If you’re trying to pick the right go-to-market (GTM) software for your sales team, you’re probably drowning in feature lists and vendor hype. Maybe you’ve heard about Topo, or maybe your inbox is full of pitches for a dozen other tools. Either way, you just want to know: what actually matters, what’s just noise, and how do you make a smart choice your team won’t regret?
This guide is for sales leaders, ops folks, or anyone tasked with sorting out the GTM software mess. Let’s walk through a practical, no-nonsense way to size up Topo against other B2B GTM platforms and make a call you can stand by.
1. Get Clear on What You Actually Need
Before you compare anything, take a hard look at your actual workflow. Most teams don’t need every bell and whistle. Here’s how to zero in on your needs:
- Map your current process. Where do deals get stuck? Where do reps waste time?
- List your must-haves. Distinguish between “would be nice” and “can’t live without.” (If everything’s a must-have, you’re doing it wrong.)
- Check for gaps. Are you missing outreach automation, analytics, playbooks, integrations, or something else?
- Talk to your team. Ask reps and managers what frustrates them with your current stack.
Pro tip: Write your requirements down. If you don’t, you’ll get distracted by shiny demo features that don’t matter.
2. Understand What Topo Actually Does (and Doesn’t)
Let’s get real: every GTM vendor says they’re all-in-one. They’re not. With Topo, here’s what you’ll typically see:
Strengths: - Solid playbook automation. Good for enforcing repeatable sales processes, especially if you’re scaling. - Decent analytics. You get reporting that’s actionable, not just pretty charts for the exec deck. - Integrations with common CRMs. Not every exotic tool, but it covers Salesforce, HubSpot, the usual suspects.
Weak spots: - Customization can be clunky. If your process is weird or you want deep tweaks, expect some pain. - Learning curve. New reps need a few days to get up to speed—plan for real onboarding. - Not a marketing tool. If you want marketing automation or ABM, you’ll need something else.
Ignore the hype: Topo won’t magically fix broken sales processes. If you don’t have a process, it’ll just automate the chaos.
3. Build a Simple Comparison Framework
Now, line up Topo with a couple of other B2B GTM tools your team is considering. Don’t overcomplicate this step—use a spreadsheet with columns for each vendor and your list of must-haves.
Key things to compare:
- Core features: Outreach automation, pipeline management, analytics, playbooks, etc.
- Integrations: Does it work with your CRM, email, calendar, and anything else you rely on every day?
- Ease of use: Can your team actually use it, or will it collect dust?
- Reporting: Are the analytics actionable, or just eye candy?
- Customization: Can you tweak workflows without a PhD or a weeklong training?
- Pricing: Not just the sticker price—watch for seat minimums, setup fees, and “premium” add-ons.
Red flag: If a tool hides pricing or won’t give you a straight answer, budget for sticker shock.
4. Ignore the Features That Don’t Move the Needle
Vendors love to tout flashy features. Most of them don’t matter. Here’s what you can safely ignore when evaluating Topo or any other B2B GTM tool:
- AI everything. Unless the AI is actually doing something specific you need (e.g., auto-logging calls, not just “insights”), skip it.
- Gamification. Salespeople care about commissions, not badges.
- Endless integrations. If you don’t use it now, don’t pay extra for it.
- “Community” access. Nice, but not a reason to buy.
- Custom branding. Your logo on a dashboard doesn’t close deals.
Focus your energy on: - Will this tool save my reps real time? - Will it help us hit quota faster? - Will it flag deals at risk early enough to act?
If the answer’s no, move on.
5. Kick the Tires: Demos, Trials, and Reference Calls
Never, ever buy based on a demo alone. Here’s how to actually see if Topo or its competitors fit your team:
- Get a sandbox trial. Push for a real trial account, not a guided tour with a sales engineer clicking around.
- Use real data. Set up your actual playbooks, try importing a list, run a few dummy deals.
- Involve your team. Have at least one seller and one manager test-drive it. Don’t just let your ops person play around.
- Ask for references. Insist on talking to a customer in your industry and similar company size. Ask them what doesn’t work.
- Test support. Open a ticket or ask for help with setup. How fast and useful are their responses?
Pro tip: If the vendor drags their feet or can’t give you a real trial, that’s a preview of future support.
6. Weigh the Real Costs—Not Just Pricing
A lot of GTM tools look cheap upfront but get expensive in a hurry. Watch out for:
- Per-seat pricing games. The “starting at $50/month” price is usually for 10 seats or more.
- Mandatory onboarding fees. Some vendors charge thousands just to get started.
- Feature gating. Some “must-haves” are only in the enterprise plan.
- Admin overhead. If it takes a specialist to manage, factor in that salary or consulting cost.
- Contract lock-in. Multi-year deals are risky unless you know you’ll stick with the tool.
Sanity check: Estimate the all-in yearly cost for your whole team, not just the sticker price.
7. Make the Case (and Keep It Simple)
Now you’re ready to make a recommendation. Here’s how to keep your sanity:
- Keep your requirements list front-and-center. Don’t get sidetracked by “what if” scenarios.
- Be honest about trade-offs. No tool is perfect. Call out what you’re giving up and why.
- Document your process. This helps when someone asks, “Why didn’t we just pick the other one?”
- Start with a pilot. Roll out to a small group first. If it flops, no big deal.
Remember: The perfect tool doesn’t exist. The best fit is the one your team will actually use, and that plays nice with your existing stack.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Overthink It
Most sales teams don’t need a spaceship—they need a tool that works, doesn’t slow them down, and helps them close more. Topo might be a fit, or maybe it isn’t. What matters is being clear about what you need, ignoring the noise, and testing in the real world before you buy.
Get the basics right, stay skeptical of the hype, and don’t be afraid to switch things up if your first choice doesn’t pan out. Simple beats fancy, every time.