If you’re in charge of picking software for your sales or marketing team, you know the drill: endless demos, big promises, and lots of buzzwords. But you just want a tool that works, fits your workflow, and won’t be a nightmare six months from now. This guide is for B2B teams evaluating GTM (go-to-market) platforms—like Charm—and want real answers, not a product pitch.
Let’s walk through a clear, no-nonsense process to help you choose the right tool, dodge common mistakes, and keep your sanity.
1. Get Clear on Your Real Problems (Not the Shiny Features)
Most GTM software claims to “transform” your pipeline, “accelerate” sales, and “align” your teams. Ignore all that. Start by listing the actual problems your team faces, like:
- Leads are falling through the cracks because reps forget to follow up.
- Marketing and sales don’t see the same data, so attribution is a mess.
- Reporting takes hours, and nobody trusts the numbers.
- You’re using five tools that don’t talk to each other.
If you can’t tie a software feature to a real headache, it’s fluff. Don’t get distracted by AI widgets or dashboards you’ll never use.
Pro tip: Ask your team what’s actually annoying about their current workflow. Their answers will tell you more than any vendor demo.
2. Map Out Your Must-Have Workflows
Write out the core steps your team follows to move a lead from “just heard of us” to “signed contract.” For example:
- Capturing inbound leads from your website
- Assigning leads to reps
- Email and call tracking
- Creating quotes and getting approvals
- Reporting on pipeline and forecasting
Now, for each step, note down what’s slow, manual, or error-prone. When you look at a GTM tool like Charm, check if it handles these steps cleanly. Fancy integrations don’t matter if the basics are clunky.
Red flag: If a vendor can’t show you your exact workflow in their demo, move on.
3. Evaluate Data Handling and Integrations (Don’t Assume Anything)
A lot of GTM tools claim to “sync seamlessly” with Salesforce, HubSpot, or your email. Reality? Syncing is rarely seamless, and missing data can kill adoption.
Ask these questions:
- Can you import all your historical data, or just contacts?
- What happens if there’s a sync error? Who fixes it, and how fast?
- Does it work with the other tools you actually use (not just the big names)?
- Can you get your data out if you leave?
What matters:
- Ownership: You should own your data, not lock it up in some vendor’s system.
- APIs: If your team has technical folks, check if the API is usable—or just marketing fluff.
Ignore:
- “AI-powered insights” if the basics like clean data import/export aren’t rock-solid.
4. Run a Real-World Test With Your Team
Don’t just watch a vendor’s polished demo. Demand a trial or sandbox account and set up a simple, real-world test:
- Give it to the people who’ll actually use it (not just managers).
- Have them run through a day’s worth of tasks—logging activities, updating deals, running reports.
- Watch for bottlenecks, confusing steps, or anything that slows people down.
What works:
- Tools that feel intuitive without hours of training usually stick.
- Responsive support that actually solves small issues during your trial.
What doesn’t:
- Platforms that require a “certified admin” just to change a field label.
- Endless configuration before you can do anything useful.
5. Dig Into Reporting and Visibility (But Don’t Get Lost)
Every GTM platform will show you fancy dashboards. Most of them look great in a demo, but fall apart when you want to answer a real question, like “How many qualified leads did marketing actually deliver last month?”
Focus on:
- Custom reports: Can you create the exact reports your execs ask for?
- Data freshness: Are reports real-time, or do you wait for nightly syncs?
- Drill-down: Can you click into a number and see what’s behind it, or is it just eye-candy?
Ignore:
- “Predictive analytics” unless your data is already clean and consistent.
- Overly complex dashboards that nobody uses after onboarding.
6. Check the Price—And the Real Cost
There’s the sticker price, and then there’s the actual cost:
- Are there minimum seat counts or hidden fees for integrations?
- Will you need to hire consultants just to set it up?
- If you grow, does the price double, or is it flexible?
- What happens if you want to leave—are there export fees or long-term contracts?
Honest take:
Some tools are cheap up front but nickel-and-dime you for every extra feature. Others cost more, but just work out of the box. Do the math based on your team size and expected growth.
7. Pay Attention to Adoption and Support
A tool that nobody uses is worse than no tool at all. The best GTM platform is the one your team actually adopts.
- How much training is needed to get started?
- Is the support team responsive, or do you wait days for answers?
- Are there real user communities, or just marketing videos?
- Can you easily find documentation and self-help resources?
What works:
- Quick wins—if reps can see value in the first week, adoption skyrockets.
- Support that feels like part of your team, not just ticket-takers.
What to ignore:
- “White-glove onboarding” that’s mostly hand-holding you through a bad UI.
8. Ask for References—But Get the Real Story
Vendors will trot out their happiest customers. Go deeper:
- Ask for references in your industry and of similar company size.
- Find users outside the vendor’s list—LinkedIn is your friend.
- Ask about what didn’t go well, and how the vendor handled it.
You’ll get a sense of whether the tool’s strengths (and weaknesses) fit your reality.
9. Don’t Buy Into the Hype—Decide Based on Fit, Not FOMO
GTM software is a big investment, and the stakes are high. But don’t let fear of missing out (or a slick sales pitch) push you into a tool that doesn’t fit.
- Just because a competitor uses it doesn’t mean it’ll work for you.
- The “coolest” platform isn’t always the best for your workflow.
- If you’re getting pressured to “lock in” a price, take a breath. There’s always another deal.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Picking B2B GTM software isn’t about chasing the latest trend or buying into big promises. It’s about knowing your team’s real problems, testing tools in the real world, and not being afraid to say “no” to hype. Start small, get the basics right, and improve from there. You’ll save money, headaches, and—most importantly—your team will actually use what you choose.
Good luck, and remember: in software, simpler is usually better. If a tool makes your life easier today, that’s worth more than a hundred “transformative” features you’ll never use.