Simplifying for Scale: A Strategic Approach to Fixing Over-Engineered Sales Stacks

Summary

Breaking Down the Barriers: How Overloaded Sales Stacks Stall Growth 

Sales stacks have never been more advanced—or more fragmented in how they operate.

The growing pressure to deliver results has accelerated tech adoption, but without a cohesive strategy. The average sales org now manages close to 300 SaaS tools, each aimed at solving a specific problem. But instead of providing clarity, they end up overcomplicating sales stacks—increasing friction at every point of execution.

The Real Fallout of Over-Engineering Your Stacks 

When stacks grow faster than they can align, it leads to disruptions across teams, workflows, and tech:

1. The People Problem

Sales stacks are designed to help reps sell better—but for many teams, it ends up impeding performance.

• 45% of sales reps say they feel overwhelmed by the number of tools in their stack.

• The most time-consuming tools include data analytics (16%), CRM systems (14%), and contract/proposal platforms (12%)—the very ones intended to boost efficiency.

The result: Slower responses, confusion, and pressure around what to prioritize. It's not about capability—it’s about the time and effort that goes into trying to work around the stack.

2. The Process Breakdown

Tools are meant to streamline workflows—but without the right framework, they often stall momentum.

• Only 22% of sales leaders say their tech stack significantly improves efficiency.

• 43% say too many tools do more harm than good, with 30% saying their current stack actually hinders productivity.

The result: Inconsistent handoffs, missed follow-ups, and redundant processes. It’s not a resource gap—it’s what happens when systems aren’t designed to work together.

3. The Tech Bottleneck

These platforms are built to unify operations—but without integrated systems; it just leads to more friction.

• Only 28% of sales tools are fully integrated within organizations.

• 70% of companies struggle to align sales strategy with their existing tech.

The result: Disconnected structures, siloed data, and limited visibility. It’s not about adding more tech—it’s about the absence of proper alignment between core functions.

From Complexity to Clarity: Why Alignment Matters 

Across B2B sales orgs, the challenge goes beyond the number of tools—it’s the widening disconnect between these tools and the teams and processes they were designed to support.

In our recent podcast, Angela Garinger, VP of Sales at Outreach, offered powerful insights into the root cause of this problem—emphasizing that the real breakdown isn’t tied to a single decision or platform—it’s the result of well-intentioned point solutions that gradually create silos across the customer journey. And when these different functions don’t work in sync, execution suffers across the board.

That’s why many sales leaders are shifting toward a more unified approach—aligning their teams, workflows, and platforms so the entire sales stack works in sync.

How High-Performing Sales Teams Are Streamlining Execution 

Want to see what that alignment looks like in action?

Dive into our one-pager → Simplifying for Scale: A Strategic Approach to Fixing Over-Engineered Sales Stacks

Learn how to reduce friction across the funnel, unlock smarter execution, and transform your tech stack from a liability into a growth engine.

Discover key insights on:

• How fragmented sales stacks slow down execution and productivity

• Five strategic moves to restore operational alignment and sales flow

• A smarter, faster approach to execution with MarketStar’s Sales as a Service®

Don’t let overloaded stacks hold you back. Download your copy and see how you can turn fragmented tech into a connected system that supports consistent, scalable growth.

Want the full conversation with Angela Garinger?

Tune in to our #GrowthDecoded podcast for real-world lessons on turning fragmented systems into execution that scales.