Start with the problem, not the features
Write down the last three leads or clients that slipped through. Was the lead never answered? Was a quote never followed up? Did someone leave and take the client history with them? Your CRM should fix those exact problems.
The 9 things that matter
- A pipeline you can see. Deals moving across stages on a board, with values, so you know what’s coming in.
- Lead capture built in. A website form and a way to bring in Facebook and Instagram leads without copying and pasting.
- Follow-up reminders. Tasks with due dates and a daily reminder of what’s overdue. This is where most of the value is.
- Easy import. Bring your contacts in from a spreadsheet in minutes, with duplicates skipped.
- A timeline per client. Every call, email, meeting and note in one place, so anyone can pick up the conversation.
- Simple team permissions. Invite people, set admins, and assign leads.
- Works on a phone. Your team updates deals from job sites and client meetings, not just desks.
- Fair pricing. Watch for per-user prices that grow quickly, and for essential features locked in higher tiers.
- Connected to your work. When a deal is won, the project, contract and files should be easy to start, not re-entered somewhere else.
What you can skip for now
- Complex lead scoring before you have enough leads to score
- Marketing automation suites, if you send a newsletter once a month
- Custom objects and heavy customization that need a consultant
Questions to ask before signing up
- Can I export all my data at any time?
- What happens to my price when I add three more people?
- Is there a free trial long enough to run real leads through it?
- How do Facebook, Instagram and website leads get in?
- Where is my data stored, and who can see it?
Try it with real leads
The only test that matters is a week of real work: import your contacts, put the form on your site, and see whether follow-ups actually happen. If your team still keeps a separate spreadsheet after two weeks, it’s the wrong tool.