If you’re in charge of picking go-to-market (GTM) software for your B2B sales team, you already know: the options are endless, the claims are loud, and everyone swears their tool will “revolutionize” your pipeline. Reality? Most teams just want something that works, won’t take months to set up, and doesn’t make reps mutter under their breath.
This guide is for sales leaders, ops folks, and anyone on the hook for picking and rolling out GTM tools. We’ll dig into what to look for, what to skip, and how to avoid the usual traps.
Step 1: Get Clear on What “GTM Software” Really Means (For You)
“GTM” (go-to-market) is one of those catch-all phrases that vendors love to stretch. Depending on who you ask, a GTM tool could mean:
- Lead sourcing and prospecting
- CRM and pipeline tracking
- Sales engagement (email, calls, sequences)
- Enablement and onboarding
- Analytics and forecasting
- Collaboration with marketing or customer success
Pro tip: Before you start comparing tools, nail down what your team actually needs. Are you mostly looking for better outreach? Or are you drowning in manual data entry? Write down your 2-3 biggest headaches. If you’re shopping for everything at once, odds are you’ll end up with a “kitchen sink” tool that does nothing well.
Step 2: Build a Shortlist—But Don’t Trust Google’s Top 10
G2, Capterra, and Google’s first page will show you the same 10-20 tools over and over. Some are great, some just have aggressive marketing budgets. Here’s a better way to build your shortlist:
- Ask peers: What’s actually working for teams like yours?
- Join forums or Slack groups: Communities like RevGenius or Modern Sales Pros give real feedback (and call out the junk).
- Check for hidden gems: Some newer tools—like Alignedup—don’t have the ad spend of the big names but punch above their weight.
Ignore: Tools that claim to do absolutely everything for everyone. If a platform says it’ll replace your CRM, dialer, enablement platform, and your morning coffee, be skeptical.
Step 3: Map Out Your Must-Haves vs. Nice-to-Haves
It’s easy to get distracted by shiny features (AI scoring! Gamification! Predictive magic!). Focus on what’ll actually move the needle for your team.
Must-haves usually include: - Integrates with your current CRM (no, a CSV export doesn’t count) - Decent onboarding and support - Doesn’t add a ton of manual work - Fits your team’s workflow (not the other way around) - Clear pricing, without hidden “add-ons”
Nice-to-haves: - A clean, modern UI - Analytics that don’t require a PhD - Chrome extension or mobile app for quick access
What to ignore: Demos that spend more time showing dashboards than actual workflow. If you can’t see your team using it daily, it’s probably not for you.
Step 4: Put the Tools Through a Real-World Test
Most vendors offer trials or sandboxes, but don’t just click around aimlessly. Here’s how to actually test a GTM tool:
- Set up a real workflow: Import a small set of leads, run a sample sequence, log a few deals.
- Involve your team: Let at least one rep and one ops person try it. If they groan, listen.
- Check integrations: Sync it with your CRM, email/calendar, or whatever else you use daily.
- Measure speed: How many clicks to do common tasks? Does it actually save time?
Pro tip: If a tool takes more than an hour to get up and running (for basics), it’s probably too complicated for the average sales team.
Step 5: Grill the Vendor (Don’t Be Shy)
Sales reps for GTM tools are good at painting rosy pictures. Here’s how to get real answers:
- Ask for customer references—and actually call them. Don’t just read the cherry-picked case studies.
- Request a pricing breakdown: What’s included? What costs extra after the first year?
- Check roadmap honesty: Is “AI” just a buzzword, or is it actually useful? What’s actually shipping in the next quarter?
- Support channels: Is there chat, phone, or just a ticketing system that responds in a week?
Red flag: If a vendor gets cagey about pricing or references, move on. Transparency now saves headaches later.
Step 6: Don’t Ignore Change Management
The best GTM software in the world is useless if your team won’t use it. Adoption is everything.
- Roll out in phases: Start with a pilot group before a company-wide launch.
- Train with real examples: Skip the generic webinars—have someone walk through your team’s actual process.
- Get feedback early: Adjust before you’ve sunk too much time or money.
- Reward usage: Highlight quick wins, not just big deals.
What doesn’t work: Top-down mandates with no context. If reps see the tool as “just another thing to update,” usage will tank.
Step 7: Nail Down the Real ROI
Every vendor promises “10x productivity” or “50% faster closes.” Here’s a more grounded way to check if a tool is worth it:
- Time saved: Are reps spending less time on admin work?
- Pipeline impact: Do you see more meetings booked, higher conversion, or cleaner data?
- Team happiness: Are people actually using it, or are you nagging them?
- Cost: Are you paying for seats or features you don’t need?
Ignore: Fluffy ROI calculators based on best-case scenarios. Focus on what you can measure in the first 30-60 days.
A Few Honest Takes on Popular GTM Tools
Without naming and shaming, here’s what usually works—and what to watch out for—in the GTM space:
What works: - Tools that do one thing really well (e.g., outreach, lead enrichment) - Fast, clean integrations with your stack - Responsive support teams - Transparent, per-seat pricing
What to watch out for: - “All-in-one” suites that are mediocre at everything - Long onboarding times - Locked-in contracts with steep cancellation fees - Endless upsells for “premium” features
What to ignore: - AI features that feel bolted on or promise to “replace” your sales team - Fancy dashboards you’ll never look at - Brand names that cost more but don’t deliver more
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Don’t get caught up in the hype. No GTM tool is going to fix broken processes or magically make your reps hit quota. Get clear on your team’s pain points, test a couple of promising options, and pick the one that makes life easier—not harder.
Start small, get feedback, and improve as you go. The right tool should fade into the background and let your sales team do what they do best: sell. Everything else is just noise.