A CRM trial is only useful if you can explain why one candidate fits your real workflow better than another. Use this decision record after the 7-Day CRM Trial Checklist and CRM Evaluation Scorecard.
Download the CRM Trial Decision Record (CSV)
Record the decision context
- Candidate CRM and plan tested.
- Trial start and end date.
- Seats, expected users, and likely monthly cost.
- The workflow failure you want to remove.
- The non-negotiable workflow that must work.
Score the seven trial checks
| Check | Evidence | Result | Risk to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead capture | Can a new lead be assigned, sourced, and given a next action? | Pass / Fail | Required fields or plan limits |
| Follow-up | Does the system surface the missed or next action? | Pass / Fail | Native reminder, integration, or plan limit |
| Communication | Can the team preserve useful Gmail/Outlook, meeting, call, or SMS context? | Pass / Fail | Sync direction, permissions, logging behavior |
| Pipeline | Can an opportunity move through the stages that change the next action? | Pass / Fail | Stage/automation/reporting limits |
| Proposal and contract | Can the commercial document workflow be tested? | Pass / Fail | Native, integration-based, or not available |
| Handoff | Can delivery find scope, contacts, and the last sales context? | Pass / Fail | Permissions and manual copying |
| Cost and exit | Does the plan remain acceptable after seats, usage, add-ons, and export? | Pass / Fail | Usage charges, cancellation, retention |
Decide with evidence
Reject a candidate if it fails a must-have workflow, even if it has a higher feature score. Record one reason to choose it, one reason to reject it, and the official source you used to verify the decision.
Use the CRM Evaluation Scorecard to compare weighted fit, then return here to keep the qualitative evidence that a numerical score cannot capture.
Before you commit
Recheck the exact plan, current price, seat count, usage charges, integrations, data export, cancellation, and any document workflow that matters. Product details can change. See How We Evaluate Software for Sorai’s evidence boundaries.
Disclosure: Sorai may earn a commission from approved affiliate links. Commercial relationships do not determine this template or its conclusions.