If you run B2B sales, you’ve probably heard the sales tech hype: “AI-powered insights!” “Next-gen pipeline management!” Most of it is fluff. But if you’re tired of missing deals because your CRM is full of junk data and your reps are working from gut feel, this review is for you. I spent weeks digging into Nektar, a GTM (go-to-market) software that promises to transform how B2B teams manage their pipeline. Here’s what actually matters, what’s just noise, and how it really fits into your sales stack.
Who Should Even Care?
Let’s be real: Nektar isn’t for everyone.
- You’ll care if: You run a B2B sales or revenue team (think 10+ reps), your CRM is a mess, and you’re tired of pipeline reviews that feel like guesswork.
- You won’t care if: You’re solo, run mostly inbound, or your team is religious about updating Salesforce.
This is not a tool for “just getting started.” It’s for teams where pipeline accuracy and forecasting actually matter.
What Exactly Is Nektar?
Nektar calls itself a “GTM data platform.” Translation: it plugs into your email, calendar, CRM, and sales tools, then tries to fill in all the missing data about deals, contacts, and activities—automatically.
The goal? Reps don’t have to waste time updating CRM, managers can actually trust the pipeline, and leadership (finally) gets a forecast that isn’t total fiction.
Key things it does: - Auto-captures emails, meetings, and contacts from reps’ inboxes and calendars - Fills in missing CRM fields (think: account contacts, deal activities) - Surfaces pipeline risks (e.g., stalled deals, missing stakeholders) - Tries to give you a “real” pipeline vs. a wish list
What it’s not: A CRM replacement, a sequencing tool, or a magic AI that closes deals for you.
How Nektar Works in the Real World
Here’s what actually happens when you roll out Nektar with a sales team.
1. Connecting Your Tools (Easier Than You’d Think)
Setup is surprisingly low-pain. You connect Nektar to Gmail or Outlook, your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.), and optionally your calendar and Slack.
- Pro tip: Expect a few days for everything to sync. Don’t panic if you don’t see magic right away.
- What works: Minimal IT lift. Most teams can get basic data capture running in under a week.
- What doesn’t: Older, heavily customized CRMs can be a pain. If your Salesforce is a Rube Goldberg machine, you’ll need patience.
2. Auto-Capturing Data (and Cleaning Up CRM)
This is where Nektar earns its keep. It automatically logs emails, meetings, and new contacts into your CRM, even if reps forget (or refuse) to do it. This plugs the usual “garbage in, garbage out” CRM problem.
- What’s good:
- You see way more stakeholder contacts on deals—no more “single-threaded” opportunities.
- Activities are actually logged, so you can see who’s engaging and who’s ghosting you.
- What’s meh:
- Sometimes it pulls in useless contacts (e.g., someone CC’d once). You’ll need to sanity-check early on.
- Not all email/calendar systems play nice. If your team uses five different email setups, expect hiccups.
3. Surfacing Pipeline Risks (The Real Value)
Nektar uses all that fresh data to flag deals that are at risk—like deals that haven’t had a meeting in 30 days, or those where you’re only talking to one person.
- What’s actually useful:
- You can spot “zombie” deals without relying on reps to admit they’re dead.
- Managers get a list of at-risk deals and can coach reps before it’s too late.
- What’s overhyped:
- The “AI” isn’t magic. It’s pattern-matching, not psychic. Take insights as a starting point, not gospel.
4. Improving Forecast Accuracy (But Don’t Expect Miracles)
Because your data is less garbage-y, your pipeline and forecast reports get less embarrassing. Leadership can see what’s real, what’s wishful thinking, and what’s stalling.
- What’s strong:
- Forecasts aren’t just “rep optimism.” There’s data to back it up.
- You finally get a view into real deal activity—no more “I swear, they’re close to signing.”
- What’s limited:
- If your sales cycle is super long, it’ll take months before you see real trend improvements.
- It won’t fix sales process issues—just shine a light on them.
What Nektar Gets Right
- Low lift for reps. The less reps have to do, the better your data. Nektar does most of the heavy lifting.
- Visibility into deals. You can actually see who’s engaged, where you’re single-threaded, and which deals are going nowhere.
- Better coaching moments. Managers aren’t flying blind in 1:1s anymore.
Where Nektar Falls Short
- Not a silver bullet. If your sales process is broken, Nektar just shows you the mess—doesn’t fix it.
- Contact “noise.” Pulling in every contact isn’t always helpful. You’ll want to review and clean up at first.
- Depends on integrations. If your tech stack is a Frankenstein, expect some troubleshooting.
Stuff to Ignore (Hype Filter)
- Buzzword bingo. “AI-powered pipeline intelligence” sounds cool, but don’t expect HAL 9000. It’s automation and pattern recognition, not true intelligence.
- Instant transformation. You’ll see some quick wins, but deep, useful change takes a few sales cycles (and some coaching work).
- One-size-fits-all. Nektar is best for mid-size and large B2B sales teams with messy or incomplete CRM data. If you’re not there, look elsewhere.
Pro Tips for Rolling Out Nektar
- Start with a pilot. Don’t dump it on your whole org at once—try it with a few reps or a single region.
- Clean up your CRM fields first. Garbage in, garbage out still applies. If your CRM is a wasteland, fix the basics.
- Sync with RevOps. Make sure your ops folks are on board. Nektar will surface every weird edge case in your process.
- Set expectations. Tell your team what it does (fills in missing data, flags risks), and what it doesn’t (close deals for you).
- Review early “noise.” The first few weeks, check what contacts are being pulled in. Tweak settings as needed.
Honest Nektar Alternatives
- People.ai: Similar auto-capture, but more focused on big enterprises. Expensive and heavier to implement.
- Clari: Strong for forecasting and pipeline inspection, but needs good data to start with.
- Gong: Great for call intelligence, less about pipeline “hygiene.”
If you just need cleaner CRM data and pipeline visibility, Nektar is simpler. If you need deep analytics or AI coaching, look at the others—but be ready to pay (and wait) more.
Bottom Line: Should You Bother?
If your pipeline reviews feel like detective work, and your CRM is only accurate on paper, Nektar is worth a look. It won’t magically turn your team into quota crushers, but it will give you the data you need to coach better and actually trust your pipeline.
Keep it simple: pilot with a small team, iterate your process, and remember—no tool fixes sales problems overnight. Real change comes from using better data to make smarter calls, not chasing the next shiny object.