Choosing the right customer relationship management software or service for your business requires strategy, thoughtful consideration and more than a little research.

These guidelines and the accompanying worksheet, created by Mark W. Kaelin for TechRepublic Premium, will give you a customizable framework to find the best CRM solution for your needs.

Featured text from the guide:

Before starting to evaluate CRM systems and vendors, you must take a hard look at your business operations. Understanding why your business needs CRM and stating clearly what you expect from a CRM system once it is implemented is imperative to its future success.

Honest answers to questions such as these will provide the necessary parameters for your comparative search for a CRM system:

What existing systems, procedures, policies and departments are lacking the necessary efficiency for success? What can CRM do to help overcome those deficiencies?

Improve your selection process with our seven-page PDF and spreadsheet. Previously priced at $19, this is now available for download at just $9. Alternatively, enjoy complimentary access with a Premium annual subscription. Click here to find out more.

TIME SAVED: Crafting this content required 16 hours of dedicated writing, editing and research.