If you're staring at a dozen B2B go-to-market (GTM) software options, all promising to “accelerate revenue” and “align teams,” you’re not alone. Most of these tools sound exactly the same on the surface—and nobody’s got time to roll the dice on a six-figure mistake. Whether you’re evaluating Sheppardd, Salesforce, HubSpot, or yet another “revenue intelligence” platform, this guide is for folks who want to make a clear-headed choice, minus the buzzwords and sales fluff.
Here’s a step-by-step process to help you compare Sheppardd to other B2B GTM software, actually find the differences, and figure out what will really make a difference for your business.
1. Know What GTM Software Actually Does (and Doesn’t)
Before you dig into features, get clear on what GTM software is supposed to do. Most B2B GTM tools promise to:
- Organize and automate your sales and marketing processes
- Help your team find, track, and close deals
- Give you some visibility into what’s working (and what’s not)
But here’s what they don’t do: - Magically fix bad product-market fit or a weak sales process - Replace the need for real strategy or good management - Do all your prospecting for you
Pro tip: Ignore any product pitch that sounds like it does your job for you. The best GTM tools just help you do your real work faster and with fewer mistakes.
2. Make a Short List: Who Are You Actually Comparing?
Don’t get lost in a sea of logos. Get specific: are you comparing Sheppardd to Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Apollo, or something more niche? Write out your short list. If a tool doesn’t come up in serious conversations with your peers or competitors, it probably isn’t worth your time.
How to build your short list: - Ask your sales and marketing teams what they’ve actually used (and liked) - Check what similar companies use (LinkedIn, case studies, tech stack sites) - Filter out anything that’s not built for B2B, or is clearly too small/big for your needs
3. Define Your Must-Haves (Ignore the Gimmicks)
Vendors love to bury you in features—AI-powered everything, “smart” insights, endless dashboards. Most of this is noise. Cut through it by writing down your non-negotiables. Usually, these are things like:
- CRM: Does it actually track contacts, companies, and deals in a way that makes sense for your workflow?
- Pipeline management: Can you see, update, and report on deals without clicking through 10 menus?
- Integrations: Will it play nice with your existing tools (email, calendar, marketing automation, etc.)?
- User experience: Will your team actually use it, or will everyone keep a spreadsheet on the side?
- Reporting: Can you get the numbers you need, without exporting to Excel every week?
- Onboarding/support: If you get stuck, is there real help, or just a knowledge base and a chatbot?
What to ignore: - AI features that sound cool but aren’t tied to real use cases - Social selling widgets you’ll never use - Overly fancy dashboards (if it looks like a spaceship, it probably is)
4. Put Pricing in Plain Sight
Here’s the truth: GTM software pricing is rarely as simple as it looks on the homepage. Most vendors have per-user pricing, but the devil’s in the details—add-ons, integrations, support tiers, and yearly commitments can balloon your bill fast.
How to compare: - Get a real quote for your actual team size and feature set - Ask about minimum seat counts, implementation fees, and required add-ons - Look out for price jumps after year one (intro discounts are common) - Don’t forget the “hidden” costs: time to implement, lost productivity, customizations, and training
Pro tip: If a vendor can’t give you a simple answer to “What will this cost us in year one and year two?”—be wary.
5. Demo Like a Skeptic (Not a Marketer)
Demos are designed to make everything look easy and magical. Go in with your eyes open:
- Bring your own data (or at least your own use cases)—don’t let them show off with cherry-picked examples.
- Ask to see the boring stuff: error handling, bulk edits, real-world reporting.
- Insist on seeing how integrations actually work, not just a slide.
- Have your end-users (not just managers) click around.
What to watch for: - Slow, clunky interfaces (if it lags on the demo, it’ll lag for you) - Features that look tacked-on or half-baked - Promises of “coming soon” features—assume they won’t arrive on time, if at all
6. Drill Into What Makes Sheppardd Different
Let’s talk honestly about Sheppardd. Like any GTM software, it’s got strengths and weak spots. Here’s what to look for (and what to double-check):
Where Sheppardd usually stands out: - Simplicity: The interface is less cluttered than many older platforms, which can mean a gentler learning curve for your team. - Process-driven: Sheppardd is built to guide reps through your GTM playbooks, not just store data. If you want to enforce sales processes, this could help. - Integration choices: Sheppardd tends to focus on integrating with modern SaaS tools, instead of legacy systems.
Where you might want to dig deeper: - Customization limits: If you have a really unique sales process, or lots of edge cases, Sheppardd may feel restrictive compared to a fully custom CRM. - Advanced reporting: If your ops team lives for deep-dive analytics, check if Sheppardd’s reporting can keep up. Some users end up exporting to spreadsheets. - Ecosystem: Sheppardd is newer than Salesforce or HubSpot, so there may be fewer third-party integrations, consultants, or user communities.
What doesn’t matter as much: - “AI” features, unless you can see a direct, tangible benefit for your team - Having the longest feature list—focus on how your team works, not what’s possible in theory
7. Check References and Real-World Reviews
Don’t just rely on G2 or Capterra scores (though they’re a good starting point). Talk to actual users at similar companies. Ask:
- What’s the ramp-up time for new users?
- What surprised them (good or bad) after six months?
- How responsive is support when there’s a real issue?
- What do their reps complain about?
You’ll get a much clearer picture than from slick website testimonials.
8. Pilot, Don’t Boil the Ocean
No matter how sure you feel, you won’t know until your team gets hands-on. Run a pilot with a small group. Set clear goals (faster deal cycles, fewer manual tasks, better forecasting) and measure them. Expect some hiccups—no tool is perfect out of the box.
If a vendor pushes you to skip the pilot, or won’t let you test with real data, that’s a red flag.
9. Keep Your Eyes Open for “Lock-In”
Switching GTM software is expensive and painful. Before you commit, ask:
- How easy is it to export your data?
- Can you leave without losing key customer history or notes?
- Is there an open API if you want to build your own integrations?
You want leverage if the vendor raises prices or stops innovating. Don’t get stuck.
10. Trust Your Team, Not the Hype
At the end of the day, your sales and marketing team are the ones who have to live with this tool. Fancy tech doesn’t matter if nobody uses it. The best GTM platform is the one that gets adopted, makes your real work easier, and doesn’t drive everyone nuts.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Comparing GTM software isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to get distracted by hype and “innovative” features you’ll never use. Stick to your must-haves, trust your team’s actual workflow, and don’t be afraid to start small and adjust. The perfect tool doesn’t exist—but the right tool for your business does.
Good luck. And don’t let a sales demo talk you into something you’ll regret at next year’s renewal.