If you’ve spent any time looking at B2B go-to-market (GTM) software, you know the landscape is crowded—and full of big promises. Every vendor claims they’ll align your sales and marketing, automate your pipeline, and uncover hidden revenue. But what actually matters? Which features will save you hours and sanity, and which are just shiny distractions?
This guide cuts through the noise. Whether you’re picking your first GTM platform or thinking about switching, I’ll walk you through the features that count, the traps to avoid, and how Vinna fits into the picture.
Who’s This For?
- Heads of sales and marketing who want tools that actually help teams work together
- RevOps folks tired of duct-taping data between systems
- Anyone tasked with picking GTM software and not wanting to screw it up
What To Really Look For in B2B GTM Software
Let’s break this down into the features that should be non-negotiable, the “nice-to-haves,” and the stuff that’s mostly window dressing.
1. Unified Data and Real Integration (Not Just a “Zap”)
Why it matters: Siloed data is the root of most GTM headaches. If your platform can’t pull in (and push out) data from your CRM, marketing tools, and customer success stack, you’ll spend more time wrangling spreadsheets than selling.
What to look for: - Native integrations with major CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)—not just via Zapier or CSV uploads. - Two-way sync so updates flow both directions, not just into the GTM tool. - Data normalization—can it handle duplicate contacts, mismatched fields, and messy historical data?
What to ignore: “AI-powered insights” built on shallow or incomplete data. If the integration isn’t solid, the “insights” will be garbage.
How Vinna stacks up:
Vinna gets this mostly right. It connects natively with Salesforce and HubSpot, and the two-way sync actually works. You can map custom fields, which is a must for most B2B orgs.
Room for improvement: Integrations with less-common CRMs and deeper support for marketing automation tools would be nice. But for most, it covers the basics well.
2. Account-Based Everything (But Not Just a Checkbox)
Why it matters: B2B sales rarely hinge on one person. You need to see the whole account—who’s involved, who’s engaged, and who’s blocking.
What to look for: - Account views that show all contacts, activity, and deal stages in one place. - Engagement tracking across the buying team—not just email opens, but real interactions. - Custom account segmentation so you can slice and dice by industry, size, intent, or whatever matters to your team.
What to ignore: “ABM” features that are really just glorified lead lists.
How Vinna stacks up:
Vinna’s account views are genuinely useful. You get a clear picture of activity and relationships inside each account. Engagement scores are simple, not black-box magic.
Room for improvement: Some customers want even deeper org charts and influence mapping, but for most, what’s here is better than the “checkbox ABM” you see elsewhere.
3. Pipeline Visibility That Doesn’t Lie
Why it matters: Pretty dashboards mean nothing if the data is off. You need to trust what you see, so you can forecast with confidence and spot bottlenecks fast.
What to look for: - Customizable pipeline stages—so you’re not stuck with someone else’s process. - Deal health indicators—clear signals for “at risk” deals, not just “deal age.” - Drill-downs to see why deals are stalled or moving.
What to ignore: “Predictive pipeline” features that can’t explain their logic, or charts that look impressive but don’t tie back to reality.
How Vinna stacks up:
The pipeline in Vinna is straightforward and honest. You can set your own stages, flag risks, and see what’s stuck without clicking through ten filters.
Room for improvement: Some of the forecasting features are still basic. If you need deep analytics or AI-driven predictions, you might need to export data and work in Excel or BI tools.
4. Automation That Saves Time (Not Creates Busywork)
Why it matters: The right automation helps teams focus. The wrong kind just creates more alerts, more tasks, and more confusion.
What to look for: - Automated workflows for things like lead routing, follow-up reminders, and handoffs between teams. - No-code rule builders—so ops folks don’t need to wait for IT. - Clear audit trails so you know what’s happening (and why).
What to ignore: “AI-driven” automation that’s a black box, or “smart” alerts that just spam your inbox.
How Vinna stacks up:
Vinna strikes a nice balance. You can automate handoffs, reminders, and notifications, and it’s clear what’s running. You don’t need a developer to build workflows.
Room for improvement: The automation library is growing, but you might hit some limits if you try to build highly complex, multi-step processes.
5. Collaboration That Doesn’t Suck
Why it matters: Sales and marketing alignment is a cliché for a reason. If your teams can’t work together in the platform, they’ll go back to Slack, email, or—worst of all—spreadsheets.
What to look for: - Shared workspaces or notes visible to sales, marketing, and customer success. - Commenting/mentions so teams can flag issues or ask questions on accounts or deals. - Permissions and visibility—so everyone sees what they need, but not sensitive info they don’t.
What to ignore: “Social selling” features that just add noise, or chatbots that no one actually uses.
How Vinna stacks up:
Vinna’s collaboration tools are solid. You can comment on accounts, assign tasks, and @-mention teammates. Permissions are easy to manage.
Room for improvement: Document sharing and real-time chat are limited. You’ll still need Slack or Teams for deep conversations.
6. Reporting That’s Actually Useful
Why it matters: You need more than pretty exports. You need quick answers to questions like: Where are we losing deals? Which campaigns drive real pipeline? What’s working?
What to look for: - Out-of-the-box reports for common use cases, like pipeline velocity or campaign ROI. - Custom reporting and dashboards that let you build what you need, not just what the vendor thinks you want. - Easy export options so you can pull data into Excel or the BI tool your CFO loves.
What to ignore: “Dynamic dashboards” that require hours of setup or a PhD to interpret.
How Vinna stacks up:
Reporting is one of Vinna’s strengths. The default reports cover most use cases, and custom dashboards are easy to set up. Exports are just a click.
Room for improvement: If you need extremely complex, multi-data-source analytics, you’ll need to use an external BI tool.
Pro Tips: Avoiding GTM Software Traps
Here’s what trips up most buyers—don’t let it be you:
- Don’t buy features you won’t use. The “all-in-one” platforms sound great until you realize you’re paying for modules no one touches.
- Ask for a real demo. Not a canned walkthrough—your data, your workflows. If the vendor balks, that’s a red flag.
- Check the roadmap. Is the company actively improving, or just coasting? If it’s been months since the last update, be wary.
- Talk to real users. Sales reps will say anything. Ask for references who’ve used the platform for at least six months.
So, How Does Vinna Really Stack Up?
Here’s the straight answer: Vinna covers the key features most B2B GTM teams need. It’s not the flashiest, but it’s honest, usable, and doesn’t require a six-month implementation. The native integrations, account views, and reporting are better than average. Automation and forecasting are improving, but some power users may want more.
If you want a platform that helps sales and marketing work together without a lot of fuss—and you don’t need a one-size-fits-all enterprise monster—Vinna’s worth a look. Don’t get distracted by features you’ll never use. Start with what matters, get value quickly, and iterate as you go. That’s the best way to make your GTM stack work for you, not the other way around.