This is a pretty all encompassing question however you need to know what costs are involved upfront to get the software, does the software run off the cloud or do you need to install it on your own hardware. If the software needs to run on your own hardware then you need to find out what the specifications are for that hardware and find out who can do the install.

Once you know about installation costs you need to find out about ongoing monthly costs, do you pay a monthly fee and if so what is included in that fee and how much will you need to pay for bespoke development work.

Systems will vary in terms of the amount of time that will be needed to get things working and ready for action. All CRM software will require you to do some setup however a lot of the larger systems could take several months to fully implement all of the features that are relevant to your business and customise bespoke features that you need.

Before making a choice you should get a feeling for how much work will be involved in implementing the system that most appeals to you. You should also enquire as to whether you can do it all yourself or whether you will need to employ a staff member or consultant.

No two systems or suppliers will be exactly the same or do things in exactly the same way. In addition, some packages may be very strong in one or two area’s but not so strong in others. You need to have a clear idea of what the key functionality is that you need and does your chosen package deliver on that functionality.

Different systems will have strengths and weaknesses in different areas. Make sure the strengths are in the areas you need most.

Will the software that you have selected deliver the reports that you need out of the box or will you need to learn how to use a report builder to extract your reports. If you do need to learn how to use a report builder then are there courses that you can attend or are there instructional video’s available on Youtube to take you through how to create those reports and how to edit existing ones.

Whatever software you pick, it is important that you can start using it productively as quickly as possible.

All software needs to talk to each other these days. Whether it is your email system, your accounting system or even your HR system you will need to have a good understanding of how the software that you have chosen integrates. A lot of CRM systems out there will have modules that link to major business software packages and it is really as simple as just setting up a few control fields.

If your chosen software doesn’t integrate straight out of the box then you need to know if it has an API. An API will allow developers to build a bridge between this software and hopefully your existing software.

Obviously you will not be signing up for a new piece of software with the intention of leaving however if your business is growing rapidly then you may actually outgrow the software in a couple of years.

Things that you should be asking are; Can I migrate the data to another system. Am I locked into a contract for a specific period of time. Can the reports that I have set up be migrated elsewhere. What happens to my data when I leave.