If you’re leading or building a B2B sales team, you’ve probably heard promises from every corner: “This GTM platform will 10x your pipeline!” “Revenue intelligence is the new CRM!” The hype is relentless, and the acronyms don’t help.
This guide is for sales, operations, and RevOps folks who actually have to choose, buy, and live with “Revenue” B2B GTM software—tools like Revenue, Clari, Gong, Outreach, and their many cousins. You want growth, but you don’t want to drown in features, lock yourself into a bad fit, or blow your budget on something your team quietly hates.
Here’s how to actually evaluate these tools—what matters, what’s noise, and how to avoid the classic mistakes.
1. Get Clear on the Real Problem You’re Trying to Solve
Before you even look at a demo, write down what’s actually slowing your sales team down. Is it:
- Reps wasting time updating CRM instead of selling?
- Forecasts that are always off (and everyone knows it)?
- Poor handoff between SDRs and AEs?
- Leadership feeling blind about what’s really happening in deals?
Most teams don’t need “AI-powered everything” or a dashboard for every metric under the sun. They need a few stubborn, specific bottlenecks fixed. If you can’t name your top 1-2 problems—or your list is “everything”—pause here. No software can solve fuzzy goals.
Pro tip: Interview your reps and managers. What’s their biggest gripe about the current process? Their answer is usually more valuable than any analyst report.
2. Know the Core Functions (and Ignore the Hype)
Most B2B GTM or “Revenue” platforms fall into a few buckets. The problem is, every vendor claims to do it all. Here’s a basic breakdown:
- Pipeline Management: Clean, up-to-date deal tracking, pipeline health, and sales stages.
- Forecasting: Predicting revenue based on current pipeline and historical close rates.
- Rep Activity Capture: Automatic logging of emails, calls, meetings, and notes.
- Coaching and Analytics: Conversation intelligence, call recording, win/loss insights.
You’ll see features like “AI-driven deal scoring,” “dynamic playbooks,” and “360-degree dashboards.” These sound great in a demo, but most teams only use the basics. Focus on the functions your team will actually use weekly, not just what looks slick.
What to ignore:
- “AI” features that are just basic reporting with a new logo on top.
- Integrations you’ll never use (do you really need Slack, 10 CRMs, AND WhatsApp?).
- Fancy dashboards—if it takes more than 5 minutes to explain, your team won’t use it.
3. Test for Real-World Fit, Not Just Shiny Demos
Vendors love a good demo environment. But your real data is messier, your team is busier, and your sales process isn’t “best practice”—it’s what works for you. Here’s how to test for fit:
- Ask for a sandbox or free trial with your data. See how the tool handles your ugly, real-world pipeline.
- Have actual reps use it for a week. Not just power users—grab a couple of skeptics.
- Check how much manual work is required. Are reps still double-entering data? Does it actually save time, or just add new inboxes to check?
- Forecast accuracy: Run a side-by-side test against your current method. Is the number actually better, or just different?
Pro tip: If the vendor won’t let you try before you buy, that’s a red flag. Good tools want you to test-drive.
4. Scrutinize Integrations and Data Hygiene
Every platform claims “native integrations” with Salesforce, HubSpot, email, and more. This is where things usually break down.
- Ask to see a live integration with your CRM—not a carefully curated demo account.
- Check for duplicates and sync errors. Bad data in = bad data out.
- How hard is setup and ongoing maintenance? If you need a consultant or full-time admin just to keep things running, think twice.
- Does it play nicely with your other must-have tools? (Dialers, chat, marketing automation, etc.)
What to watch for:
If the integration means “we dump a CSV once a week,” that’s not really an integration. And if your CRM is already a mess, no GTM software will magically fix it. You may need to clean up first.
5. Look for Adoption, Not Just Features
The best GTM software is the one your team actually uses. Even great tools flop if nobody logs in.
- How much training does it take? If you need hours of onboarding, expect drop-off.
- Is the UI clear, or will reps avoid it? Ask your least techy rep what they think.
- Can you set up simple workflows and reminders, or is it all “choose your own adventure”?
- Mobile and remote usability: Sales happens everywhere now. Test it on phones, tablets, and spotty Wi-Fi.
What doesn’t work:
Top-down mandates (“everyone MUST use this!”) rarely stick. Get buy-in early from at least a few frontline reps and managers. If the tool feels like “more work” to them, rethink.
6. Evaluate Cost Honestly—Not Just List Price
Pricing for these platforms is all over the map and rarely transparent. The sticker price is just the start.
- Ask about all-in pricing: Users, admins, integrations, support, implementation, add-ons.
- Check contract minimums and hidden fees: Some vendors demand annual contracts or minimum seats.
- Estimate internal costs: Who will manage this? Will you need to hire or pull someone off other projects?
- How easy is it to leave? Some tools are sticky by design; make sure you’re not locked in if it’s not working.
Pro tip: Push for a shorter initial contract or a paid pilot. Vendors will push back, but you’ll learn a lot—and have more leverage.
7. Dig Into Support, Roadmap, and Community
The best platforms invest in more than just features. Here’s what to look for:
- Support: Is it chatbots and ticket queues, or real humans who get back to you quickly?
- Product roadmap: Are they shipping real improvements, or just talking about “AI” and “automation” for the next year?
- Community and resources: Is there an active user group or Slack? Are resources actually helpful, or just marketing fluff?
What doesn’t matter:
Awards, analyst rankings, and customer logos on the homepage. Focus on what happens after you sign, when you need help.
8. Don’t Forget Change Management
No software fixes bad process or gets adopted by accident. Plan for a little friction.
- Set clear goals: “We want to cut manual data entry by 50%” is better than “We want to be data-driven.”
- Start small: Roll out to a pilot group, get feedback, tweak, then expand.
- Expect grumbling: Even great tools feel like “one more thing” at first. Address concerns, show quick wins, and be flexible.
Summary: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
GTM software can be a game changer, or it can be expensive shelfware. Here’s what actually works:
- Solve one or two real problems, not everything at once.
- Pick something your team will actually use—fewer features, more adoption.
- Test with your real data and people before you commit.
- Budget for the messy parts: integration, adoption, and inevitable tweaks.
Most importantly: don’t get paralyzed by options. Start with the basics, see what moves the needle, and adjust. The “perfect” tool doesn’t exist, but a good-enough one, used well, beats the fanciest platform nobody touches.