If you work in B2B sales or go-to-market (GTM) operations, you’ve probably noticed the software landscape is crowded—crammed with platforms all promising “seamless sales alignment” and “revenue acceleration.” It’s a lot. Whether you’re a sales ops pro, a revenue leader, or just the unlucky soul tasked with picking a new tool, you need a clear, no-nonsense way to compare options like SureConnect with the rest of the pack. This guide will show you what actually matters, what’s just hype, and how to zero in on a tool that won’t waste your team’s time.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Sales Process Problems
Before you start demoing products, you need to know what you’re actually trying to fix. Most B2B GTM tools—including SureConnect—claim to “streamline sales processes,” but that means zilch unless you know your own pain points.
Ask yourself: - Where do deals actually stall in your pipeline? - Are reps wasting time on manual data entry or chasing leads that go nowhere? - Is your handoff between marketing and sales clunky? - Do you lack visibility into what’s working and what isn’t?
Pro tip: Write down your top three bottlenecks. If you can’t map a feature directly to one of those, skip it for now. Fancy dashboards don’t help if your core problem is bad data or slow follow-up.
Step 2: List Out the “Must-Have” and “Nice-to-Have” Features
Don’t fall for the laundry list of features every vendor trots out. Here’s what really matters for most B2B teams:
Must-Have Features - CRM Integration: Does it actually sync with Salesforce, HubSpot, or whatever you use? Double-check—some integrations are surface-level at best. - Lead Routing & Assignment: Can you automate handoffs based on territory, product, or rep availability? - Activity Tracking: Can you see what reps are doing, without them having to log everything manually? - Reporting You’ll Use: Not just pretty charts—do the reports answer your actual questions? - User Experience: Is it fast, reliable, and not a total pain to navigate?
Nice-to-Have Features - AI or Automation: Some of it’s legit, some is just buzzwords. Does it actually save real time? - Collaboration Tools: Shared notes, tagging, or chat can help, but only if your reps will use them. - Mobile Support: Depends on your team—field sales might care, SDRs at a desk might not.
Ignore (Unless You Have a Specific Need) - Social selling widgets - “Gamification” - Anything that requires six months of onboarding
Pro tip: Ask vendors for a real-world demo using your dummy data—not just a canned presentation.
Step 3: Dig Into SureConnect (and Its Alternatives) Honestly
Let’s cut through the marketing. Here’s a rundown of how SureConnect stacks up against other popular B2B GTM tools—think Outreach, Salesloft, Groove, and the like.
SureConnect: What Works
- Clean, No-Nonsense Interface: Most users say it’s faster to get up and running compared to the competition. Fewer clicks, less confusion.
- Solid CRM Integrations: The sync with Salesforce is solid, with two-way updates and less “data drift.”
- Workflow Automation: Lead routing, reminders, and follow-ups are actually automated—not just “suggested.”
- Transparent Pricing: Fewer nasty surprises—though you still need to read the fine print.
SureConnect: What’s Missing
- Limited Customization: If your sales process is weird or highly custom, you might hit walls.
- Less Mature Ecosystem: Fewer third-party add-ons and integrations than older platforms.
- Advanced Analytics: Reporting is good but not as deep as some enterprise tools.
Popular Alternatives: The Good and the Bad
Outreach/Salesloft - Pros: Powerful sequencing, robust analytics, heavy-duty integrations. - Cons: Steep learning curve, can get expensive fast, and some features are overkill for smaller teams.
Groove - Pros: Google Workspace-friendly, good for teams living in Gmail, flexible automation. - Cons: Not as strong if you’re Salesforce-centric, some quirks in reporting.
VanillaSoft, Apollo, and Others - Pros: Sometimes cheaper, niche features for specific industries. - Cons: May lack polish, smaller support teams, limited roadmaps.
Pro tip: Ask for references from similar-sized companies, not just the big logos on their website.
Step 4: Do a Real-World Trial, Not Just a Demo
Here’s where most teams drop the ball—they watch a slick demo, get wowed, and then struggle for six months post-purchase. Don’t do that.
- Insist on a trial using your real sales process, even if it’s just a week or two.
- Have actual users (not just admins) test the core workflows—lead assignment, follow-up, reporting.
- Track how much time it takes to do basic tasks. If it’s not faster than your current setup, that’s a red flag.
- Look for gaps: Are there features you thought were included but aren’t? Is support responsive, or do you get bounced around?
Pro tip: Set up a “deal” in the new system and walk it from lead to closed-won. Note every speed bump.
Step 5: Calculate Total Cost (Not Just Software Fees)
Vendors love to throw out “per user, per month” pricing, but that’s rarely the full story.
- Factor in onboarding and training time—how long until your team actually uses the tool?
- Are there surprise fees for integrations, reporting, or support?
- Does the tool replace anything else you’re paying for, or is it just one more system?
- What’s the cost of switching if this doesn’t work out?
Pro tip: Ask for a sample contract up front and look for “gotchas” (minimum seat counts, auto-renewals, data export fees).
Step 6: Score Each Option (But Don’t Overthink It)
You can make a spreadsheet, or just use a whiteboard. Score each tool on your “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves.” Involve a few real users—not just leadership or IT. The best tool is the one your team will actually use, not the one with the longest feature list.
- Keep it simple: “Good enough” and adopted beats “perfect” and ignored.
- If two tools are close, pick the easier one to try and iterate as you go.
Step 7: Ignore the Hype, Trust Your (Informed) Gut
At the end of the day, every B2B GTM tool says they’ll “streamline sales.” Most help a bit, none are magic. Focus on what solves your actual problems, not what’s trending on LinkedIn.
- If SureConnect fits your needs, great—run with it.
- If another tool’s a better fit for your quirks, don’t force it just for brand recognition.
- Don’t fall for FOMO or promises of “AI revolutionizing your pipeline.”
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Get Stuck
There are dozens of ways to overcomplicate picking sales software. Don’t. Nail down your real problems, test the top contenders honestly, and pick the one that actually helps. No tool will do your selling for you, but the right one should get out of your way. Try, adapt, and don’t be afraid to switch if it’s not working. You’ll save time, money, and a lot of headaches—promise.