Start with your needs, not the products
Comparison sites and sales demos tend to lead with features. A more reliable starting point is a short written description of what you need the system to do. Product lists change quickly and vary by plan, so this article avoids naming or ranking any, and gives questions you can put to any vendor.
Begin by writing down:
- Who will use it every day, and how comfortable are they with software?
- What problems are you solving, for example missed follow-ups, scattered notes or slow reporting?
- How many contacts do you have now, and how many might you have in two years?
- Which tools must it work with, such as your email, calendar, website forms or accounting software?
Split the answers into must-haves and nice-to-haves. Anything in the second group should not decide the purchase.
Questions about fit and ease of use
- Can the people who will use it learn it quickly? A powerful system that nobody opens is worth less than a simple one that is used daily.
- Does it match how you sell? If you track deals, check that the stages can be renamed and reordered to suit your process. The thinking behind that is covered in the article on setting up a sales pipeline.
- Can you add your own fields? You will probably want to record things specific to your business. Check limits on how many custom fields exist.
- Does it work on a phone? This matters if your team is often out of the office. Test it rather than relying on the description.
- How good is search? You will use it constantly.
Questions about data
Your records are the most valuable part of the system, so ask about them directly.
- Who owns the data? The terms of service should make clear that the data remains yours.
- Can you export everything? Ask for the formats available and whether history, notes and attachments are included, or only basic contact rows. This question matters again if you ever switch, as explained in the article on moving to a new CRM without losing data.
- How does it handle duplicates? Look for warnings on import and tools for merging records.
- Where is the data stored? Some businesses need to know the location for legal or contractual reasons.
- What happens to your data if you cancel? Ask how long it is kept and how it is deleted.
Questions about privacy and security
A CRM holds personal information, so treat these questions as part of the decision, not an afterthought.
- Can you control who sees what, with different permission levels for different roles?
- Does it support two-step sign-in?
- Can you find, correct and delete a person’s record when asked? Rules about access and deletion requests vary by country and change, and this article is not legal advice, so check the requirements that apply to you.
- Does it record consent or the source of a contact, which helps with marketing consent practices?
- Does the vendor publish a clear privacy policy and describe how it handles security? Read the current documents; do not rely on a sales summary.
Questions about cost
Pricing structures differ, so ask for the full picture in writing.
- Is the price per user, per contact, or both?
- What does each plan include, and which features sit in higher tiers?
- Are there charges for extra storage, additional contacts, support or integrations?
- What is the contract length, and is there a penalty for leaving early?
- Does the price change after an introductory period?
A useful exercise is to calculate the likely cost at your current size and at double that size. Use your own numbers and recheck them against the vendor’s current price list.
Questions about integrations and support
- Does it connect directly to the tools you already use, or only through a third-party connector that may add cost?
- Is there a way to bring in website form submissions automatically?
- If you use email marketing, how do the two systems share data and keep unsubscribes in sync?
- What support is offered, through which channels, and during what hours?
- Is there clear documentation and training material?
Run a fair trial
Most vendors offer a trial or a free tier. Use it properly.
- Import a realistic sample, perhaps a hundred real contacts, not dummy data.
- Set up your actual deal stages and a few custom fields.
- Ask the daily users to complete real tasks, such as logging a call or setting a follow-up.
- Test the export, and check that it contains what you expect.
- Note anything confusing. If it confuses you in a trial, it will probably confuse you in a busy week.
Decide, then plan the start
Score your two or three finalists against your must-haves, and weigh how easy it would be to leave. Before launch, decide who owns the data, which fields are required and how records will be kept tidy. Without those habits, even a well-chosen system degrades. Outcomes vary, and no checklist guarantees a perfect fit, but a clear set of needs makes the choice far less of a gamble.