If you’re leading sales, ops, or revenue teams, choosing the right tools for your go-to-market (GTM) stack is a headache you don’t need. There’s always a new “gamechanger” in the space, and separating substance from hype is half the battle. This guide is for anyone considering Nektar (that’s this one) for B2B GTM and trying to figure out if it’s actually worth it—or if you should go with one of the heavyweights like Clari, People.ai, or a homegrown solution.
Let’s cut to the chase: this isn’t about ticking boxes on a feature chart. It’s about making sure you’re not stuck with a tool that makes your life harder, not easier.
Step 1: Get Clear on What Problem You’re Actually Trying to Solve
Before you even look at Nektar or any alternative, nail down what’s broken or missing in your current GTM process. Seriously, write it down. Is it:
- Sales pipeline visibility?
- Revenue forecasting?
- Data hygiene (garbage in, garbage out)?
- Rep productivity?
- Something else?
Pro tip: If your answer is “all of the above,” get more specific. No software will fix everything. If you can’t draw a line from the tool to a revenue problem, you’ll end up with shelfware.
Step 2: Break Down What Nektar Actually Does (And Doesn’t)
Here’s the deal with Nektar: it positions itself as a “revenue operations platform.” Translation: it tries to automatically capture sales activity data (emails, meetings, contacts) from all the places reps work, clean it up, and push it to your CRM. The goal is to give you a more accurate, real-time look at what’s happening in deals—without begging reps to log stuff.
Where Nektar usually shines: - Automated data capture: Emails, calls, meetings—pulled in automatically, so no more “forgetting” to update CRM. - Contact and activity enrichment: Finds missing stakeholders and sales touchpoints you might otherwise miss. - Pipeline health and forecasting: Claims to give a more honest picture of deal progress, since data is less likely to be faked or skipped.
What you won’t get: - Deep AI-powered forecasting: Nektar does forecasting, but it’s not (yet) in the league of Clari’s advanced AI models. - Cross-team collaboration tools: It’s not a Slack/Teams replacement, and won’t magically fix silos. - Out-of-the-box integrations for every tool: Double-check your stack. Nektar covers the usual suspects (Salesforce, Google Workspace, MS 365), but if you use more niche tools, you’ll need to ask.
Watch out for: - If your team already hates your CRM, Nektar won’t fix the relationship—just the data flow. - Nektar works best for mid-market to larger orgs with at least a few reps. Solo founders or super-small teams probably won’t get much value.
Step 3: Line Up the Real Alternatives
Don’t just compare Nektar to “the market.” Here are the usual suspects:
- Clari: The 800-pound gorilla for revenue forecasting and pipeline management. AI-driven predictions, tons of integrations, steep price tag.
- People.ai: Focuses on capturing activity data and mapping buying groups, similar to Nektar, but with more emphasis on rep performance analytics.
- Gong: Known for call recording and conversational intelligence, but also captures sales activity. Less about pipeline, more about coaching and deal insights.
- Homegrown solutions: Some companies build their own automations or use Zapier, custom scripts, or BI tools to patch holes. Cheap in the short term, but a maintenance nightmare.
When comparing, focus on: - Data capture accuracy: Does it actually pick up the activities and contacts you care about? Test with real data. - Ease of setup: How much IT pain are you in for? Some tools are plug-and-play; others take months. - Forecasting: Is it good enough for your needs? Or do you need the “AI magic” of a bigger platform? - Price: Not just sticker price—consider admin costs, required licenses, and the cost of bad data. - Support: Will someone actually help you get unstuck, or are you just a ticket in a queue?
Ignore: - “AI-powered” claims unless you see it working with your own data. - Fancy dashboards that look great in demos but don’t help you run your business.
Step 4: Run a Real-World Pilot (Not a Polished Demo)
Vendors love to show you their best-case scenario. You want to see how it works with your messiest, real-world data. Here’s how to do it:
- Pick a test group: A few reps or managers who’ll actually use it.
- Connect your real systems: Don’t use demo data. If it breaks, you want to know now.
- Measure before and after: Was there less manual data entry? Did pipeline visibility improve? Did it surface missing contacts?
- Ask the team: Did it make their lives easier—or just add another tab to ignore?
- Push the limits: Try to “break” the tool. See how it handles weird edge cases, odd data formats, or out-of-date CRM records.
Pro tip: If the vendor won’t let you trial the product with your own data, that’s a red flag. Walk away.
Step 5: Score the Intangibles (But Don’t Get Sucked In)
Some things won’t show up on a feature chart, but matter just as much:
- Vendor reliability: Are they growing, stable, and not about to disappear? Or are they burning VC cash and pivoting every six months?
- Customer support: Is there a real person you can talk to, or just endless self-serve articles?
- Roadmap honesty: Ask them about features that aren’t there yet. Do they give you a straight answer, or just vague “coming soon” promises?
- Community/peer feedback: Find real users (not just reference calls) and ask what’s actually improved for them.
And don’t forget: switching costs are real. Even if you hate your current setup, moving all your data and retraining the team isn’t trivial. Make sure the upside is worth the hassle.
Step 6: Cut Through the Noise—What Actually Moves the Needle?
After all the demos, sales calls, and internal debates, ask yourself:
- Will this tool actually help us close more deals, faster? Or is it just a reporting layer?
- Does it fit how our team already works, or will it force a painful process change?
- Is the pricing clear, or are you going to get nickel-and-dimed for every user or add-on?
- Can your ops/admin team actually run this, or will you need outside help every time something breaks?
If you’re not sure, you probably don’t need it yet. Most companies overbuy and underuse these tools. Start with the simplest solution that solves your main pain point, and only upgrade when you outgrow it.
Summary: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
You’ll see a lot of hype around platforms like Nektar, Clari, and the rest. The truth? Most of these tools do some things really well, but none of them will magically fix broken processes or culture. Pick the one that fits your actual workflow, solves your biggest problem, and is easy enough that your team will actually use it.
Try it, break it, see if it actually helps. If it doesn’t make your life easier in 90 days, move on. Don’t overthink it—and don’t let shiny feature lists distract you from what matters: closing more business, with less hassle.