So you’re looking at Hook and a stack of other B2B go-to-market (GTM) tools, trying to figure out what actually moves the needle for your sales team. Maybe your inbox is full of demo invites and promises that “this platform will transform your pipeline.” You want something that works, not just another shiny dashboard you’ll ignore in three months.
This guide is for sales leaders, rev ops folks, or anyone tasked with picking the right GTM software—without wasting time or money. Here’s how to cut through the noise and make a decision you won’t regret.
1. Get Clear on What “Success” Looks Like for Your Sales Team
Before you even look at features, nail down what you want to improve. GTM tools like Hook can do a lot, but not all of it might be useful or even relevant.
Ask yourself and your team: - Where are deals getting stuck or lost? - What manual tasks are burning hours each week? - Are reps actually using the tools you already have? - What data or insights do you wish you had on hand?
Pro tip: Write down your top three problems. If a tool doesn’t help with at least one, skip it. Don’t get distracted by “nice to have” stuff.
2. Map Out Your Current Stack—And Its Gaps
Most sales teams already have some combination of CRM, sales engagement (like Outreach or Salesloft), maybe a data provider, and analytics. Before you layer on something like Hook, make sure you know:
- What’s working? (Be honest!)
- What’s collecting dust?
- Where are the handoffs clunky? (e.g., marketing to sales, SDR to AE)
- What’s missing, and what’s duplicated?
Don’t: Buy a tool just because it integrates with something you never use.
3. Compare the Core Features—Ignore the Fluff
Every B2B GTM platform claims to be “AI-powered” and “end-to-end.” Most aren’t. Focus on features that actually solve your real problems.
For Hook and its competitors, look at: - Lead routing & assignment: Does it match your rules? Flexible enough for your team’s quirks? - Engagement tracking: Can you see who did what and when—without clicking through ten screens? - Playbook automation: Is it easy to set up, or will you need a consultant every time you want to tweak something? - Reporting: Are reports built for humans (aka, your reps and managers), or just for impressing the board? - Integrations: Does it actually connect cleanly to your CRM and email, or does it break every other week?
Stuff to watch out for: - “AI” features that sound cool but give you generic advice (“Call prospects at 2pm!”). - Overly broad promises: “We do everything!” (They don’t.) - Complicated pricing tiers hiding must-have features behind higher paywalls.
Pro tip: Ask for a live demo using your actual data or workflow. If they can’t show you what matters to you, that’s a red flag.
4. Evaluate Real-World Usability (Not Just the Demos)
A tool can look amazing in a sales demo and be a nightmare to use day-to-day. Push past the slides and ask:
- How many clicks to do the thing your team does most? (e.g., logging a call, assigning a lead)
- Do reps want to use it, or is it just more busywork?
- Can a new hire figure it out without a two-week onboarding?
- What happens when something breaks—how’s support, really?
Ask for: - A free trial or sandbox account. - References from teams actually using it (preferably in your industry or company size). - A breakdown of hidden costs: setup, integrations, ongoing admin.
What to ignore: Fancy UI animations or “gamification” features. If the basics aren’t solid, none of that matters.
5. Dig Into Integration and Data Flow
Most sales tools claim to “integrate seamlessly” with your CRM, email, and calendar. Reality is usually messier.
Key questions to ask: - How does data sync—real time, hourly, nightly batch? - Who owns integration maintenance—you or them? - If something breaks, how do you know? (Do you even get alerted?) - Is there a real API, or just a Zapier workaround?
Specific to Hook: See if it pushes and pulls the right data from your core systems. If you’re using tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Outlook, make sure it doesn’t create duplicate records or break your existing workflows.
Pro tip: Get your ops or IT person to sit in on integration discussions. They’ll spot red flags you might miss.
6. Consider Scalability and Change Management
It’s easy to buy a tool for your current team size. But what about when you add new reps, new territories, or go upmarket?
- How hard is it to add users or adjust rules?
- Can you tweak workflows without a developer?
- Does the pricing shoot up if you grow?
- How does training work for new hires?
Watch out for: Tools that require heavy admin work or lots of ongoing “care and feeding.” If you’re a lean team, you don’t want to babysit your software.
7. Pressure-Test the Vendor: Support, Roadmap, and Trust
No software is perfect, but you want a vendor that owns up to bugs and keeps improving.
Ask about: - Real-world support (not just a chatbot). How fast do they respond? Are they helpful, or do they just quote docs? - Product roadmap. Is it full of marketing fluff, or are they shipping meaningful updates? - Community or user group—do power users help each other, or is it a ghost town?
With Hook and others: Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions. A good vendor will be honest about what their product can’t do yet.
8. Price It Out—And Don’t Forget the “Soft Costs”
The sticker price is only part of the story.
- Are there onboarding fees?
- Is customer support extra?
- Will you need to hire or retrain someone to manage the tool?
- If you leave, can you take your data with you?
Pro tip: If a tool costs more but saves your team hours a week (and they actually use it), it’s probably worth it. If it just adds another login to ignore, it’s not, no matter how cheap.
9. Pilot—and Measure What Matters
Don’t roll out anything team-wide until you’ve tested it in the wild. Set up a pilot with a couple of reps or a single segment, and actually track:
- Time saved on manual tasks
- Pipeline velocity (deals moving faster?)
- Rep adoption (are people using it, or working around it?)
- Actual closed/won deals attributed to the tool
What to ignore: Vanity metrics (“logins per day,” “emails sent”). Focus on results you care about.
10. Make the Call—And Keep It Simple
After piloting, make the call. No tool is perfect. The best system is the one your team actually uses and that solves your top problems.
If you’re stuck: - Go back to your original “top three problems.” - Pick the tool that solves the most, with the least hassle. - Plan to review in six months. You can always switch or add something later.
Don’t fall for FOMO or the latest trends. Most of the time, it’s better to have a simple, working setup than a stack of half-used tools.
Bottom line: Picking the right GTM software—whether it’s Hook or something else—comes down to knowing your problems, cutting through the hype, and making sure the basics work. Test it, trust your team’s feedback, and keep it simple. You’ll save money, headaches, and probably your sanity.