If you’re running B2B go-to-market (GTM) campaigns, you know the drill: endless tabs, scattered spreadsheets, and CRMs that feel like they were designed for someone else’s problems. If you’re hunting for a way to actually get your team focused and organized—without the hype—Ocean might be worth a look. This guide breaks down what Ocean really offers for B2B GTM, what’s useful, and what you can probably ignore.
This is for founders, marketers, or anyone wrangling B2B sales and marketing. Let’s get into it.
What is Ocean, Really?
Ocean pitches itself as a workspace for B2B sales teams. Think of it as a mix of CRM, sales pipeline tracker, and team collaboration tool—minus the bloat of legacy platforms. Ocean tries to keep things simple and actionable, instead of drowning you in fields you’ll never use.
Who’s Ocean For?
- B2B startups and scale-ups that don’t have time for Salesforce-level complexity
- Growth and sales teams who need shared visibility, but hate admin work
- Founders who want to see what’s working (and what isn’t) without a consultant translating the data
If your GTM motion involves cold outreach, warm intros, and messy handoffs between marketing and sales, Ocean is squarely in your lane.
Key Features That Matter (And Some That Don’t)
Let’s skip the brochure-speak and focus on the features that actually help ship B2B GTM campaigns:
1. Simple, Flexible Deal Pipelines
Ocean’s pipeline view is clean and visual. You can drag deals between stages (like “Contacted,” “Demo,” “Negotiation,” “Closed Won/Lost”), and customize stages on the fly.
What works:
- You see the whole funnel at a glance—no digging.
- Custom fields are easy to add, so you can track what matters (e.g. contract value, lead source).
- Filtering and tagging are fast, and don’t require a PhD in CRM setup.
What doesn’t:
- If you have very complex, multi-product deals or need deep workflow automations, Ocean isn’t as powerful as enterprise CRMs.
- Reporting is solid but not as customizable as something like HubSpot (but honestly, how often do you really need those 28 chart types?).
Pro tip:
If you’re moving fast and don’t want a full-time admin, Ocean’s “good enough” approach is a win. For edge-case reporting or integrations, you might hit limits.
2. Shared Contact Database (That Doesn’t Suck)
Every B2B GTM effort lives and dies by its contact list. Ocean has a central database for leads, companies, and contacts, which your whole team can update.
What works:
- Quick import from CSVs or spreadsheets—no fighting with field mapping.
- Duplicate detection is decent (not perfect, but better than most).
- You can see full contact history—calls, emails, notes—all in one place.
What doesn’t:
- There isn’t a built-in data enrichment tool. If you want auto-sourced LinkedIn profiles or firmographic data, you’ll need a plug-in or manual work.
- Contact sync with Gmail/Outlook is available, but not as seamless as with big CRMs.
Ignore this:
Don’t get distracted by “AI-powered lead scoring.” Ocean keeps it basic, which is honestly fine—most scoring models are more guesswork than science.
3. Team Collaboration That Stays Out of Your Way
Ocean lets you tag teammates, leave comments on deals, and assign tasks. It’s not Slack, but it covers the basics.
What works:
- @mentions and notifications mean nothing slips through the cracks.
- Shared notes help keep context, especially when deals change hands.
- Real-time updates—no “who edited this last?” confusion.
What doesn’t:
- There’s no deep project management (like complex task dependencies or Gantt charts)—but for GTM, that’s rarely needed.
- If your team already lives in Slack, you’ll probably still need both tools.
Pro tip:
Use Ocean as the “source of truth” for deals and contacts. Keep quick chats in Slack, but move anything important into Ocean to avoid loss of context.
4. Built-In Outreach Tools
Ocean includes basic email sequencing and task reminders. You can send one-off or automated emails to prospects, track opens/clicks, and schedule follow-ups.
What works:
- No need to buy a separate outreach tool for simple campaigns.
- Templates and mail-merge fields save time.
- Reminders keep you on track with follow-ups.
What doesn’t:
- It’s not a replacement for heavy-duty outbound tools like Outreach or Salesloft. No advanced A/B testing, trigger logic, or multi-channel cadences.
- Deliverability tracking is basic—don’t expect deep analytics.
Ignore this:
If you’re running small, targeted B2B campaigns, Ocean’s built-in email is probably enough. If you’re blasting thousands of leads a week, you’ll want a dedicated tool.
5. Real, No-Nonsense Reporting
Ocean gives you dashboards for pipeline, conversion rates, and team activity. It’s not fancy, but you get what you need: which deals are stuck, how fast leads are moving, and who’s actually closing.
What works:
- Out-of-the-box reports are easy to read.
- No endless setup—just pick what you want to see.
- Export to CSV if you need to do deeper analysis elsewhere.
What doesn’t:
- Custom dashboards and deep analytics are limited.
- No native forecasting based on AI or historical trends (but those are often more confusing than helpful).
Pro tip:
Don’t obsess over dashboarding. Use Ocean to spot obvious bottlenecks (e.g., deals stalling at “Proposal” stage), and fix those first.
Benefits for Real-World B2B GTM Teams
1. Faster Ramp-Up, Less Training
Ocean is simple enough that new reps can get going in a day, not a week. No multi-day onboarding or certification courses. You’ll spend more time actually selling, less time learning software.
2. Fewer Silos, More Visibility
Because everything’s in one place—deals, contacts, notes—your team isn’t playing “who knows what” every meeting. That means marketing and sales can finally stay on the same page.
3. Keeps You Focused on What Matters
Ocean isn’t trying to be everything. The features are focused on helping you move deals, not just collect data for the sake of it. This forces you to focus on real pipeline movement, not vanity metrics.
4. Lower Cost (and Lower Headaches)
You’re not paying for an enterprise CRM with features you’ll never use. Ocean’s pricing is straightforward, and you won’t need a dedicated admin just to keep things running.
What to Watch Out For
Ocean isn’t perfect. There are a few things to keep in mind:
- Limited deep integrations: If you need complex workflows or lots of third-party tools, you might hit walls.
- No advanced automation: If your GTM strategy relies on if-this-then-that logic everywhere, Ocean may feel too lightweight.
- Not for huge sales orgs: If you have dozens of salespeople, complex territories, or compliance needs, you’ll probably outgrow Ocean.
But honestly, most early and mid-stage B2B teams don’t need all that. Ocean works best for teams that value speed over perfect process.
How to Get Started (and Skip the Missteps)
- Map your current GTM process. Don’t just import every field from your old CRM. Decide what stages and data actually matter.
- Set up your pipeline stages and fields in Ocean. Keep it simple—too many stages will just slow you down.
- Import your contacts and deals. Clean them up first. Ocean’s import tool is forgiving, but garbage in, garbage out.
- Get your team onboard. Show them the basics and set expectations: Ocean is your source of truth.
- Start using the outreach tools for your next campaign. Try a small batch of leads first—don’t blast your whole list.
- Review your dashboard weekly. Make quick changes to your process based on what you see. Iterate, don’t overthink.
The Bottom Line
Ocean isn’t going to magically fix your GTM motion. No tool will. But if you want something that’s simple, fast, and focused on the stuff that actually helps B2B teams close deals, it’s a solid choice. Skip the endless configuration, get your team in the habit of logging real activity, and adjust as you go. The best way to win at B2B GTM? Keep it simple, measure what matters, and don’t be afraid to change things up when something’s not working.