- How accurate is the attribution, really?
Ignore: Attribution models that look good in a demo but don’t match your sales reality.
Step 4: Ask the Questions Vendors Don’t Want You to Ask
Here’s where you cut through the sales pitch. When you’re talking to Reveal, Crossbeam, or anyone else, ask:
- How long does it really take to get up and running? (Ask for real customer references, not just the “quickstart” claims.)
- What’s the support like when something breaks, or a partner has a weird CRM setup?
- Are there hidden costs? (Some tools charge by the number of partners, seats, or mapped accounts.)
- How do you handle partners who refuse to use the tool, or use a competitor?
- If we leave, how do we get our data out—fast?
You’ll learn more from the awkward silences than the rehearsed answers.
Step 5: Test With a Real Partner—Not a Demo Environment
You won’t know squat until you try mapping accounts and sharing data with an actual partner.
- Pick a partner you trust and run a real-world pilot.
- Try to map accounts, flag overlaps, and share leads—then ask both sides what was confusing or annoying.
- See if your sales/partner team actually uses the tool, or just reverts to email and spreadsheets.
- Check how much time you spend chasing down errors or weird sync issues.
If you hit major friction, it won’t magically get better when you roll out to dozens of partners.
Step 6: Don’t Buy the Hype—Watch Out for Common Pitfalls
Most of these tools promise to “unlock hidden revenue” and “transform your GTM ecosystem.” Here’s what usually happens:
- You don’t have enough partners using the tool to make it valuable.
- Adoption stalls because reps don’t see value, or the process is clunky.
- Attribution turns into an internal fight over who “influenced” what.
- The tool becomes shelfware if you don’t drive a process around it.
Reality check: These platforms can absolutely help, but only if you’re willing to put in the work (and have partners who do, too).
Step 7: Make the Call—And Keep It Simple
Once you’ve tested, compared, and grilled the vendors, pick the one that:
- Actually solves your team’s biggest headache.
- Plays nicely with your partners’ tech.
- Won’t drown you in process or admin.
- Is easy enough that your least motivated sales rep will use it.
Don’t stress about picking the “perfect” platform. Start small, get value, and expand as you go. If you outgrow your first choice, migrating isn’t the end of the world—it’s better than analysis paralysis.
Bottom line: Comparing Reveal to other GTM tools isn’t rocket science, but it does take a skeptical eye and a willingness to push past the sales fluff. Focus on what moves the needle for your team and partners, keep it honest, and don’t be afraid to change course if it’s not working. You’ll get more value (and fewer headaches) that way.