2 posts tagged with "openai codex"

Three AI tools. All capable. But which one should your GTM team actually use?

With GPT-5.3-Codex dropping February 5, 2026, the landscape just shifted. Again. This guide breaks down OpenAI Codex, Claude Code, and ChatGPT for sales and marketing use cases—with specific recommendations for each workflow.

Quick Summary: Which AI for Which Task​

Now let's dig into the details.

OpenAI Codex (GPT-5.3-Codex)​

Released: February 5, 2026
What it is: OpenAI's most capable agentic coding model

Key Features​

• 25% faster than GPT-5.2-Codex
• Mid-turn steering: Direct the agent while it's working (killer feature)
• Runs in Codex app, CLI, IDE extension, or Codex Cloud
• Multi-file changes: Can edit entire codebases
• Built for autonomy: Designed to work on complex tasks without constant prompting

GTM Use Cases for Codex​

1. Building Sales Automation Scripts

   • Write HubSpot/Salesforce API integrations
   • Build custom lead scoring models
   • Create data sync workflows

2. Pipeline Monitoring Systems

   • Alert systems for stale deals
   • Automated reporting dashboards
   • Integration scripts between tools

3. Custom Sales Tools

   • Chrome extensions for LinkedIn
   • Email template generators
   • Proposal automation systems

Codex Pricing (2026)​

• Codex CLI: Free tier available, pay per API call
• Codex Cloud: ~$50/user/month (team features)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

When NOT to Use Codex​

• Simple email writing (overkill)
• Non-technical tasks (use Claude or ChatGPT)
• Quick research (Claude's context window is better)

Claude Code (Anthropic)​

What it is: Claude 3.5/4 with tool use and code execution
Integrated into: VS Code, terminal, OpenClaw

Key Features​

• 200K context window: Can analyze entire documents, codebases, or conversation histories
• Precise instruction following: Better at nuanced tasks
• Constitutional AI: More reliable safety guardrails
• Tool use: Can browse web, execute code, interact with APIs

GTM Use Cases for Claude​

1. Prospect Research

   • Deep-dive company analysis
   • Competitive intelligence reports
   • Personalization hook identification

2. Email Writing

   • Personalized outreach at scale
   • Multi-touch sequence creation
   • Reply handling suggestions

3. Document Analysis

   • Analyzing sales call transcripts
   • Extracting insights from RFPs
   • Summarizing long email threads

4. Sales Coaching

   • Call analysis and feedback
   • Objection handling suggestions
   • Win/loss pattern identification

Claude Pricing (2026)​

• Claude.ai: $20/month Pro, $30/month Teams
• API: $3-15 per million tokens (varies by model)
• OpenClaw: Free (bring your own API key)

When NOT to Use Claude​

• Heavy code generation (Codex is faster)
• Real-time chat (ChatGPT has lower latency)
• Tasks requiring strict format adherence (can be verbose)

ChatGPT (GPT-4o/4-Turbo)​

What it is: OpenAI's general-purpose assistant
Best for: Quick tasks, brainstorming, general questions

Key Features​

• Lowest latency: Fastest responses
• Plugins and GPTs: Extensible for specific use cases
• Web browsing: Built-in search
• Voice mode: Conversational interface

GTM Use Cases for ChatGPT​

1. Quick Research

   • "What does [company] do?"
   • "Who are [competitor]'s biggest customers?"
   • "What's the average deal size in [industry]?"

2. Brainstorming

   • Subject line ideas
   • Objection responses
   • Campaign angles

3. Light Automation

   • Simple data formatting
   • Template generation
   • Quick calculations

ChatGPT Pricing (2026)​

• Free: Basic access
• Plus: $20/month
• Team: $25/user/month
• Enterprise: Custom

When NOT to Use ChatGPT​

• Complex, multi-step workflows (use Codex)
• Long document analysis (Claude's context is better)
• Tasks requiring precise formatting (can be inconsistent)

Head-to-Head: The Details​

Context Window​

Winner for GTM: Claude. When researching prospects or analyzing long conversations, context matters.

Instruction Following​

Claude excels at following precise instructions. If you say "write exactly 3 bullet points," you get 3 bullet points.

ChatGPT tends to add extra context or caveats.

Codex is excellent for technical instructions but can over-engineer simple requests.

Winner for GTM: Claude for content, Codex for technical tasks.

Agentic Capabilities​

Codex was built for autonomous work. The mid-turn steering feature lets you redirect it without starting over.

Claude can be agentic via OpenClaw but requires more setup.

ChatGPT's agentic features are limited.

Winner for GTM: Codex for automation, Claude via OpenClaw for custom agents.

Speed​

Winner for GTM: Depends on use case. ChatGPT for quick tasks, Codex for batch processing.

The Best Stack for GTM Teams​

Based on our analysis, here's the optimal setup:

For SDRs​

• Primary: Claude (via OpenClaw for automation)
• Secondary: ChatGPT (quick questions)
• When needed: Codex (building custom tools)

For Sales Ops​

• Primary: Codex (building automation)
• Secondary: Claude (analysis and research)
• When needed: ChatGPT (quick prototyping)

For Marketing​

• Primary: Claude (content and research)
• Secondary: ChatGPT (brainstorming)
• When needed: Codex (programmatic SEO, automation)

Integration Comparison​

OpenClaw Compatibility​

OpenClaw works best with Claude due to Anthropic's tool use design.

CRM Integration​

• Codex: Best for building custom integrations
• Claude: Best for enrichment and research tasks
• ChatGPT: Limited native integration

Real-World Performance: Email Personalization​

We tested all three on the same task: Write a personalized cold email for a VP of Sales at a 200-person SaaS company.

Claude Output​

Followed the template exactly. Referenced specific company details. Professional but warm tone. 94 words (as requested).

ChatGPT Output​

Added extra context we didn't ask for. Good personalization but verbose. 147 words (missed the target).

Codex Output​

Technical and formal. Suggested code-like structures. Not ideal for email writing.

Winner: Claude for email personalization.

The Bottom Line​

There's no single best tool. The right answer depends on your workflow:

• Building automation? → Codex
• Writing content? → Claude
• Quick questions? → ChatGPT
• Running AI agents 24/7? → OpenClaw + Claude

The smartest teams use multiple tools for different tasks rather than forcing one tool to do everything.

Want AI that's already integrated? MarketBetter combines visitor identification, AI-powered playbooks, and automated outreach in one platform. No prompt engineering required. Book a demo.

Related Posts​

• GPT-5.3-Codex: What It Means for GTM Teams
• How to Build an AI SDR with OpenClaw
• Claude vs ChatGPT for Sales Teams

When GPT-5.3-Codex dropped on February 5, 2026, everyone focused on the "25% faster" headline. But the real game-changer? Mid-turn steering.

This feature lets you redirect an AI agent while it's working—not after it finishes. For GTM teams running complex automation, this changes everything.

What is Mid-Turn Steering?​

Traditionally, when you ask an AI to do something, you wait until it's done to give feedback. If it goes off track, you:

1. Wait for completion
2. Read the output
3. Write a correction prompt
4. Start over

Mid-turn steering breaks this pattern. You can intervene during execution:

You: Build a lead scoring model based on our HubSpot data

Codex: [starts working]
       - Pulling contact fields...
       - Analyzing conversion patterns...
       - Building scoring criteria...

You: Actually, weight company size more heavily than title

Codex: [adjusts mid-task]
       - Updating weight for company_size field...
       - Recalculating score thresholds...
       [continues with adjustment]

No restart. No lost work. Just a course correction.

Why This Matters for GTM​

1. Complex Automation Doesn't Fail Silently​

When building sales automation, you often don't know exactly what you want until you see the first attempt. Mid-turn steering lets you:

• Watch the agent's approach in real-time
• Correct misunderstandings immediately
• Guide toward edge cases as they appear

Without this, a 20-minute automation task might need 3-4 full restarts to get right.

2. Better Collaboration with AI​

Mid-turn steering makes AI feel less like a black box and more like a collaborator. You're not just prompting and praying—you're actively directing.

For sales leaders building complex workflows, this means:

• Faster iteration cycles
• More precise outputs
• Higher confidence in automation

3. Reduced Token Waste​

Every restart burns tokens. Mid-turn steering reduces:

• Repeated context loading
• Duplicate work
• Prompt engineering overhead

For teams running Codex at scale, this adds up.

GTM Use Cases for Mid-Turn Steering​

Building Custom Lead Scoring​

Traditional approach:

1. Ask Codex to build a lead score
2. Wait 10 minutes
3. Realize it weighted "email opened" too heavily
4. Start over with clarification
5. Wait another 10 minutes

With mid-turn steering:

1. Ask Codex to build a lead score
2. Watch it start weighting criteria
3. "Wait—de-emphasize email opens, focus on website visits"
4. Codex adjusts in real-time
5. Get the right model in one pass

Generating Email Sequences​

Traditional approach:

1. "Write a 5-email nurture sequence"
2. Wait for all 5 emails
3. Email 3 is too salesy
4. Restart or write complex follow-up prompt

With mid-turn steering:

1. "Write a 5-email nurture sequence"
2. After email 2: "Make these more educational, less pitch-focused"
3. Codex adjusts emails 3-5 accordingly
4. Done

Building Pipeline Dashboards​

Traditional approach:

1. "Build a pipeline dashboard showing X, Y, Z"
2. Wait for completion
3. Visualizations aren't quite right
4. Describe changes in detail
5. Hope it understands

With mid-turn steering:

1. "Build a pipeline dashboard"
2. See the chart types being chosen
3. "Actually, use bar charts for that, not pie"
4. Watch it switch mid-build
5. "Add a filter for deal size"
6. Done with all adjustments in one session

How to Use Mid-Turn Steering​

In Codex CLI​

# Start a task
codex run "Build a HubSpot integration that syncs new contacts"

# While it's running, type to intervene
> Also add error handling for rate limits
> Skip the logging for now, we'll add that later

In Codex Cloud (Web UI)​

The Codex dashboard shows real-time execution. A sidebar lets you:

• See what the agent is currently doing
• Type interventions
• Pause/resume execution
• Save partial progress

Via API​

const session = await codex.createSession({
  task: "Build lead enrichment pipeline",
  onProgress: (state) => console.log(state),
  allowSteering: true
});

// Intervene mid-task
await session.steer("Use Apollo for enrichment instead of Clearbit");

Best Practices for Mid-Turn Steering​

1. Let It Start Before Steering​

Don't intervene in the first 10 seconds. Let Codex show its approach first—you might learn something.

2. Be Specific with Corrections​

❌ "That's not quite right"
✅ "Use percentage instead of raw numbers for the conversion column"

3. Steer Early, Not Late​

If you see it going the wrong direction, intervene immediately. Don't wait until it's 80% done.

4. Save Checkpoints​

For complex tasks, tell Codex to checkpoint progress: "After each major step, commit and show me the current state"

This lets you roll back if steering doesn't work.

5. Don't Over-Steer​

Every intervention has overhead. If you're steering every 30 seconds, your initial prompt probably wasn't clear enough.

Mid-Turn Steering vs. Other Approaches​

Mid-turn steering gives you the autonomy of agents with the control of manual prompting.

Real Example: Building a Competitor Alert System​

Here's a real session transcript (abbreviated):

Me: Build a system that alerts me when competitors publish new content

Codex: Starting. I'll:
       1. Set up RSS feeds for competitor blogs
       2. Create a daily digest
       3. Send via email
       
       Setting up RSS parser...

Me: Actually, send via Slack not email

Codex: Switching to Slack webhook...
       Setting up #competitor-intel channel post...

Me: Also check their Twitter, not just blogs

Codex: Adding Twitter API integration...
       Will monitor @Warmly_AI, @CommonRoom...

Me: Add @6sense too

Codex: Added. Continuing with alert formatting...

[5 minutes later]

Codex: Done. System checks hourly, posts to #competitor-intel
       when new content detected.

That would have been 3-4 restarts without mid-turn steering.

Limitations to Know​

1. Not All Tasks Support Steering​

Some operations (like API calls mid-flight) can't be interrupted. Codex will tell you when steering isn't possible.

2. Token Cost Still Applies​

Steering doesn't reduce total tokens—it just uses them more efficiently.

3. Requires Real-Time Attention​

If you're not watching, you can't steer. For hands-off automation, traditional approaches might be better.

The Bottom Line​

Mid-turn steering is Codex's competitive moat for complex GTM automation. It transforms AI from "prompt and pray" to "collaborative building."

For teams building:

• Custom integrations
• Complex workflows
• Multi-step automation

This feature alone justifies using Codex over alternatives.

Want AI that works out of the box? MarketBetter combines visitor identification, automated playbooks, and AI-driven outreach—no prompting required. Book a demo.

Related Posts​

• OpenAI Codex vs Claude Code vs ChatGPT: Complete GTM Comparison
• GPT-5.3-Codex: What It Means for GTM Teams
• How to Build a Sales Copilot with OpenClaw