If you’re running a B2B sales or marketing team, you’ve probably heard about go-to-market (GTM) software that promises to “align your revenue engine” or whatever the latest pitch is. The hype is everywhere, but real results are harder to find. This review digs into Insightsquared — a well-known GTM analytics platform — to see if it actually helps teams hit their numbers, where it falls short, and how it compares to the competition. If you’re choosing a GTM tool for your 2024 stack, you’ll want the straight story.
What Is Insightsquared, Really?
Insightsquared is a sales analytics and forecasting tool aimed at B2B companies, especially those using Salesforce. It claims to help sales, marketing, and ops teams get a clear, real-time view of the pipeline, spot what’s working, and forecast revenue with more confidence.
If you want one dashboard to rule them all, this is the kind of tool you’d look at. It pulls in Salesforce data, crunches the numbers, and spits out charts and alerts. But, let’s not pretend — it’s not magic. You’ll need clean data and a team willing to actually use it.
Who’s it for? - B2B companies with at least a few sales reps and a CRM. - Sales/revops teams that want better reporting and pipeline visibility. - Leaders tired of “end of quarter surprises.”
If you don’t have a CRM (especially Salesforce), or you’re a tiny startup with a three-person sales team, this probably isn’t for you.
Core Features: The Good, The Bad, and The Hype
Let’s break down what Insightsquared actually delivers — not just what the website says.
1. Pipeline Analytics
What works:
- Gives a clear, visual view of your pipeline by stage, owner, and more.
- Tracks deal movement, so you can spot deals going cold or getting stuck.
- Customizable dashboards for different roles (sales rep, manager, exec).
What to watch for:
- Heavily reliant on data quality in your CRM. Garbage in, garbage out.
- Some users report slow dashboard load times with large datasets.
Ignore the hype:
- “AI-powered insights” are mostly basic trend spotting. Useful, but not groundbreaking.
2. Forecasting
What works:
- Pulls in historical trends and current deal progress to build forecasts.
- Lets you do scenario planning (“what if we pull in X% more pipeline?”).
- Helps surface sandbagging or over-optimism in rep forecasts.
What to watch for:
- Forecasts are only as good as the deal data you enter.
- If your sales process is chaotic, no tool will save you.
Pro tip:
- Use it to challenge reps’ gut feel — not as a replacement for real manager oversight.
3. Activity Tracking
What works:
- Aggregates call, email, and meeting data (if you connect tools like Outreach, Salesloft, or Gmail).
- Helps managers see who’s putting in the work (and who isn’t).
What to watch for:
- Integration setup can be clunky, especially with non-standard workflows.
- Privacy-minded reps may bristle at “big brother” tracking.
4. Revenue Attribution
What works:
- Connects marketing campaigns to deals and revenue, so you can see what actually works.
- Flexible attribution models (first-touch, last-touch, multi-touch).
What to watch for:
- If your campaign tracking is messy in Salesforce, expect headaches.
- Not a full-blown marketing analytics platform — it’s sales-first.
5. Alerts & Notifications
What works:
- Real-time alerts for key events (deal stuck, pipeline dropping, etc).
- Customizable so you’re not getting 200 emails a day.
What to watch for:
- Overly aggressive alert settings = notification fatigue.
Implementation: What’s Easy, What’s a Pain
The good:
- Setup is straightforward if you’re running a standard Salesforce instance.
- Most dashboards work out of the box for standard B2B sales processes.
The pain:
- Custom objects, unusual sales processes, or Franken-Salesforce setups need manual mapping.
- Data hygiene is everything. Expect to clean up fields, standardize stages, and deal with old junk data.
- Training is required — not because the tool is complicated, but because people resist change.
Rollout tips: - Start with a pilot team before company-wide rollout. - Get buy-in from managers — they set the tone for adoption. - Don’t try to automate every metric on day one.
How Insightsquared Stacks Up Against the Competition
You’re not choosing in a vacuum. Here’s how Insightsquared compares to other B2B GTM analytics players like Clari, Gong, and Salesforce’s native reporting.
Insightsquared vs Clari
Clari is the big dog in AI-based sales forecasting. It’s slick, and bigger companies love it for complex, multi-team forecasting.
- Insightsquared is better for smaller to mid-sized orgs that want strong analytics plus some forecasting.
- Clari is pricier and more focused on forecasting accuracy and pipeline management at scale.
- If you just want better reports and dashboards, Insightsquared is simpler and cheaper.
Insightsquared vs Gong
Gong is all about call recording and conversational analytics, not pipeline analytics. It’s great for coaching, less so for forecasting.
- Insightsquared gives you pipeline, forecasting, and attribution — not call insights.
- Some companies use both, but don’t expect Insightsquared to magically tell you what’s being said on calls.
Insightsquared vs Salesforce Reporting
Salesforce’s built-in reporting is… fine, but clunky and limited unless you build a lot yourself.
- Insightsquared is way more visual, faster, and less technical.
- If you live and breathe in Salesforce and have a good admin, you might not need another tool. But most teams get more value — and less frustration — from something like Insightsquared.
Pricing: What You Actually Pay
Pricing isn’t public, but expect a per-seat SaaS model, with minimums that make sense for teams of 10+ users. The more custom work you need, the more you’ll pay. It’s cheaper than Clari, but more expensive (and useful) than most reporting add-ons.
Watch out for: - Annual contracts with auto-renew. - Extra charges for advanced integrations or support.
Pro tip:
- Negotiate. There’s room, especially at renewal.
Where It Delivers Real Value
- Pipeline visibility: If your team’s always scrambling to explain what’s in the pipeline, this brings clarity.
- Faster, cleaner reporting: Saves hours of spreadsheet wrangling.
- Accountability: Managers can see what’s actually happening, not just what reps say.
Where It Falls Short
- Requires clean data: Junky Salesforce, junky insights.
- Some learning curve: Especially for non-technical users.
- Not a full RevOps suite: It’s analytics and forecasting, not enablement or engagement.
What to Ignore
- “AI insights” — helpful, but not what will make or break your quarter.
- One-size-fits-all dashboards — you’ll need to tweak things.
- Any promise of “plug and play” if your data is a mess.
Should You Use Insightsquared?
If you’re a mid-sized B2B company using Salesforce, want better forecasting and pipeline analytics, and are ready to clean up your data, Insightsquared is a strong pick. It won’t fix a broken sales process, but it’ll show you where the cracks are.
If you’re tiny, or your team resists dashboards, skip it. If you’re already deep into Clari or have a killer Salesforce admin, think twice.
The Bottom Line
GTM software like Insightsquared can help, but it’s not a silver bullet. The teams that win are the ones that keep it simple, focus on clean data, and actually use the insights — not just admire the charts.
Start small, get the basics right, and iterate. The tool is only as good as what you put into it.