CRM evaluation worksheet for consultants

Published by Nynch. Use with any CRM. This is an evaluation method, not an independent product ranking.

1. Define the decision

• Practice and evaluator: [name]
• Date: [date]
• Current CRM and problem to solve: [specific friction]
• Shortlisted CRM, plan and billing period: [vendor / tier / annual or monthly]
• Selling users / view-only users: [counts]
• Required integrations: [email, calendar, meeting recorder, delivery tools]
• Data and permissions that must remain private: [requirements]
• Must-have outcomes: [three observable results]

Use fictional or anonymised records until data handling is agreed. Do not upload a client's private material to a trial just to complete this worksheet.

2. Test the same three workflows

A. Reconnect with a former client

Give the demonstrator an earlier note, a reason to reconnect and a follow-up date. Ask them to find the history and prepare a relevant draft.

• Where did the context come from?
• Did the draft use accurate, useful details?
• Can I correct the context, edit the message and choose whether to send?
• What did I have to enter or configure manually?
• What happens when the person has no open opportunity?

B. Prepare for a meeting

Give the demonstrator two attendees, an earlier conversation and an unresolved commitment. Ask for a brief and the evidence behind it.

• Did it distinguish known facts from assumptions?
• Can I find the original conversation?
• Are the right stakeholders and outstanding questions visible?
• Does each user see only the information they should?
• Which account connection and plan features were required?

C. Progress a consulting opportunity

Use a possible engagement with a buyer, a sponsor, an unanswered question and an agreed next step.

• Can I see scope, people, history, owner and next action together?
• Is a suggested action supported by evidence?
• Can I change or reject an AI assessment?
• What happens after the engagement is won, lost or postponed?
• Can the next account conversation use the relevant earlier history?

3. Record results

Score each task independently. Do not convert a vendor's feature list into a passing result.

• 0: Required outcome was not demonstrated.
• 1: Outcome required substantial manual correction or setup.
• 2: Outcome was useful with manageable review and effort.
• 3: Outcome met our agreed requirements with traceable evidence and acceptable effort.
• Not tested: Leave the score blank and record why. Do not count it as zero or a pass.

Task	Score or not tested	Evidence observed	Manual steps	Remaining question
Former-client follow-up	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]
Meeting preparation	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]
Opportunity next step	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]

Keep your must-have requirements separate from the total. A high score does not compensate for an integration or permission failure.

4. Compare the actual commitment

Cost or allowance	Vendor A	Vendor B	Vendor C
Plan, currency and quote date	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]
Paid seats and access roles	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]
Annual subscription	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]
One-time onboarding	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]
Other required products and integrations	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]
AI, data and automation allowances	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]
Overage controls and optional usage	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]
First-year total before tax	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]
Renewal terms and cancellation	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]
Internal setup owner and effort	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]

An annual plan's monthly equivalent is not a monthly subscription. Do not compare a one-user licence with a team quote. Record unquoted extras as unknown, not zero.

5. Prove the migration

• Keep an untouched original export.
• Agree fields, objects, identifiers and associations to transfer.
• Test a contact linked to a company, note, opportunity and follow-up date.
• Check emails, attachments, chronology and permissions separately.
• Compare record counts and sample the important relationships.
• Confirm export options from the proposed destination.
• Keep the old system available until the required work survives the move.

Record what does not transfer and the fallback. Do not treat reconnecting an inbox as proof of a complete historical migration.

6. Fictional scoring example

An imaginary consultancy tests an unnamed CRM. It finds the right former client and drafts a relevant message, but the evaluator has to correct an old job title. They score the task 2 and note: "Useful with review. Verify how role changes reach the record." This is an illustration of the method, not a test result for Nynch or another vendor.

7. Make the decision

• Decision: [keep current CRM / change configuration / run further test / switch]
• Evidence that supports it: [observations]
• Unresolved must-haves: [items]
• What would change the decision: [conditions]
• Migration owner and fallback: [owner / plan]

Compare Nynch's published guides at https://www.nynch.com/compare. Confirm current vendor terms and your account's enabled features before buying.