Looking at B2B go-to-market (GTM) software? You’ve probably heard of Intentsify and a dozen other platforms promising to supercharge your pipeline and make your sales team weep with joy. But, if you’re like most people, you just want to know: Will this actually help, or will it turn into another expensive dashboard nobody uses? This guide is for busy folks who need to cut through the noise and figure out what really matters when comparing Intentsify to other B2B GTM software.
1. Get Crystal Clear on What You Actually Need
Before you even start reading vendor websites, step back and get honest about your company’s GTM goals. Most tools sound the same, but not every platform is built for your specific needs.
Ask yourself and your team: - What problems are we trying to solve? (Be specific: e.g., “We’re wasting SDR time on bad-fit accounts,” not “We want more leads.”) - What’s broken in our current process? - Who’s going to use the tool, and how tech-savvy are they? - What systems does it need to plug into? (CRM, marketing automation, intent data, etc.) - What’s a realistic budget for this project—including setup and ongoing costs?
Pro tip: Write down these answers. Vendors will try to reframe your needs to fit their features. Don’t let them.
2. Understand What Intentsify and Its Competitors Actually Do
Intentsify bills itself as a “pipeline acceleration” platform built on intent data. Translation: It tries to help you find companies that are showing buying signals, so you can focus sales and marketing efforts on folks who might actually buy.
Competitors in this space include Demandbase, 6sense, Bombora, ZoomInfo, and others. They all talk about “account intelligence,” “orchestration,” and “activation.” Here’s what actually matters:
- Intent data: Do they source their own or aggregate from third parties? Is it reliable, or just noise?
- Segmentation: Can you slice and dice accounts the way you want, or are you stuck with their pre-baked filters?
- Integration: Does it play nice with your CRM and marketing tools, or will you be CSV-wrangling forever?
- Actionability: Does it help sales and marketing do something, or is it just another dashboard?
- Data freshness: Is the intel updated daily, weekly, or whenever the vendor feels like it?
- Privacy: Where does the data come from, and are there compliance headaches?
Reality check: No platform is perfect. Many promise “AI-driven insights” but end up overwhelming you with raw data you can’t use. Focus on what your team can realistically absorb and act on.
3. Make an Apples-to-Apples Feature Comparison
Most vendor feature lists are designed to look impressive, not to help you decide. Here’s a more honest way to compare:
Must-Haves vs. Nice-to-Haves
List the features you absolutely need (e.g., Salesforce integration, account scoring, custom intent topics). Everything else? Ignore it for now—“AI-powered widgets” and “multi-channel orchestration” sound great, but do you need them on day one?
Example comparison grid:
| Feature | Intentsify | Demandbase | 6sense | Bombora | ZoomInfo | |------------------------|------------|------------|--------|---------|----------| | Native Salesforce sync | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | | Custom intent topics | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited | | Data freshness | Daily | Daily | Daily | Weekly | Daily | | Self-serve segmentation| Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | | Pricing transparency | No | No | No | No | No |
Note: Pricing is almost never on the website. You’ll need to get on sales calls for actual numbers.
Don’t get distracted by: - Overhyped AI claims (most platforms use off-the-shelf models) - “Personalization at scale” promises (unless you have the team to run campaigns) - Integrations you’ll never use
4. Test the Data Quality—Don’t Just Take Their Word for It
Intent data can be hit or miss. Sometimes it finds real buying signals; sometimes it tells you a company’s in-market for 20 different products at once (which means… nothing).
How to check if the data is legit: - Ask for a free trial or pilot. If they won’t provide one, that’s a red flag. - Run a test: Pick a known set of accounts (good fits and bad fits). Does the tool surface them as “hot” at the right times? - Talk to your sales team. Do the “in-market” accounts actually match what they’re seeing? - Check for false positives. If your own company shows up as a target for your own product, something’s off.
Pro tip: Some vendors let you upload a list of accounts for enrichment. Use this to test how well their data covers your ICP (ideal customer profile).
5. Get Real About Integration and Usability
A killer feature set is useless if nobody adopts the tool. Ask these questions:
- How hard is it to set up? If the vendor says “just a few clicks” but the implementation guide is 50 pages, be skeptical.
- Who needs to log in daily? If it’s just for ops or IT, fine—but if sales and marketing are the end users, it needs to be dead simple.
- Does it automate hand-offs? Or is it just another set of alerts you’ll ignore?
- Does it create more busywork?
Ask vendors to show you: - A live walkthrough with your own data (not just a canned demo) - Where the data shows up in your CRM/marketing tools - How your team would actually use it day-to-day
If you can’t see yourself using it in your real workflow, move on.
6. Dig Into Support, Training, and Hidden Costs
- Support: Is there actual support, or just a chatbot and a knowledge base?
- Training: Will they help your team get up to speed, or is it “good luck, here’s the doc”?
- Contract terms: Watch for auto-renewals, minimum seat requirements, or hidden fees for “premium” features.
- Data limits: Some platforms throttle data or charge extra for additional usage.
Reality check: The sticker price is rarely the real price. Ask about: - Onboarding fees - Integration costs - Overage charges
If a vendor dodges these questions, that’s a sign they’re hiding something.
7. Talk to Real Customers (Not Just Hand-Picked References)
Every vendor has a list of “reference customers” who are contractually obligated to say nice things. If you want the real story:
- Ask your network (LinkedIn, peer Slack groups) if anyone’s using the tool and what they think.
- Search for critical reviews or customer complaints—not just vendor case studies.
- Ask about what doesn’t work, not just the wins.
Questions worth asking: - Did the tool actually change how your team works? - What broke during rollout? - If you could do it again, would you choose the same platform?
8. Score the Options and Make a Shortlist
After all the demos and research, you’ll probably be down to 2-3 options. Go back to your original list of must-haves and score each one:
- 0 = Doesn’t do it
- 1 = Sort of works
- 2 = Fully meets needs
Add up the points, but don’t ignore gut feel. If your team hated one tool in the demo, that matters.
9. Negotiate Like You Mean It
If you’re ready to buy, don’t accept sticker price—ever. The market is crowded, and vendors have room to move.
- Ask for pilot discounts, flexible terms, and opt-outs if the tool doesn’t deliver.
- Push for transparent pricing on renewals and expansions.
- Get everything in writing.
10. Keep It Simple and Iterate
No B2B GTM tool is magic. It won’t fix broken processes or turn bad data into good leads overnight. Pick a tool that solves your main problems, start small, and plan to tweak as you go.
Remember: The best solution is the one your team actually uses—and that helps you get meaningful work done. Ignore the hype, focus on real needs, and don’t be afraid to change course if something isn’t working. That’s how you get value, not just another line item on your software bill.