If you’re in B2B sales, marketing, or revenue ops, you’ve probably heard the hype around GTM (go-to-market) software. The reality? Most tools promise the moon and deliver a handful of scattered features, leaving you frustrated and out a chunk of your budget. This guide’s for folks who want to cut through the noise, find out what’s actually worth paying for, and see how a tool like Decktopus stacks up in the real world.
Let’s get into the features that matter—and which ones you can safely ignore.
Why GTM Software Matters (But Won’t Save You From Bad Process)
GTM software is supposed to help you create, execute, and track your go-to-market strategy. In plain English: it should make it easier to get your product in front of the right buyers and close deals faster.
But software can’t fix broken processes. It won’t magically align sales and marketing. What it can do is take the grunt work out of creating and sharing the stuff your team actually uses—like pitch decks, case studies, and customer-facing collateral.
So, what should you actually look for?
1. Content Creation and Customization—Without a Design Degree
What matters:
You need to crank out materials fast, and they need to look good. But not everyone on your team is a designer (nor should they be).
Key features to look for: - Templates that don’t suck: Skip the “PowerPoint from 2010” look. You want modern, professional templates that don’t need hours of tweaking. - Branding controls: Your logo, colors, and fonts—set once, use everywhere. No one wants rogue pink Comic Sans on a sales deck. - Easy editing: Drag-and-drop or point-and-click. If you need a tutorial to swap a photo or update a chart, it’s too complicated.
How Decktopus helps:
Decktopus makes it dead simple to go from idea to finished presentation. You pick a template, add your content, and the design takes care of itself. Branding stays locked in. You won’t get lost in a maze of formatting options.
Skip this:
Flashy animations and “AI-powered design assistants” that still require tons of manual fixing. Focus on getting something polished out the door quickly.
2. Collaboration and Sharing—Because No One Works Alone
What matters:
Your decks need buy-in from product, feedback from sales, and maybe a legal review. You also want to control who sees what—and track what happens after you hit “send.”
Key features to look for: - Real-time collaboration: Multiple people can work on the same deck without overwriting each other. - Permission controls: Control who can edit, comment, or just view. - Easy sharing: Share a link (ideally with access controls), not a giant email attachment. - Analytics: See who opened your deck, how long they spent, and what they clicked.
How Decktopus helps:
Decktopus lets teams work together on presentations in real time. You can share decks with a link, set permissions, and see which stakeholders actually look at your materials. No more sending v8_FINAL_FINAL.pptx and hoping for the best.
Skip this:
“Social sharing” integrations and bloated email export features. B2B deals don’t close because you posted a deck on Twitter.
3. Integration With Your Workflow—Not Another Silo
What matters:
No one wants yet another tool that doesn’t talk to what you’re already using. GTM software should fit into your existing workflow, not make you build a new one.
Key features to look for: - CRM integration: Sync with Salesforce, HubSpot, or whatever else you use, so you can track activity and keep data in one place. - Calendar and email integrations: Schedule follow-ups, send decks directly, and keep a record. - Export options: Sometimes you still need a PDF or a PowerPoint file. Make it painless.
How Decktopus helps:
Decktopus connects with popular CRMs and lets you export to common file formats. You don’t have to ditch your current process—just slot in a faster way to make and share your decks.
Skip this:
Niche integrations you’ll never use (looking at you, “Zapier to Google Sheets via Slackbot” workflows). Stick to the basics that actually move the needle.
4. Analytics That Go Beyond Vanity Metrics
What matters:
You need to know if your decks are actually working—not just how many times they were opened, but which pages people care about and where they drop off.
Key features to look for: - Page-level analytics: See what people read (and what they skip). - Engagement tracking: Time spent, clicks, and drop-off points. - Lead capture: Option to gate content or collect info when someone views your deck.
How Decktopus helps:
Decktopus gives you real-time feedback: who viewed your deck, which slides they lingered on, and where you lose them. You get actionable data instead of a dashboard full of fluff.
Skip this:
Metrics for the sake of metrics. If you can’t use the data to make a better deck or close a deal faster, it’s just noise.
5. Simplicity and Speed—Because Time Kills Deals
What matters:
If your team hates using a tool, it won’t get used. You need something so simple that even the least techy person on your team can pick it up in minutes.
Key features to look for: - Intuitive UI: No manual required. You can figure it out as you go. - Fast deck creation: Go from idea to finished product quickly. - Mobile-friendly: Sometimes you need to make or share changes on the go.
How Decktopus helps:
Decktopus is built for speed. The interface is clean. You can spin up a deck in under 10 minutes, even if you’ve never used it before. No endless settings menus.
Skip this:
Feature bloat. If you’re staring at a dashboard with 50 buttons you’ll never touch, it’s not helping you sell any faster.
What Doesn’t Matter (But Vendors Love to Hype)
- AI everything: Unless the AI actually saves you time (not just rephrases your sentences), it’s a nice-to-have, not a must-have.
- Custom code embeds: If you’re in B2B sales, you don’t need to embed live weather reports or stock tickers in your deck.
- Gamification: No one’s closing more deals because they earned a badge for “deck creation streak.”
Focus on features that solve your day-to-day headaches—not marketing bullet points.
Pro Tips for Choosing (and Actually Using) GTM Software
- Try before you buy: Most tools offer a free trial or demo. Run through your actual workflow, not the vendor’s canned demo.
- Get feedback from the team: If your sales or marketing folks hate it, move on.
- Start simple: Don’t migrate every old asset on day one. Build new decks, get a feel, and expand from there.
- Measure impact: Are your decks getting used? Are deals moving faster? If not, don’t be afraid to change course.
The Bottom Line
Most B2B GTM software is either overbuilt or underwhelming. The best tools, like Decktopus, focus on real problems: making content creation fast, collaboration easy, and analytics useful. Don’t get distracted by shiny extras. Pick what works, keep it simple, and be ready to tweak as you go.
The best GTM software won’t replace a good process—but it will help you get out of your own way and give your team a fighting chance to win more deals.