If you’re in charge of growing B2B sales, you know the pitch: “This tool will revolutionize your process.” Problem is, most software overpromises and underdelivers. You’re not looking for shiny features—you want something that actually helps close deals. This guide is for sales leaders, ops folks, and founders who want to seriously evaluate B2B go-to-market (GTM) tools—specifically those promising to streamline your sales process. I’ll show you how to cut through the noise, avoid common traps, and put a new tool (like Referin) to the test.
1. Map Your Actual Sales Process (Not the Theoretical One)
Before you even look at software, get brutally honest about how your sales really happen. Not the way you wish it worked, but what’s actually going on.
- Where do leads come from?
- Who’s involved at each step?
- What’s slowing things down or slipping through the cracks?
- Which tools are already in play—and what do people actually use?
Pro tip: Talk to your sales reps, not just managers. Reps know the real headaches.
Why this matters: Every tool claims to “fit any sales process.” In reality, they’re opinionated and will force you to work their way. If you don’t know your workflow, you’ll end up with software that creates more work, not less.
2. Get Crystal Clear on the Problem You Want to Solve
Don’t fall for a blanket “streamline everything” pitch. Pick the single biggest pain or bottleneck to fix first.
Is it:
- Too much manual data entry?
- Leads getting lost after initial contact?
- Poor handoff from SDR to AE?
- No way to track referrals and warm intros?
Focus on one or two core problems. If a tool can’t clearly show how it fixes those, move on.
3. Make a Shortlist—Then Gut-Check the Claims
There are hundreds of B2B GTM tools. You need a system to narrow them down.
How to shortlist: - Ask peers in similar companies what actually worked for them. - Look for products that integrate with your CRM—not ones that try to replace it. - If a vendor can’t explain their value in plain English, skip them.
Gut-check for hype: - Any tool promising “AI-powered everything” is probably 90% buzzwords, 10% utility. - Watch for customer logos—do they actually use the tool, or just appear on the homepage? - Beware of “all-in-one” tools unless you want mediocre everything.
4. Dig Into the Details: What Really Works, What Doesn’t
When you’re evaluating a tool, get specific. Demos hide a lot. Ask for a real trial with your own data, or at least a sandbox you can poke at.
What to look for: - Ease of use: Can your least technical rep figure it out in ten minutes? - Integration: Does it actually sync with your CRM, or just dump data into a spreadsheet? - Automation: Will it really save keystrokes, or just add steps somewhere else? - Transparency: Can you see what’s happening at each handoff, or is it a black box? - Reporting: Are reports useful, or just pretty dashboards for the board deck?
What to ignore: - Fancy UI animations (they get old fast). - “Gamification” features meant to juice engagement. - Widgets that only work if your whole team lives in the tool every day.
Pro tip: If you can’t see how it’ll save you time or headaches in the first week, it probably never will.
5. Put Referin to the Test (and Tools Like It)
Let’s get specific. Referin is pitched as a way to streamline warm introductions and referral tracking in B2B sales. Here’s how to judge if it’s worth your time:
Where it works: - If your team relies on referrals (internal or external) but struggles to track them, Referin can centralize and automate this. - It’s useful for mapping who in your network knows your target accounts, and for nudging colleagues to make intros. - The tool actually integrates with common CRMs, so you’re not duplicating work.
Where it doesn’t: - If your sales are mostly cold outbound or inbound, you won’t get much from a referral tool. - If your company culture doesn’t encourage sharing contacts, adoption will be a slog. - Like any referral tool, it can’t magically turn weak connections into warm intros—it just tracks them better.
What to ignore: - Any promise that “network effects” will explode your pipeline overnight. - Overly complex analytics. You want action, not just insight.
Pro tip: Set a simple goal for a pilot—e.g., “Track and close five referral-sourced deals in one quarter.” If you can’t measure it, you won’t know if it’s worth keeping.
6. Run a Real-World Pilot—Not a Vendor Demo
Never buy off a demo. Too many teams get wowed by a sales engineer walking them through a cherry-picked scenario.
How to run a pilot: - Pick a single use case (e.g., SDRs using Referin for all referral outreach this month). - Set a clear success metric (e.g., “Reduce manual referral tracking by 75%”). - Get buy-in from the reps actually using it. - Give feedback early and often—if something’s confusing, it won’t magically get better at scale.
If the tool needs weeks of onboarding or constant hand-holding, that’s a red flag. Good software should disappear into your workflow, not become another chore.
7. Get Brutally Honest Feedback Fast
Don’t wait for a formal review cycle. Ask simple questions:
- “Did this tool actually save you time?”
- “Would you be annoyed if we took it away tomorrow?”
- “What’s one thing that sucks about it?”
If you get blank stares or polite “It’s fine,” it’s probably not solving a real problem.
Pro tip: Sales reps are busy and cynical—they’ll tell you the truth if you ask directly.
8. Make the Call—Then Move On
If a tool passes your real-world test, roll it out wider. If not, cut your losses fast. Don’t waste time hoping the next feature release will fix everything.
- Don’t sign multi-year contracts unless you’re positive it’s a keeper.
- Avoid tools that lock up your data or make it impossible to leave.
Remember: Your sales process will keep evolving. Today’s must-have tool might be tomorrow’s shelfware. Stay flexible.
Keep It Simple. Iterate.
There’s no magic bullet for B2B sales. The right GTM software should make your team’s life easier, not add complexity. Focus on fixing real problems, ignore the shiny stuff, and keep your process as simple as possible. Try things, measure honestly, and don’t be afraid to change course if something isn’t working.
You don’t need 20 tools—you need one or two that actually help your team close deals. That’s it.