Skip costly mistakes and vendor regret. Follow our proven 7-step framework to evaluate, select, and implement the CRM solution that transforms your business operations.
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Make the investment that transforms your business
Purchasing a CRM system is one of the most impactful technology decisions your business will make. Done right, it transforms customer relationships, streamlines operations, and drives sustainable revenue growth. Done wrong, it results in wasted investment, team frustration, and operational disruption.
Research shows that 30-60% of CRM implementations fail to meet expectations, primarily due to poor planning, inadequate requirement gathering, and selecting the wrong solution for business needs.
The good news? Success follows a predictable pattern. Companies that approach CRM buying strategically—with clear objectives, thorough evaluation, and stakeholder alignment—consistently achieve higher adoption rates, faster ROI, and measurable business transformation.
Whether you're implementing your first CRM system, upgrading from outdated technology, or switching vendors due to limitations, this comprehensive guide walks you through the proven process for making the right decision.
Gain clarity before evaluating vendors or requesting demos
Define concrete pain points with measurable impact. Are sales opportunities falling through cracks? Is customer service response time too slow? Are marketing campaigns disconnected from sales activities? Document specific scenarios where current processes fail, including frequency and cost impact. Vague goals like "improve customer relationships" lead to vague results. Specific goals like "reduce lead response time from 4 hours to 30 minutes" create accountability and measurable success criteria.
Map every user group and their daily workflows. Sales representatives need mobile access and quick data entry. Service teams require ticket management and knowledge base access. Marketing wants campaign automation and lead scoring. Executives need dashboards and forecasting. Understanding diverse user needs prevents selecting a system that works perfectly for sales but frustrates service teams, or vice versa. Include remote workers, field technicians, and part-time users in this assessment.
Document every business application that needs to share data with your CRM. This typically includes email platforms (Outlook, Gmail), accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero), marketing automation tools, e-commerce platforms, phone systems, and industry-specific applications. Integration complexity and cost vary dramatically between vendors. Some offer native connections requiring zero IT work, while others require expensive custom development. Identifying integration requirements early prevents discovering post-purchase that your critical business tools cannot connect.
Calculate total cost of ownership beyond software subscription fees. Include implementation services, data migration, training, customization, ongoing support, and internal staff time. Many businesses underestimate total costs by 40-50% when they only consider monthly licensing. Similarly, implementation timelines stretch when businesses fail to allocate dedicated internal resources. A realistic 3-month implementation with proper planning beats an optimistic 30-day timeline that drags into 6 months of frustration.
This architectural decision fundamentally impacts costs, flexibility, and IT requirements. Cloud-based CRM delivers instant access, automatic updates, lower upfront costs, and simplified IT management. On-premise installations offer complete data control and customization but require significant IT infrastructure, higher initial investment, and ongoing maintenance responsibility. For 95% of businesses today, cloud-based solutions provide superior value, but specific industries with unique security or compliance requirements may still benefit from on-premise deployment.
Follow this proven 7-step framework used by thousands of successful CRM buyers
Assemble a cross-functional team representing every department that will use the CRM. Include sales leaders, service managers, marketing directors, IT representatives, and financial stakeholders. Assign a dedicated project champion with authority to make decisions and drive progress.
Together, create a weighted scoring matrix for evaluating vendors. Define 15-25 specific requirements ranked by importance:
Document must-have requirements that are non-negotiable versus nice-to-have features that would be beneficial but not essential. This framework provides objective vendor evaluation and prevents decisions based on impressive demos that showcase irrelevant features.
Start with industry-specific research. Some CRM platforms specialize in particular sectors (healthcare, real estate, manufacturing) while others serve general business needs. Industry-specific solutions often include pre-built workflows and terminology familiar to your team, accelerating adoption.
Create a shortlist of 3-5 vendors that align with your industry, business size, and core requirements. Consider:
Resist the urge to evaluate 10+ vendors. Too many options create analysis paralysis and waste time on solutions that never fit your needs.
Generic product demos waste everyone's time. Demand customized demonstrations that showcase YOUR specific use cases with YOUR industry terminology and YOUR workflows.
Before each demo, provide vendors with:
Bring your full evaluation team to demos. Sales reps, service agents, and managers each evaluate systems from different perspectives. A solution that impresses executives may frustrate daily users, and vice versa.
Never purchase CRM software without testing it with real data and real workflows. Free trials reveal usability issues, performance problems, and feature limitations that perfect sales demos never show.
During your trial period:
Most vendors offer 14-30 day trials. Allocate dedicated time for thorough evaluation rather than letting the trial expire unused.
Subscription fees represent just one component of CRM costs. Calculate the complete 3-year total cost including:
Compare total 3-year costs across vendors, not just monthly subscription fees. A vendor charging $20/user/month with $10,000 implementation fees may cost less overall than a vendor at $15/user/month with $50,000 implementation costs.
Every vendor claims happy customers. Verify those claims by speaking directly with current customers in similar industries and company sizes.
Ask reference customers specific questions:
Additionally, research independent review sites like G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius. Pay particular attention to reviews from companies similar to yours and look for patterns in both positive and negative feedback.
Once you've selected your vendor, review the contract carefully before signing. Many businesses discover problematic terms after committing.
Key contract terms to clarify:
Negotiate firmly but fairly. Request implementation discounts, extended payment terms, or additional training hours. Vendors expect negotiation and often have flexibility, especially near quarter or year-end.
Understanding the critical differences between deployment options
| Factor | Cloud-Based (On-Demand) | On-Premise (Installed) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Cost | Low (monthly subscription) | High (licenses + hardware) |
| Implementation Time | Days to weeks | Months |
| IT Requirements | Minimal | Significant infrastructure |
| Automatic Updates | Included automatically | Manual upgrades required |
| Remote Access | Built-in from anywhere | VPN setup required |
| Scalability | Add/remove users instantly | Hardware limitations |
| Data Control | Vendor manages infrastructure | Complete control |
| Customization | Extensive but within platform | Unlimited with IT resources |
| Disaster Recovery | Vendor responsibility | Your responsibility |
| Best For | 95% of businesses today | Specialized compliance needs |
Salesboom offers both deployment options, allowing you to choose the architecture that best fits your technical requirements, compliance obligations, and IT capabilities. Our cloud platform serves the vast majority of customers, while our on-premise solution remains available for organizations with specific needs.
Learn from others' experiences and sidestep common pitfalls
Vendors showcase impressive features that have nothing to do with your business goals. Focus on measurable outcomes like "increase sales productivity 25%" rather than feature checklists.
Managers select systems that look great in executive demos but frustrate daily users. Include sales reps, service agents, and marketers in evaluation and trial phases.
Vendors promise "quick setup" that turns into 6-month projects. Realistic planning with dedicated resources prevents implementation failures and team burnout.
Discovering post-purchase that your CRM can't connect to Outlook, QuickBooks, or other critical tools creates expensive custom development projects.
The cheapest option often has hidden costs in implementation, support, and limited functionality. Calculate total 3-year ownership costs, not just monthly fees.
Impressive sales demos hide usability issues only discovered through actual work. Always conduct thorough trials with real data and workflows.
Vendors promise "unlimited customization" that requires expensive developers and ongoing maintenance. Prefer systems that work out-of-the-box for your industry.
Field sales teams and remote workers need full CRM functionality on mobile devices. Don't assume mobile apps match web platform capabilities.
When systems fail or questions arise, inadequate support cripples operations. Verify support hours, response times, and whether you reach real experts or chatbots.
Technology implementations fail without proper training, communication, and adoption strategies. Allocate budget and time for change management from day one.
22+ years of proven CRM excellence
Since 2003, we've helped 3,500+ businesses across 159 countries transform their customer relationships. Our longevity speaks to product quality and customer satisfaction.
Starting at $14/user/month with no hidden fees, no surprise charges, and no vendor lock-in. See exactly what you'll pay before committing.
Sales, marketing, and service work together in one system—no separate apps, no data silos, complete visibility across customer lifecycle.
Out-of-the-box integration with Outlook and QuickBooks means your teams work in familiar environments without expensive custom development.
Talk to real CRM experts who understand your business—not chatbots or offshore support reading from scripts. Available 24/7 with industry-leading response times.
Test Salesboom with your real data and workflows. No credit card required, no obligation, no pressure—just hands-on experience to make an informed decision.
Choose the evaluation approach that fits your timeline
Experience Salesboom with no commitment and no credit card required. Import your data, configure workflows, invite your team, and use the system for real work for 30 days.
Best for: Businesses ready to evaluate hands-on immediately
Schedule a 90-minute personalized demonstration where we'll configure Salesboom with your industry templates and walk through your specific use cases.
Best for: Teams wanting to see the system before committing to a trial
Submit a detailed RFP or RFQ for organizations requiring formal proposal processes. We have extensive experience with government agencies and enterprise procurement.
Best for: Public sector and enterprises with structured procurement
Start your risk-free 30-day trial today and experience Salesboom with your real data and workflows. No credit card required, no obligation—just hands-on experience to make an informed decision.
Not ready for a trial? Schedule a personalized demo or request a detailed proposal tailored to your specific business requirements.
Call: 1.855.229.2043 | Email: sales@salesboom.com
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