If you’ve ever tried to wrangle a pile of spreadsheets, emails, and Slack threads just to keep track of B2B partnerships, you know the pain is real. There’s a sea of GTM (go-to-market) tools out there promising to “revolutionize” partnership management. Most of them just add more noise. This guide is for folks who actually have to make these tools work—partnership managers, biz dev leads, and anyone stuck holding the “who’s following up with that partner?” bag.
Here’s how to actually evaluate B2B GTM software for managing partnerships—without getting distracted by shiny features or big promises.
1. Get Real About Your Partnership Needs
Before you look at any tool, get brutally honest about what you need. A lot of teams jump into demos without a list of non-negotiables. That’s how you end up paying for dashboards nobody opens.
Ask yourself: - What specific partnership activities do we need to manage? (Co-selling, MDF, lead sharing, onboarding, etc.) - Is this primarily about tracking pipeline, communication, enablement, or all of the above? - Who actually uses the tool—just partner managers, or sales, marketing, and ops too? - How many partners do we have? Five? Fifty? Five hundred?
Pro tip: Write down your “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves” before you even look at a single product site. Otherwise, the sales pitch will decide for you.
2. Ignore the Hype Features (Focus on Core Capabilities)
Every vendor will parade AI, automation, and “seamless integrations.” Most of it is window dressing. Focus on the basics that actually move the needle:
- Contact and Account Management: Can you actually keep track of who’s who on both sides? Is it easy to update?
- Deal Registration & Tracking: Does the tool let you register and track partner-sourced deals without a 30-step process?
- Task & Activity Management: Can you assign follow-ups, share notes, and see what’s overdue?
- Reporting That Doesn’t Suck: Can you answer “Which partners are driving revenue?” without exporting to Excel every week?
If a tool can’t nail these, don’t bother chasing their “AI matchmaking engine” or whatever buzzword they’re pushing.
3. Check Integrations—But Only the Ones that Matter
A GTM tool lives or dies by its ability to play nice with the rest of your stack. But most teams only need a couple of core integrations:
- CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.): This is non-negotiable. If it doesn’t sync cleanly, you’ll be stuck double-entering data or cleaning up messes.
- Email/Calendar (Google, Outlook): For logging partner interactions automatically.
- Slack/Teams: Useful if you want real-time notifications, but not essential for everyone.
- Marketing Automation: Only matters if you’re doing partner-led co-marketing.
Don’t get wowed by a wall of logos. Test what you’ll actually use. Ask for a live demo of the integration working—not just a slide deck.
4. Evaluate Usability—Will Your Team Actually Use It?
It doesn’t matter how powerful a platform is if nobody wants to open it. Clunky UX kills adoption.
- Is onboarding simple, or will you need a two-hour training just to add a partner?
- Can non-technical folks navigate it without a manual?
- How many clicks does it take to log a deal or update a contact?
- Is mobile access decent, or an afterthought?
Ask for a free trial or sandbox. Watch your least tech-savvy teammate try it. If they get lost, move on.
5. Understand Data Sharing and Security (Don’t Just Trust the Brochure)
Partnerships are messy because you’re often sharing sensitive info between companies. Some tools gloss over this.
- Granular Permissions: Can you control exactly what partners see (and don’t see)?
- Audit Trails: Is there a record of who changed what and when?
- Compliance: If you’re in regulated industries (healthcare, finance), does the tool cover your needs? Ask for specifics, not just “we’re secure.”
If you get vague answers on security, consider that a red flag.
6. Dig Into Pricing—And Watch for Hidden Costs
A lot of B2B GTM tools hide their real costs behind tiered pricing, “platform fees,” or per-partner charges.
- Ask about all-in pricing: What does it actually cost for your current and projected number of partners?
- Are there limits on integrations, users, or API calls?
- Is onboarding or customer support extra?
Pro tip: Get a sample invoice for your actual use case. If the vendor can’t provide one, that’s a sign.
7. Look for Real-World References (Not Just G2 Quotes)
Vendors cherry-pick their testimonials. Ask for reference customers who actually use the product in a similar way to you.
- Ask how long they’ve used the tool and what’s gone wrong.
- Find out what they wish they’d known before signing.
- If you can, reach out to your network. Someone’s probably tried the tool (and will give you the unfiltered story).
Don’t rely on review sites alone. Most are pay-to-play or biased.
8. Don’t Overbuy—Start Simple and Iterate
It’s tempting to pick the “most powerful” platform now, just in case you need it later. But most teams end up using a fraction of the features.
Start with the basics: - Track contacts and deals. - Manage partner communications. - Get simple reporting.
You can always upgrade later. It’s easier to switch (or expand) if you’re not tangled in a five-year contract.
A Note on “All-in-One” Platforms vs. Point Solutions
There’s a trend toward “all-in-one” GTM platforms that claim to do everything—partnerships, ABM, sales enablement, you name it. In reality:
- Pros: Fewer logins, maybe some cross-team visibility.
- Cons: Jack of all trades, master of none. Often slow, confusing, and expensive.
If you’re focused on partnership management, a specialized tool like Partnered will usually serve you better than a Frankenstein platform that does a dozen things poorly.
What to Ignore
Here’s a quick list of things that sound nice but rarely matter in practice:
- Gamification features: Leaderboards and badges are rarely motivating in B2B partnerships.
- “AI-Powered” Everything: Unless it’s solving a real pain (like matching accounts), most of this is just marketing fluff.
- Overly complex partner portals: If it takes more than five minutes to show a partner how to use it, they won’t.
TL;DR: Keep It Simple, Test in Real Life, and Don’t Get Sold
Pick the tool that fits your real workflow, not the one with the most features or the flashiest pitch. Get hands-on. Talk to real users. Don’t let the sales cycle decide for you.
Start with the basics, make sure it works in the wild, then layer on complexity if you outgrow your setup. Most teams never do.
And remember: the best partnership management tool is the one your team actually uses. Everything else is just shelfware.