So you’re in charge of picking new go-to-market tools for your sales team. Maybe you’re tired of the clunky CRM everyone hates, or your current stack feels like duct tape and hope. The stakes are high: the right tool makes your team faster and smarter. The wrong one? Just another forgotten login.
This guide is for sales leaders, ops folks, or anyone who has to cut through vendor noise and actually make a call. I’ll help you figure out what matters, what’s hype, and how to size up tools like Rb2b without getting burned.
Step 1: Get Clear on the Real Problems You Need to Solve
Before you start demoing anything, hit pause. Forget feature lists for a minute. What’s actually broken right now?
- Are reps wasting time on manual data entry?
- Is prospecting scattershot and inconsistent?
- Are deals getting stuck because of poor follow-up?
- Is reporting a nightmare (or, let’s be honest, just ignored)?
Write down the 2-3 biggest pain points for your team. If you can’t name them, ask your reps. You’d be surprised what comes up when you just listen.
Pro Tip: Don’t chase “cool” features unless they solve a problem you actually have. Shiny dashboards and AI-powered widgets are useless if your basics aren’t covered.
Step 2: Build a Shortlist—But Keep It Short
This is where most people waste weeks. Every vendor claims they do everything. Don’t fall for it.
- Pick 3-4 tools that seem like they actually address your pain points. Ignore the rest for now.
- If you’re considering Rb2b, ask yourself: Does it directly fix one of your top problems? If yes, keep it in the running. If not, move on—no matter how many LinkedIn ads you’ve seen.
- No tool is perfect. Look for 80% fits, not unicorns.
What to Ignore: Overly broad “all-in-one” solutions that sound too good to be true. They usually are.
Step 3: Demand Real Demos—Not Just Polished Slides
Every tool looks amazing in a vendor’s deck. You want to see it in the wild.
- Ask for a walk-through using your data or a real use case.
- Push vendors to skip the canned pitch. If they can’t, that’s a red flag.
- Get a rep or two from your team to try it. Watch them use it, don’t just take their word for it.
- For Rb2b, see if it works with your current workflow, or if it’ll require a massive change in how your team operates.
Pro Tip: Ask the vendor to show you the ugliest part of their product. If they dodge or stall, that tells you something.
Step 4: Evaluate Ease of Use Over Feature Bloat
You’ll be tempted by feature checklists. Resist. The best tool is the one your team will actually use.
- How many clicks does it take to do the most common tasks?
- Can a new rep figure it out without a two-hour training?
- Is it fast, or do you wait for spinning wheels?
- What do reps complain about after using it for a week?
Rb2b, for example, promotes simplicity and speed. But don’t take their word for it—see if your team agrees after hands-on use.
What to Ignore: Edge-case features you’ll use once a year. Focus on the everyday.
Step 5: Check Data Quality and Integrations—Don’t Assume Anything
Bad data sinks sales teams. And if you have to copy-paste between systems, you’ll never get adoption.
- Ask exactly where the tool’s data comes from. Is it fresh? Is it accurate? If the vendor gets cagey, that’s a sign.
- Does it play nicely with your CRM, email, and calendar? “We have an API” isn’t the same as “it works out of the box.”
- Try a sample import/export. If it’s painful, it won’t get better.
- For Rb2b, look under the hood: does it actually sync with your core systems, or are you stuck with yet another silo?
Pro Tip: Get your ops person to run a quick test. They’ll spot dealbreakers fast.
Step 6: Check the Support and Onboarding—Not Just the Price
A tool that’s hard to roll out or where support ghosts you is a waste, no matter how cheap it is.
- How fast does support respond to real questions? Try emailing their helpdesk before you buy.
- Is there actual onboarding help, or just a PDF and a prayer?
- What do customers say about support in public forums—not just the cherry-picked testimonials?
- If Rb2b promises “white glove onboarding,” get the details. Who’s actually doing the work?
What to Ignore: Nice words on a pricing page. Look for proof they’ll actually help you.
Step 7: Try Before You Buy (and Set a Clear Test)
If the tool offers a free trial or pilot, take it—but don’t just poke around.
- Set a concrete goal: e.g., “Can we book 10% more meetings in two weeks?”
- Have a couple of reps use it in their real day-to-day work.
- Track how much time it saves (or costs).
- Get brutally honest feedback. If reps hate it, listen to them.
If Rb2b or any other tool resists a real-world pilot, be skeptical. You’re the customer—they should want you to succeed.
Step 8: Ignore the Hype—Focus on Long-Term Fit
Vendors love to talk about “AI-powered insights” and “revolutionary workflows.” Most of it won’t matter in a month.
- Will this tool still make sense as your team grows?
- Can you get your data out if you ever leave?
- Is the company stable, or are they likely to disappear in a year?
- Talk to a couple of real customers if you can. Ask what annoys them.
Remember: tools don’t fix broken sales processes. They just make them faster or more painful.
What Actually Matters (and What Doesn’t)
Matters: - Solves your real, everyday pain points - Easy for reps to use, not just managers - Plays well with your existing stack - Responsive support, not just a chatbot
Doesn’t Matter: - Fancy features you’ll never use - Slick marketing or “thought leadership” - Vague promises of “increased productivity”
A Few Final Thoughts
Don’t get lost in the weeds. Start with your team’s real problems, pick a few tools to test, and focus on how they’ll work in practice—not in a vacuum. If Rb2b makes your team faster and happier, great. If not, move on.
You’re not marrying this tool; you’re trying it out. Keep it simple. Test, learn, and don’t be afraid to change your mind. That’s how you end up with a stack your team actually likes—and uses.