So you’re staring at a dozen B2B go-to-market (GTM) platforms, all promising to “revolutionize your pipeline” or “align revenue teams.” You know you need something better than spreadsheets and duct-taped tools, but the last thing you want is to get stuck with a shiny new toy that’s a pain to use, or worse—doesn’t move the needle. This guide is for you: the ops leader, growth marketer, or sales manager who needs a real answer, not just another glossy demo.
Let’s break down how to actually evaluate B2B GTM software, with an honest look at Enrow and how it stacks up against some heavy hitters like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Outreach. No fluff—just what you need to make a smart decision.
1. Get Clear On What You Actually Need
Before you start lining up demos, figure out your real priorities. Every vendor will tell you their platform can “do it all,” but that’s rarely true and almost never affordable.
- What’s broken today? Pin down 2-3 painful problems. Maybe it’s handoffs from marketing to sales, pipeline visibility, or tracking outreach.
- Who owns the tool? If you need reps, marketers, and ops to all use it, pick something everyone can live with.
- What’s your stack look like? You don’t want another silo. Does the new tool actually integrate with your CRM, email, calendar, and data sources, or is it just a checkbox feature?
Pro Tip: Write your must-haves and nice-to-haves before you talk to vendors. Stick to them.
2. Evaluate Core Features (And Ignore the Noise)
Let’s be honest: 80% of the value comes from 20% of the features. Here’s what usually matters most in a GTM platform:
a. Lead and Account Management
- Is it easy to create, score, and route leads or accounts?
- Can you see the full journey—touchpoints, activity, and owner—in one place?
- Are duplicates and bad data handled up front, or do you end up cleaning up later?
b. Automation and Workflows
- Can you automate the stuff you hate—like follow-up emails, lead assignments, or reminders?
- How flexible are the workflows? Some tools only let you follow rigid, pre-set paths.
c. Reporting and Analytics
- Are out-of-the-box reports actually useful, or do you need a full-time analyst to get answers?
- Does it play nicely with your other reporting tools?
d. Integrations
- Does it offer real two-way sync, or just dump data one-way?
- Any hidden costs for connecting to your CRM, marketing automation, or third-party data sources?
e. Usability
- Can your team figure it out without a week of training?
- Is the UI fast, or do you spend more time clicking around than actually working?
What to ignore: - Features you “might” use someday. Focus on what solves your actual pain now. - AI hype. Unless the AI is doing something concrete (like automated lead scoring you can trust), treat it as a bonus, not a must.
3. How Enrow Stacks Up
Enrow positions itself as a “modern GTM operating system.” Translation: it tries to bridge the gap between sales, marketing, and ops by giving everyone a unified workspace for managing pipeline, data, and outreach.
Where Enrow Shines
- Unified Data: Unlike some legacy tools, Enrow actually syncs data in real time, so marketing and sales see the same numbers. No more wild spreadsheet versions floating around.
- Simple Automation: Setting up automations (like routing, alerts, or task reminders) is genuinely easier than with Salesforce or Outreach. You don’t need to be an admin.
- Modern UI: It’s clean, fast, and doesn’t require training hell. This alone is a big win if you’ve ever seen a Salesforce onboarding doc.
Where Enrow Falls Short
- Ecosystem: Enrow is newer, so it doesn’t have the sprawling app marketplace or deep integrations you get with HubSpot or Salesforce. Double-check if your must-have tools are supported.
- Advanced Customization: If you need ultra-complex workflows or custom objects, Enrow’s not as flexible as Salesforce. It’s more opinionated about how you manage GTM.
- Brand Recognition: If you need a vendor with a massive user community or tons of consultants, Enrow’s still growing.
4. Comparing Leading Alternatives
Let’s cut through the marketing copy and look at how Enrow compares to some of the most common GTM stacks:
Salesforce
- Pros: Insanely customizable, connects to almost everything, trusted by big enterprises.
- Cons: Overkill for most SMBs. Expect to pay for consultants, admins, and add-ons. Usability is not its strong suit.
- Best for: Complex orgs with deep pockets and unique needs.
HubSpot
- Pros: All-in-one with marketing, sales, and service in one place. Good out-of-the-box reporting, user-friendly.
- Cons: Integrations are getting better, but still not as flexible as Salesforce. Can get expensive as you scale.
- Best for: Teams that want a unified tool and don’t want to fuss with lots of IT overhead.
Outreach
- Pros: Best-in-class for sales engagement—robust sequencing, analytics, and workflow automation.
- Cons: Not a full CRM. You’ll need to connect it to Salesforce or HubSpot for the big picture. Can feel sales-heavy, less so for marketing or ops.
- Best for: Sales teams focused on outbound and prospecting.
Enrow
- Pros: Streamlined, easy to use, less setup headache, real-time data, covers both sales and marketing workflows.
- Cons: Not as feature-rich as Salesforce/HubSpot for edge cases, integrations library still growing, limited community resources.
- Best for: Teams wanting a modern, unified workspace without the bloat or complexity.
5. Do a Real-World Test—Don’t Trust the Demo
Demos always look slick. But what happens when you try to import your own data, or get your team using the tool for a week?
- Ask for a trial with real data. If a vendor balks, that’s a red flag.
- Involve your actual users. Don’t just let IT or ops choose—get feedback from the people who’ll live in the tool daily.
- Test your must-have workflows. Don’t settle for “it can probably do that.” Make the vendor prove it.
Pro Tip: Set up a basic funnel—import a lead, trigger an automation, build a report. If it takes more than an afternoon or you hit walls, keep looking.
6. Pricing—The Stuff Nobody Likes to Talk About
Most vendors hide real pricing behind a “Contact Sales” button. Here’s how to cut through it:
- Watch for hidden fees: Integrations, API access, onboarding, and “premium” support often add up fast.
- Annual contracts: Many vendors will push for one-year (or longer) commitments. Push back if you can, or at least get a pilot period.
- Growth tax: Some tools get much pricier as you add users or hit certain thresholds (contacts, emails, etc.).
What to ignore: Price-per-seat alone. Look at your total cost once you add integrations, support, and any must-have add-ons.
7. Support, Community, and What Happens When Stuff Breaks
- Support responsiveness: How fast do you get answers? Is it chat, email, or “we’ll get back to you in 3-5 business days”?
- Docs and resources: Are there clear guides, or will your team be stuck Googling?
- Community: Big platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot) have tons of third-party resources. Newer tools like Enrow are catching up.
8. Make Your Shortlist and Run a Quick Bake-Off
After your research and trials, narrow it down to 2-3 options. Run a side-by-side comparison for your key workflows. Don’t get lost in feature checklists—focus on what actually makes your team’s life easier.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple and Iterate
There’s no “perfect” GTM tool. Every platform is a tradeoff between power, usability, and price. The best solution is the one your team actually uses. Start with your core needs, test with real data, and don’t overthink the edge cases. You can always adjust as you grow—just don’t let the quest for the “best” tool slow you down.
Good luck—and remember, software should serve your process, not the other way around.