What questions should small businesses ask in a CRM demo?

What to take away

Ask for a live demo of your own workflow, not a generic tour.
Get written answers on data residency, UK GDPR roles and retention before you compare price.
Test the accounting integration with your own VAT codes and invoice layout.
Ask what happens to your data and contract at exit, including export format and deletion.
Score each vendor on the same questions so the shortlist stays comparable.

Prepare your own data map first

Before the demo, list the fields you actually use. Include enquiry source, consent status, product interest, invoice history and owner. A vendor cannot show fit against a process you have not described. Bring one real record, stripped of personal data, and ask them to work through it.

Your pre-demo data map

Enquiry source
Consent status
Product interest
Invoice history
Owner
One real record, stripped of personal data

Your data map also sets the demo agenda. If the vendor spends 20 minutes on dashboards but cannot import a CSV with your headers, the session has failed a basic test.

A good demo follows your process, not the vendor's slide deck. Give the sales engineer your two most common journeys and your least common exception. The exception is where most systems reveal their limits.

Ask where data is stored and who controls it

Data residency questions are not theoretical. Ask which countries host production data, backups and support access. Ask whether the vendor uses sub-processors and how you are notified of changes. Under UK GDPR, you need a lawful basis and a record of processing, which the ICO guide to data protection explains.

Data residency questions

Which countries host production data?
Where are backups stored?
Where does support access originate?
Which sub-processors are used?
How are sub-processor changes notified?
Who is controller and who is processor?
What are retention periods and deletion triggers?

Ask who is controller and who is processor for each processing activity. The Data Protection Act 2018 sets the UK framework, so get the vendor's answers in writing. If they cannot name retention periods or deletion triggers, treat that as a gap. If the vendor relies on a US parent for support, ask how access is logged and limited.

Test the UK accounting integration

Ask the vendor to show a live sync with your accounting tool, using your chart of accounts and VAT codes. A CRM that posts messy invoices creates work you will pay for later. If you are not yet VAT registered, ask how the integration handles that status and what changes when you register for VAT.

Ask which fields map both ways, how refunds and credit notes are handled, and whether the connector is native or third party. For a deeper walkthrough, see this guide to integrating your CRM with Xero or QuickBooks.

Use a repeatable demo checklist

Repeatable demo checklist

Send your data map and two must-have workflows to the vendor 48 hours before the demo.
Ask them to show one workflow from enquiry to invoice using your sample record.
Request a sandbox login so you can test imports, permissions and reports yourself.
Ask for written answers on data residency, retention, sub-processors and deletion.
Score each vendor on identical criteria, with a named owner for each score.
Book a second call only for gaps you cannot resolve from the written record.

Record the demo. A recording gives you evidence when a sales claim later changes. Keep the same checklist for every vendor. Do not let a polished interface replace a tested workflow.

Ask about pricing, support and exit

Ask for the total first-year cost, not the monthly seat price. Include onboarding, migration, training, extra storage, support tiers and any charge for API calls. Ask what happens if you reduce seats mid-term. Ask for the renewal uplift cap and the notice period for price changes.

Exit questions matter as much as onboarding. Ask for your data in a structured export, deletion confirmation and the notice period. If adoption is already fragile, this article on why CRM adoption fails can help you spot warning signs before you sign.

Common questions

What should a small business ask about data residency in a CRM demo?

Ask which countries host production data, backups and support access, and whether sub-processors are used. Get the answer in writing alongside retention and deletion terms.

Which UK GDPR questions matter most during a vendor demo?

Confirm whether the vendor is processor or controller, what lawful basis applies and how you meet accuracy and storage limitation duties. The ICO guide covers these principles in plain terms.

Do we need to ask about Xero and QuickBooks in the demo?

Yes if those tools already run your invoicing. Ask for a live sync with your VAT codes, refunds and credit notes, not a canned video.

What exit questions should we ask before signing?

Ask for a structured data export, deletion confirmation, notice period and any exit fee. Tie those answers to the contract, not just the sales call.