If you’re hunting for a B2B go-to-market (GTM) platform, you already know the drill: endless claims about AI-powered magic, “frictionless” workflows, and game-changing insights. Reality? Most platforms are a mixed bag. Some genuinely help sales and marketing teams hit their numbers. Others are just a flashy dashboard with a new coat of paint.
This guide is for sales, marketing, and RevOps folks who don’t want to waste time. We’ll break down what actually matters in a B2B GTM platform, what’s just noise, and where Arti stands out (or falls short). No fluff, just the features that’ll move the needle for your team.
Who Needs a GTM Platform—and Why?
Let’s get real. GTM platforms aren’t for everyone. If your team is five people working off spreadsheets, you probably don’t need one (yet). But if you’re:
- Juggling dozens of outbound campaigns
- Managing marketing and sales handoffs
- Dealing with messy lead routing or patchy CRM data
- Getting the “what’s working?” question from the C-suite
…then a solid GTM platform can actually save you time, money, and headaches.
What Actually Matters: Key Features to Look For
Not all features are created equal. Here’s what you should actually care about, and what to watch out for.
1. Unified Data (No More Franken-stack)
Why It Matters
If your leads, accounts, and activities live in a dozen disconnected tools, you’re already losing. The best GTM platforms pull everything into one place—no more copy-pasting or CSV gymnastics.
What to Look For
- Native CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)
- Real-time sync: Does it update instantly, or only once a day?
- Deduplication: Can it spot and merge duplicate contacts/accounts?
- Custom field mapping: Or are you stuck with their definitions?
Arti’s take: Arti does well here, with plug-and-play integrations for major CRMs and marketing tools. The real-time sync is fast and doesn’t break often. Custom field mapping is decent, but you’ll want to double-check complex use cases (e.g., lots of custom objects).
What to ignore: Platforms that promise “AI-driven data enrichment” but can’t even keep records straight. Garbage in, garbage out.
2. Segmentation and Targeting (Not Just Lists)
Why It Matters
If you can’t slice and dice your accounts or contacts based on real attributes, you’re just blasting the same message to everyone.
What to Look For
- Firmographics, technographics, intent data—the basics
- Behavioral triggers: Did they open an email? Visit your pricing page?
- Dynamic segments: Do lists update as new data comes in?
- Boolean logic: Can you get granular (“Show me accounts in SaaS, $10M+ revenue, using AWS, who clicked last month”)?
Arti’s take: Arti’s segmentation tools are flexible. You can build complex queries and dynamic lists that actually stay up to date. It’s not as advanced as a data warehouse, but it’s a big step up from static lists in your CRM.
What to ignore: Over-the-top “AI persona builders” that spit out cartoonish ideal customers. Focus on hard data.
3. Orchestration: Automating Work That Sucks
Why It Matters
Manual lead assignment, follow-up reminders, and campaign steps are where most teams waste time (and drop balls). Good orchestration means fewer mistakes and less busywork.
What to Look For
- Workflow builder: Drag-and-drop is nice, but does it handle real branching logic?
- Multi-channel actions: Can you trigger emails, sequence LinkedIn touches, assign tasks, or update CRM records—all in one flow?
- Human-in-the-loop: Can reps step in for approvals or manual touches?
- Reporting on workflow performance
Arti’s take: Arti’s workflow builder is one of its strengths. You can automate across email, CRM updates, and even Slack. Branching logic is there, though it’s not infinite—complex, multi-department flows can get hairy. Human-in-the-loop is supported for reviews, which is a plus.
What to ignore: Any automation that promises to “replace” your sales team. The best GTM platforms augment, not replace, human touch.
4. Attribution and Reporting (Real Answers, Not Vanity Charts)
Why It Matters
If you can’t show what’s working, you’re flying blind—or worse, wasting budget on tactics that don’t move the needle.
What to Look For
- Multi-touch attribution: Not just “last touch wins”
- Customizable dashboards: Can you easily build the report you need?
- Drill-down: Can you go from “pipeline by campaign” to “which accounts came from LinkedIn ads”?
- Export options: Sometimes, you just need a CSV.
Arti’s take: Arti does multi-touch attribution reasonably well, and the dashboards are customizable (within limits). Drill-down is good for most use cases, but if you want highly granular reporting, you might hit a wall. Still, it beats the “export to Excel and pray” method.
What to ignore: Overly pretty dashboards with zero actionable insights. You want answers, not eye candy.
5. Collaboration and Visibility (So Sales and Marketing Actually Talk)
Why It Matters
If marketing has no idea what sales is actually doing (and vice versa), you get finger-pointing and missed targets.
What to Look For
- Shared views of pipeline and accounts
- Commenting/notes in context
- Notifications that don’t spam you
- Role-based access controls
Arti’s take: Shared views are easy to set up, and sales/marketing can both see what’s happening without fighting over permissions. Notifications are sensible—no firehose of pointless alerts. Role-based access is robust, though admins will want to double-check default settings.
What to ignore: “Collaboration” features that are just glorified chat. You want context, not more noise.
6. AI and Predictive Features (Handle With Skepticism)
Why It Matters
A lot of GTM platforms push AI as the magic bullet. Sometimes it helps; often, it just gets in the way.
What to Look For
- Concrete, helpful predictions: Which accounts are heating up? Where are deals stalling?
- Explainable AI: Can you see why it made a recommendation?
- Ability to turn features off if they’re not useful
Arti’s take: Arti offers predictive scoring and “next best action” recommendations. The predictions are generally sensible, not wild guesses, and you can see the reasoning behind them (e.g., “engaged with 3 emails, visited pricing page”). If you don’t like it, you can turn it off. That’s how it should be.
What to ignore: Any “AI” that acts like a black box. If you can’t tell what it’s doing, skip it.
What Doesn’t Matter (As Much As You Think)
Here’s what doesn’t need to be a dealbreaker:
- Integrations with obscure tools: If you’re not using them, who cares?
- Hyper-granular customization: Most teams never use the edge cases.
- “Gamification” features: Badges and leaderboards don’t close deals.
- Endless configuration options: More settings = more things to break.
Focus on what your team actually uses.
Honest Pros & Cons: Arti in the Real World
After all the features and promises, here’s the straight talk on Arti:
What works: - Clean integrations with major CRMs and tools - Segmentation and orchestration that fit real workflows - Attribution and reporting that give useful answers - Collaboration features that don’t get in your way
What doesn’t: - Advanced reporting and analytics can’t replace a true BI tool - Some workflow limitations on complex, multi-department processes - Occasional bugs around custom fields (test before going all-in) - AI is helpful, but not revolutionary—treat it as a bonus, not a core reason to buy
Pro tip: Take advantage of Arti’s trial or sandbox. Set up a real workflow, not just a demo. You’ll spot any dealbreakers before you commit.
Keeping It Simple: Last Word
Don’t get dazzled by endless features or buzzwords. The best B2B GTM platform is the one your team actually uses (and doesn’t curse at). Start with the basics—unified data, flexible segmentation, and workflows that shave hours off your week. Test-drive, get feedback from real users, and tweak as you go. Simple wins, every time.