If you’re in B2B sales, marketing, or ops, you know picking a go-to-market (GTM) tool isn’t just about ticking boxes. You need something that actually helps your team hit targets, not just another platform that sounds good in demos. This is for folks who want to cut through vendor fluff and get a real grip on which features matter—and how Emelia stacks up.
Let’s get straight to it: Here’s what to look for, what actually works, and what’s just noise when evaluating B2B GTM tools.
1. Ease of Use: Don’t Set Yourself Up for Headaches
Why it matters: If your team dreads logging in, adoption tanks and ROI never materializes. Fancy features don’t matter if nobody bothers to use them.
What to check: - Onboarding: Can a new hire get up and running in under 30 minutes? Is there a clear, simple workflow—or will you need to babysit every user? - UI/UX: Does it take three clicks to do something basic? Is navigation logical, or are menus all over the place? - Documentation & Support: Bonus points if the help docs don’t read like a legal contract. Look for live chat or real human support, not just canned responses.
Emelia: One of Emelia’s stronger points is its clean interface and quick onboarding. It’s not overloaded with options you’ll never use, but if your team is used to tools like Outreach or Salesloft, expect a learning curve (and maybe some complaining about missing “power user” shortcuts).
Ignore: Feature bloat. More options usually means more confusion. Focus on what your team will actually use weekly—not just what looks cool in a sales deck.
2. Multichannel Outreach: Not Just Email Blasts
Why it matters: Cold email alone doesn’t cut it anymore. You need a tool that works across email, LinkedIn, maybe even SMS or phone (if that’s your world).
What to check: - Channel Support: Does it actually integrate with LinkedIn, or is it just a “coming soon” bullet? - Sequencing: Can you build multi-touch sequences that mix channels, or are you stuck with email-only? - Personalization: Can you insert custom fields, tweak messages at scale, and not sound like a robot?
Emelia: Emelia does email outreach well, and its sequencing is decent for simple campaigns. LinkedIn support is basic—don’t expect deep automation. SMS and phone? Not really on the menu. If your playbook is mostly email and you don’t need a Swiss Army knife, you’ll be fine. If you want true multichannel, you might get frustrated.
Ignore: Vendors boasting about “omnichannel” without specifics. If it’s not ready today, it probably won’t save you this quarter.
3. Deliverability & Sending Controls: Actually Land in the Inbox
Why it matters: All the outreach in the world doesn’t mean squat if your emails land in spam or get you blacklisted.
What to check: - Warm-Up Tools: Does it help you “warm up” new domains and avoid spam traps? - Sending Limits: Can you throttle sends, randomize sending times, or rotate accounts to mimic real human behavior? - Reporting: Are you seeing real deliverability stats (bounces, opens, spam reports), or just vanity numbers?
Emelia: Emelia has a built-in warm-up feature, which is handy if you’re using fresh domains. Its send controls are solid—nothing fancy, but enough to stay out of trouble if you set things up right. Reporting is more practical than pretty; you’ll get the basics. Don’t expect advanced spam analytics, but you’ll know if you’re in trouble.
Ignore: Any tool that pushes “high-volume sending” as a selling point. That’s a red flag for deliverability.
4. Data Integration: Avoid Double Data Entry Hell
Why it matters: Nobody wants to copy-paste leads from a spreadsheet into your CRM. Good GTM tools play nice with your whole stack.
What to check: - Native Integrations: Does it connect (natively, not via Zapier) to Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.? - Two-Way Sync: Does data flow both ways, or do you have to export/import constantly? - Enrichment: Does it fill in missing data (job titles, company info), or do you need another tool for that?
Emelia: Emelia’s native CRM integrations are limited, especially compared to the big names. It does CSV imports and some basic sync, but don’t expect deep two-way integration. For enrichment, you’ll need to plug in another tool or do some manual work.
Ignore: “Open API” claims unless your team actually has devs to build with it. Most companies never touch the API.
5. Personalization & Automation: Don’t Sound Like a Robot
Why it matters: Buyers can spot a mail merge from a mile away. You need to personalize at scale, without spending all day on it.
What to check: - Dynamic Fields: Can you pull in custom info (not just first name)? - Conditional Logic: Can you branch sequences based on responses or data fields? - Templates & Snippets: Are there reusable blocks to speed up writing, or do you have to reinvent the wheel every time?
Emelia: Emelia handles personalization basics—first name, company, simple variables—but it’s not the most advanced. No real branching or logic. If you want to get clever (e.g., “If they’re in healthcare, send this message”), look elsewhere. For quick, human-sounding emails, though, it does the job.
Ignore: AI personalization hype. Most “AI” in outreach tools is just mail merge with a new label.
6. Analytics That Help You, Not Just the C-Suite
Why it matters: You need to know what’s working (and what’s not) so you can fix things fast.
What to check: - Reply Tracking: Are replies actually tracked, or just opens/clicks? - Team Reporting: Can you see who’s pulling their weight, and who needs help? - A/B Testing: Is it easy to test subject lines or messaging, or buried behind menus?
Emelia: Emelia keeps reporting straightforward—open rates, reply rates, a simple leaderboard. It’s not built for deep-dive analytics, but you’ll know if a sequence is tanking. If you need fancy dashboards and custom charts, it’ll feel bare-bones.
Ignore: Overly complicated analytics. You want actionable insights, not a spreadsheet headache.
7. Compliance & Security: Don’t Get Burned
Why it matters: Nothing kills momentum like getting flagged for spam or running afoul of GDPR/CCPA.
What to check: - Opt-Out Management: Can leads easily unsubscribe, and are you respecting that? - Data Residency: Where is your data stored? If you’re in Europe, this matters. - User Permissions: Can you control who sees what, or is everyone an admin by default?
Emelia: Emelia covers the basics—opt-out links, data deletion, simple user roles. For most SMBs, that’s enough. If you’re in a regulated industry or big enterprise, you might want to dig deeper.
Ignore: Overblown security claims, unless you’re in healthcare, finance, or similar. For most, “good enough” is all you need.
8. Price vs. Value: What Are You Actually Paying For?
Why it matters: Budgets are real. You don’t want to pay for bells and whistles your team never uses.
What to check: - Pricing Transparency: Is pricing clear, or do you have to book a demo just to get a ballpark number? - Feature Tiers: Are the features you need locked behind a higher tier? - User Minimums & Contracts: Can you start small, or are you locked into a year upfront?
Emelia: Emelia is affordable, especially for smaller teams or those just starting with outbound. No hidden fees, and you can get started without talking to a salesperson—a big plus in my book. But if you need deep integrations or heavy automation, be ready to pay more or use other tools alongside.
Ignore: “Unlimited” anything. There’s always a catch—sending limits, API throttling, or feature caps.
Pro Tips for Evaluating Any GTM Tool
- Run a Live Test: Don’t just watch a demo. Import your own contacts and send a real campaign before committing.
- Talk to Actual Users: Not just the vendor’s references. Ask on LinkedIn, check review sites, or ping folks in your network.
- Think About Your Next Six Months: Buy for what you’ll need soon, not five years from now.
Keep It Simple—And Iterate
The best GTM tool is the one your team actually uses—week in, week out. Don’t get dazzled by endless features or wild promises. Start with what solves your immediate pain, get results, and add complexity only if you have to.
If Emelia covers 80% of what you need and the price is right, don’t overthink it. Test, learn, and upgrade only when you’re sure you’ve outgrown it. That’s how you win with tools—by making them work for you, not the other way around.