Running a CRM selection: the RFP questions that reveal the truth

Most CRM selections are decided by the best demo, not the best fit. A structured process costs two weeks and prevents a two-year mistake.

Start from decisions, not features

Before contacting vendors, write the decisions the CRM must support: which deals get management attention, where marketing spend goes next quarter, who owns a renewal, how forecast is produced. Every requirement should trace back to one of those decisions. Requirements that trace back to nothing are wish-list noise.

A scoring model that works

Score each vendor 1–5 across six weighted dimensions:

1. Process fit (25%) — can it model your pipeline without custom development?
2. Reporting (20%) — can leadership get the Monday reports natively?
3. Integration (20%) — ERP, ecommerce, accounting, messaging: documented and supported?
4. Adoption (15%) — clicks per logged interaction; mobile quality
5. Total cost over 3 years (15%) — licences, implementation, admin time, add-ons
6. Exit cost (5%) — can you export everything, including activities and files?

Demo questions that expose limits

• Show me a report of pipeline created per source last quarter, built live.
• Add a required field to one stage only, live, without a developer.
• Show how a deal splits between two owners for commission.
• Show me the audit trail for a changed close date.
• Show a workflow that pauses when a customer replies.
• What happens to our data model if we later add a second business unit?

Vendors who answer these live are usually telling the truth. Vendors who promise a follow-up call are showing you the roadmap, not the product.

Reference checks people skip

Ask for one reference in your industry and one that implemented 18+ months ago. The second is the useful call: ask what they would model differently, what the real admin load is, and what broke after the first upgrade.

The decision document

One page: chosen platform, scores, the two biggest known risks, the mitigation for each, and the named internal owner. If nobody signs the owner line, the project is not ready to start.

FAQ

Do we need a formal RFP?

For most mid-sized companies a two-page requirement brief plus scored demos is enough. Formal RFPs help when procurement or public-sector rules require them.

Should the implementation partner be chosen at the same time?

Choose the platform first, then the partner — but ask shortlisted partners to review your requirement brief. The good ones will tell you which requirements are expensive before you commit.

Want a neutral scoring model for your shortlist? Book a free audit and we will build it with you.