Choosing a CRM usually turns into a feature-list comparison. The real deciding factors are eight questions; ask them and the list shortens by itself.
The eight questions to ask
- How does the price grow? Per user, or by record count?
- Is the data mine? Can I export all of it whenever I want?
- Does it talk to my existing systems? (accounting, e-invoice, marketplaces)
- Does it fit my process, or do I have to fit my process to it?
- Is it genuinely usable on mobile? Will the field team use it?
- Are there access levels? Should everyone see every customer?
- Where is the data stored, and how does a deletion request work?
- If I walk away, what does leaving cost? Can I take the data with me?
When is an off-the-shelf package right?
If your process is standard and the team is small, an off-the-shelf package is the fastest route. It starts with a monthly fee, setup is short, and maintenance isn’t your problem.
When does custom software become cheaper?
In three situations: when the subscription total grows serious as your user count rises, when your process doesn’t fit the packages, and when you need deep integration with your existing systems. With all three present, custom software usually pays for itself in the second year.
The cost of the wrong CRM isn’t the licence fee; it is the team not using it.
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