Lead capture
Every enquiry, whether web form, advert, chat or phone call, should arrive in the same place with its source recorded. Ask: if the same person fills in two forms, do I get one contact or two?
Workflow automation
Repeatable steps should not depend on someone remembering them. Ask: can one workflow combine email, SMS, a pipeline change and a task, or does each channel have its own automation tool? [11]
Pipeline management
A pipeline shows where every deal stands. Many businesses need more than one: new sales, renewals, onboarding. Ask: how many pipelines does my plan allow, and can each have its own stages? [10]
Reporting
Useful reports answer questions about sources, conversion and activity without an export to a spreadsheet. Ask to see your three chosen reports built, not a demo dashboard.
Email marketing
Segmented newsletters, sequences triggered by behaviour, and testing of subject lines. Ask: is email marketing in the CRM plan, or a separate product with its own contact limits and price?
SMS and the UK rules
Texts are well suited to confirmations and reminders. For marketing, UK rules are strict: under PECR, a marketing text or email to an individual needs their specific consent, unless the soft opt-in applies: an existing customer, a similar product, and a simple way to opt out given at collection and in every message. Ask: does the CRM record when and how consent was given, and does an opt-out reply stop every future campaign automatically? [16]
Appointment scheduling
A booking link inside the CRM means the appointment lands on the contact’s record and can start a reminder sequence. Ask: does it sync both ways with the calendar your team already uses? [14]
Team collaboration
Notes, task assignment and a shared conversation history mean anyone can pick up a customer where a colleague left off. Ask: can I see every message sent to this customer, by anyone, on any channel, in one timeline?
Integrations
Check the specific connections you listed under question 3, and whether an API and webhooks are available on your plan, not only on the top tier.
Customer journey tracking
The record should show the first contact, every message and call, and every stage change. Ask: are calls logged automatically, or does someone type them in? [13]
Attribution
Knowing which campaigns bring in revenue, not just leads, needs the source to follow the contact all the way to a closed deal. Ask: can I report revenue by original lead source?
Task automation
Assigning new leads, creating follow-up tasks and updating stages should happen on rules. Ask: what happens to an automated task when its owner is on holiday?