Let’s face it: picking B2B go-to-market (GTM) software is a pain. You get bombarded with feature lists, demo calls, and promises that every platform is “the last tool you’ll ever need.” But most of us just want something that helps us find, close, and keep customers—without creating more work or eating up the budget.
This guide is for those who actually have to use GTM tools—not just buy them. Whether you’re in sales, marketing, or revops, here’s what to actually look for in B2B GTM software, which features are mostly fluff, and how Hook stacks up against the stuff that matters.
What Really Matters in B2B GTM Software
A lot of software promises to solve every sales, marketing, and alignment problem you’ve got. In reality, there are a handful of things that consistently make a real difference. Here’s what to focus on:
1. Data Quality and Integrations
Why it matters: Garbage in, garbage out. If your GTM software can’t pull in accurate, up-to-date account and contact data—or if it lives in a silo—it’s worse than useless.
What to look for: - Direct integrations with your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.), marketing tools, and enrichment sources. - Automated, real-time updates to keep your pipeline and account info fresh. - Custom field mapping—because nobody’s CRM looks like the demo.
What to ignore: Claims about “AI-powered insights” that sound nice but don’t explain the data source.
How Hook handles it:
Hook connects directly with major CRMs and marketing platforms, so you’re not stuck uploading CSVs or reconciling data in spreadsheets. It pulls account and contact data in real time and lets you map your fields, so you don’t have to change your process just to fit the tool. Honestly, it’s not magic, but it saves a ton of manual work.
2. Account-Based Targeting and Segmentation
Why it matters: B2B sales almost always means selling to teams, not individuals. You need to identify, prioritize, and group accounts based on who’s actually likely to buy.
What to look for: - Flexible account lists—dynamic, static, or both. - Segmentation by firmographics, intent, and engagement. - Easy suppression/exclusion (e.g., block current customers or competitors from campaigns).
What to ignore: Overly complicated scoring models that nobody on your team trusts or understands.
How Hook handles it:
You can build account lists in Hook based on any field from your CRM—industry, company size, engagement, you name it. Segmentation is straightforward and doesn’t require a data scientist. You can suppress accounts with a couple of clicks, so you’re not accidentally targeting last quarter’s closed deals. No black-box scoring—just filters and logic you can see.
3. Orchestration Across Channels
Why it matters: If your outreach only happens in one channel, you’re leaving money on the table. But “multi-channel” shouldn’t mean “ten screens and endless copy-paste.”
What to look for: - Centralized workflows that coordinate email, ads, social, and sales touchpoints. - Automated triggers (e.g., if a lead clicks an ad, sales gets notified). - Clear activity tracking across all channels.
What to ignore: Platforms that claim to “do it all” but just bolt on weak versions of everything.
How Hook handles it:
Hook lets you set up orchestrated plays across email, LinkedIn, ads, and sales outreach, all from one place. You can trigger actions automatically—like alerting a sales rep when an account hits a certain engagement score. It’s not trying to be the world’s best email tool and ad platform and CRM—it’s about making sure your GTM motions actually talk to each other.
4. Playbooks and Templates That Don’t Suck
Why it matters: Pre-built playbooks get you started faster, but only if they’re actually useful and customizable. Most “templates” are either too generic or too rigid.
What to look for: - Editable playbooks for common GTM motions (e.g., outbound sequences, event follow-ups). - The ability to create and save your own templates. - Clear reporting on which playbooks actually work.
What to ignore: Playbooks that are just “best practices” copy-pasted from a blog post.
How Hook handles it:
Hook comes with pre-built playbooks for common B2B motions, and you can tweak them to fit your process. You can build your own from scratch (and actually save them for later, which is weirdly rare). Playbook performance is tracked, so you can ditch what isn’t working. There’s no “guru wisdom”—just stuff you can adapt or ignore.
5. Usability and Onboarding
Why it matters: If your team hates using it, they won’t use it. Fancy features don’t matter if people are still living in spreadsheets.
What to look for: - Intuitive UI—no manual required. - Quick onboarding—you should be live in days, not months. - Solid support (chat, docs, real humans).
What to ignore: Endless customization options that make setup a nightmare.
How Hook handles it:
Hook looks and feels like a modern SaaS app—clean, not cluttered. Most teams get up and running in under a week. The docs are plain English, not tech-jargon, and there’s actual human support if you’re stuck. If you’re the type who likes to tinker, you can, but you don’t have to just to launch a campaign.
6. Reporting That’s Actually Useful
Why it matters: You need to know what’s working, what isn’t, and where deals are getting stuck. Pretty dashboards don’t help if you can’t get to the “why.”
What to look for: - Outcome-focused reporting (pipeline, conversion, influenced revenue). - Drill-downs by campaign, segment, and account. - Export options for when you need to show your boss or board.
What to ignore: Vanity metrics that look impressive but don’t drive action.
How Hook handles it:
Hook gives you pipeline and revenue reporting tied to your actual GTM campaigns. You can filter by account list, segment, playbook, and more. It’s not just “open rates” and “clicks”—it’s about showing the impact on real sales outcomes. And yes, you can export the data instead of screenshotting dashboards.
Features That Sound Good But Rarely Matter
Not all features are worth your time—or money. Here’s a short list of things that usually don’t move the needle:
- AI for the sake of AI: If the “AI” can’t explain its recommendations or you can’t verify the data, skip it.
- Gamification widgets: Leaderboards rarely motivate experienced reps.
- “All-in-one” promises: No tool is going to replace your whole stack. Focus on how it fits, not if it claims to do everything.
- Endless customization: Some is good, but most teams just need a few tweaks—not to rebuild Salesforce from scratch.
Pro Tips for Evaluating Any GTM Platform
- Bring your own data. Test the software with your accounts, not the vendor’s demo list.
- Ask for transparency. How does it handle data updates? Can you see the logic behind targeting and scoring?
- Check onboarding and support. Try to get a sense of what happens after you buy.
- Push back on pricing. Don’t be afraid to ask for a trial or pilot; real vendors will work with you.
Bottom Line
You want B2B GTM software that works with your data, is easy to use, and actually helps you close more deals. Ignore the hype—clear integrations, good segmentation, orchestrated plays, and honest reporting matter most. Hook covers the bases without getting in your way. Keep things simple, get your first campaign live, and iterate from there. No tool will fix a bad process, but the right one will help you move faster.