If you’re in charge of picking B2B software for your sales team, you know the stakes. Get it right and you save time, money, and sanity. Get it wrong and you’re stuck with busywork, low adoption, and a graveyard of unused tools. This guide is for anyone who wants a no-nonsense way to figure out which GTM (go-to-market) sales software is actually worth your team’s time.
Here’s how to cut through the vendor noise and pick tools that help your reps hit their numbers.
1. Get Clear on What Problem You’re Actually Solving
Before you even look at a single demo, write down the real pain points you want to fix. Not the wishlist from a vendor’s website, but what’s actually slowing your team down.
Ask yourself and your team: - Where are deals stalling? - What’s eating up reps’ time? - Is it about better targeting, faster outreach, cleaner data, or something else?
Don’t fall for shiny objects. If your problem is pipeline visibility, a fancy email sequencer won’t help. If reps are drowning in admin, another dashboard won’t save them.
Pro tip: Ask frontline reps, not just managers. They’ll tell you where the real friction is.
2. Map Out Your Must-Have Features (and Ignore the Rest)
Vendors love to parade endless features. Most teams use about 20% of what they buy. Make a shortlist of what you actually need, not what’s nice to have.
Break features into buckets: - Critical: If the tool doesn’t do this, it’s a dealbreaker (e.g., integrates with your CRM, syncs activities automatically). - Nice-to-have: Could be useful, but won’t make or break adoption. - Ignore: Anything that sounds cool but doesn’t solve your core problem.
Watch out for: AI claims that don’t translate to real value. If the “AI” just rewrites email copy but your problem is prospecting, keep moving.
3. Check for Seamless Integration (Not Just “Integrates With…” Claims)
Every tool says it works with Salesforce, HubSpot, whatever. The question is: how does it integrate?
Dig deeper: - Is it bidirectional, or does it just dump data one way? - Does it support custom objects, or just the basics? - Will it break every time your CRM updates?
Ask for specifics: Get a real walkthrough, not a slide. If you can, talk to a customer who’s actually using it with your stack.
Red flag: If you hear “it’s on our roadmap,” assume you’ll be the guinea pig.
4. Evaluate Ease of Use (Don’t Take Their Word for It)
You want reps using the tool, not cursing at it. A slick UI in a demo means nothing if your team can’t figure it out.
- Get a trial or sandbox, not just a pre-canned demo.
- Have an average rep (not your resident techie) try basic tasks: finding leads, logging activity, running reports.
- Time how long it takes to do the most common job-to-be-done.
If it takes more than two clicks or a quick skim of the help docs, expect low adoption.
Tip: Don’t let the vendor drive the mouse during trials — you won’t see the rough edges.
5. Demand Real Proof of Impact
Case studies are nice, but everyone cherry-picks their best customers. Look for: - Independent reviews (G2, TrustRadius, Reddit, not just testimonials on their site) - References from teams your size and industry - Hard numbers, not just “increased productivity”
If a vendor says, “Our customers see 30% more pipeline,” ask for the math. Is it based on a handful of users? Are those teams similar to yours?
Be skeptical: If results sound too good to be true, they usually are.
6. Scrutinize Pricing and Contracts
Pricing is often a moving target with B2B tools. Watch for: - Hidden fees (implementation, API calls, “premium” support) - Minimum user counts - Multi-year lock-ins
Ask for a sample invoice. Get all costs in writing. Don’t be afraid to push back or walk away.
Pro tip: If a deal “expires tomorrow,” that’s a sales tactic, not a real deadline.
7. Check Support and Onboarding — Beyond the Sales Pitch
Even the best tool falls flat with lousy support. Here’s what to check: - Is onboarding guided, or do they just send you a link to their docs? - What’s their SLA for support tickets? - Will you get a dedicated CSM, or just a generic queue?
Ask current customers: “How long did it take your team to get up and running?” and “What broke, and how fast did support fix it?”
8. Pilot — and Let Your Team Break It
Don’t buy on gut feel or a rosy demo. Run a real pilot with a handful of reps. Set clear criteria for what success looks like (e.g., more meetings booked, less time spent on admin).
During the pilot: - Encourage honest feedback — not just from your project champion, but from the skeptics. - Track usage: Are people logging in? Is it saving time? Or is it just another tab they ignore? - Document every hiccup, slow-down, or workaround needed.
If adoption is low in the pilot, it’ll be worse after launch.
9. Don’t Buy for the Logo; Buy for the Fit
It’s tempting to chase the latest “must-have” tool or whatever your competitor just bought. Ignore the hype. The right tool is the one that fits your workflow, not the one with the flashiest tech or biggest customer list.
If you hear about a product like Rhetora that claims to unify sales communications, look past the buzzwords. Test it against your real use cases. Does it fill a gap, or just add another inbox?
10. Plan for Change — But Keep It Simple
No tool is forever. Your team, market, and process will change. Don’t get boxed in by something too rigid or complex.
- Favor tools that are modular, easy to swap out, and play nicely with others.
- Avoid all-in-one platforms unless you’re sure you’ll use every piece.
- Make sure your data is portable — getting locked in is a pain.
One Last Thing: Keep It Human
At the end of the day, software is just a means to an end. The best GTM tool is the one your team actually uses — and that makes their lives a little easier.
Don’t chase trends. Start with your real problems, test in the real world, and keep your stack as simple as you can. You can always add more later. The goal isn’t to have more software — it’s to help your sales team close more deals, with less hassle.