If you’re in charge of sales, marketing, or operations at a B2B company, you know how overwhelming the world of “go-to-market” software can get. Every other week, there’s a new platform promising to automate, accelerate, or revolutionize your sales motion. You’re probably here because you want to understand what actually matters when picking a go-to-market (GTM) platform—whether that’s Derrick-app or one of its many competitors.
Let’s skip the fluffy sales pitches and get straight to what you should look for—and what’s worth ignoring—in a B2B GTM platform.
Who This Is For
- B2B sales or marketing leaders who make software decisions
- Ops folks tired of duct-taping tools together
- Anyone who wants real answers, not buzzwords
Why GTM Platforms Matter—But Also, Don’t Expect Miracles
A good GTM platform helps you find leads, manage outreach, and keep your pipeline moving. But no tool is a silver bullet. Software can make your process smoother, but if your offer, messaging, or list is weak, no platform will save you. Keep that in mind as you shop around.
1. Data Quality and Coverage
What Matters
- Accurate, Up-to-date Data: If you’re buying a platform that promises contact discovery or account data, make them show their work. Don’t trust “database size” claims—test sample data for accuracy.
- Data Enrichment: Can it fill in missing info automatically (phone numbers, firmographics, etc.)?
- Compliance: GDPR and privacy rules matter. Any sketchy data practices could land you in trouble.
What’s Overhyped
- “Millions of contacts.” Most are stale or irrelevant. It’s about quality, not quantity.
Pro Tip: Before you buy, upload a sample target list and see what the platform actually returns. If you can, run a manual check on a few results.
2. Workflow Automation That Doesn’t Make a Mess
What Matters
- Sequencing/Outreach: Can you build outreach cadences (email, LinkedIn, calls) that match your strategy, not just their canned templates?
- Task Automation: Does the platform automate the boring stuff—logging activities, updating statuses, routing leads?
- Human-in-the-loop: Can you insert manual review steps? Full automation sounds nice until you’re apologizing for a cringe-worthy mail merge fail.
What’s Overhyped
- “AI-powered everything.” Most so-called AI is just basic rules and templates. Don’t pay extra for features you won’t use.
Pro Tip: Ask for a demo of an actual workflow, not a sanitized demo account. See how easy it is to fix mistakes or change steps.
3. CRM Integration (Without Giving You a Headache)
What Matters
- Native Integrations: Does it play nicely with your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)? Look for two-way sync—half-baked integrations create more manual work.
- Custom Field Mapping: Can you control what data goes where, or will it overwrite your good data with junk?
- Ongoing Reliability: Integrations break. Make sure there’s support and clear documentation.
What’s Overhyped
- “Works with 500+ tools.” Most companies only need a handful of solid integrations. More isn’t always better.
Pro Tip: Talk to a reference customer who actually uses the CRM integration every day. You’ll get the real story.
4. Reporting That Actually Helps You Improve
What Matters
- Pipeline Visibility: Can you see what’s working at each stage—not just vanity metrics, but conversion rates and bottlenecks?
- Customizable Dashboards: Every team tracks different stuff. Does the platform let you slice and dice your data?
- Export Options: Sometimes you just need to get the data into Excel or share with your boss.
What’s Overhyped
- “AI-driven insights.” If you can’t figure out why deals are stalling without a data scientist, the tool is too complex.
Pro Tip: Ask for a walkthrough of how they’d measure something you care about, not what’s in their canned demo.
5. User Experience: Fast, Clear, and Doesn’t Require a PhD
What Matters
- Speed: Is it snappy, or do you spend half your day waiting for pages to load?
- Setup Time: Can a new user get productive in a day, or do you need a six-month onboarding?
- Support: When you hit a snag, is there real help—or just a chatbot and endless “help docs”?
What’s Overhyped
- “Beautiful UI.” Pretty doesn’t always mean useful. You want straightforward navigation and clear labels.
Pro Tip: Let a less-technical team member try it for a day. If they’re lost, so will your future hires.
6. Pricing: Transparent, Predictable, and Fair
What Matters
- Clear Pricing Pages: If it takes three calls and a custom quote to get a number, that’s a red flag.
- No Surprise Limits: Watch out for per-seat, per-contact, or “API call” upcharges that weren’t obvious upfront.
- Easy to Scale Up (or Down): Can you add or remove users without drama?
What’s Overhyped
- “ROI calculators” based on fantasy math. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Pro Tip: Ask for a sample invoice based on your actual usage. Make sure you’re not getting nickel-and-dimed.
7. Security & Compliance: Not Just a Checkbox
What Matters
- Data Security: Does the platform meet basic standards (SOC 2, ISO, etc.)?
- User Permissions: Can you control who sees what—especially if you have contractors or multiple teams?
- Audit Logs: You’ll want a record of who did what, especially for sensitive deals.
What’s Overhyped
- “Bank-level security.” It’s meaningless unless they actually show certifications and good practices.
Pro Tip: Ask for their most recent compliance audit. If they dodge, that’s a problem.
8. API and Extensibility (If You Need It)
What Matters
- Open API: Can your team push/pull data as needed? Especially important if you have custom workflows.
- Webhooks or Zapier Support: Sometimes you just need a quick hack to connect tools.
- Documentation: Is it clear and up-to-date?
What’s Overhyped
- Fancy “marketplaces” full of integrations you’ll never touch.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have dev resources, don’t overpay for API access you’ll never use.
9. A Few Features You Can Usually Ignore
- Gamification (badges, leaderboards): Fun for a week, then forgotten.
- Overly Complex Lead Scoring: If you don’t have the volume or data, it’s just noise.
- “AI Email Writing”: Usually sounds generic—your SDRs can do better.
- Built-in Dialers (unless you do heavy calling): Separate tools often do this better.
Red Flags and “Gotchas” to Watch Out For
- Long Contracts: If they’re pushing an annual commitment before you’ve tried the software, slow down.
- Missing Product Roadmap: Are they investing in features, or just riding a trend?
- Bad Support: Test how fast and helpful their team is—before you’re locked in.
Keep It Simple—And Iterate
You don’t need every bell and whistle. Start with the basics: clean data, simple automation, and solid reporting. Don’t be afraid to test-drive a few platforms (including Derrick-app) and see what fits your actual workflow, not just what looks good in a sales demo.
Remember: Software should make your life easier, not more complicated. Stick to what you’ll actually use, and don’t let FOMO (or a slick sales deck) convince you otherwise. Try, tweak, and keep moving. That’s how you’ll build a GTM stack that actually works.