How To Choose A CRM System: Top Mistakes to Avoid for Success

A well-chosen CRM system can completely change the way your business operates. Yet with so many options on the market and countless features to compare, it is easy to make the wrong choice. Too often, SMEs invest in a system that becomes little more than an expensive address book or worse, one that their team never adopts.

At JDR, we recommend selecting a CRM that aligns with your business goals, is simple for your team to use, and integrates seamlessly with the tools you already rely on.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the most important factors to consider when choosing a CRM, the common pitfalls to avoid, and how we help SMEs implement the HubSpot CRM successfully.

What Is A CRM System?

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a central hub that helps you manage every interaction with your prospects and customers, giving you and your team complete visibility of your sales pipeline and client relationships.

If you’re currently juggling emails, spreadsheets, and sticky notes, a CRM pulls all that information into one place. No more missed follow-ups, no more deals slipping through the cracks.

Typical functions of a good CRM include:

• Contact Management: Store every detail about your prospects and customers, including names, emails, calls, meetings, and past interactions.
• Sales Tracking: See exactly where each opportunity is in your pipeline so you can focus on the deals most likely to close.
• Customer Service Tools: Log and track client issues, helping you deliver a smoother, more reliable customer experience.
• Task Automation: Take repetitive jobs off your plate, from reminder emails to updating records, freeing up your time for higher-value work.
• Reporting and Analytics: Get clear, easy-to-understand insights into your sales performance and customer behaviour.

Modern CRM systems also go beyond sales. They can integrate with your website and marketing, helping you capture leads online, nurture them with automated follow-ups, and give your sales team the context they need to close deals faster.

Why We Recommend HubSpot CRM

As a HubSpot Partner, we recommend and use HubSpot CRM ourselves. It’s powerful, easy to adopt, and built to scale. HubSpot integrates marketing, sales, and service in one platform; from capturing leads on your website to automating follow-ups and tracking deals through to close.

It’s simple enough for teams to adopt quickly, yet flexible enough to support businesses at every stage. And with hundreds of integrations, it fits seamlessly into your existing tech stack.

👉 To learn more, download our free HubSpot CRM Guide.

How Much Do CRM Systems Cost?

One of the first things business owners ask us about CRM is: “How much will it cost?”

The truth is, costs can vary widely depending on the system, the number of users, and the features you choose. Some CRMs are free or very low-cost to get started, while others can run into thousands of pounds a month for larger teams and more advanced functionality.

The most common pricing models are:

• Per User, Per Month: A flexible subscription that scales as your team grows.
• Flat Rate: A fixed fee for a set number of users and features.
• Free Plans: Limited functionality, usually best for start-ups or testing.

However, the price you see on the website isn’t the whole story. You also need to budget for:

• Training: If your team don’t understand the system, they won’t use it.
• Customisation: Tailoring the CRM to the way you work.
• Integrations: Linking it with accounts, ERP, or marketing tools.
• Ongoing Support: Making sure you get the most out of the system.

It’s also worth considering the cost of not having a CRM: missed leads, poor follow-up, and wasted time, which often cost far more than the subscription fee. Think of a CRM as an investment: the right one should more than pay for itself by improving conversion rates and saving admin hours.

What’s Involved in CRM Implementation & Training?

Buying a CRM is only half the battle. The real difference between success and failure lies in how well it is implemented and whether your team actually adopt it. Success starts with setting clear objectives. Be specific about what you want to achieve, whether that’s faster lead follow-up, better visibility of your pipeline, or more accurate forecasting.

It also helps to involve your team early. If staff feel a CRM is being imposed on them, resistance is inevitable. When they are part of the process, however, they are far more likely to embrace it. Even the most intuitive system needs some level of training, so provide the right guidance and resources. If your team lack confidence, they won’t use the system consistently. And don’t stop once the system goes live, as questions and challenges will arise. Ongoing support ensures your CRM continues to deliver value long after implementation.

At JDR, we’ve seen too many businesses waste money on CRMs that were never adopted properly. That’s why we’ve developed a structured approach to onboarding HubSpot CRM for our clients.

How We Implement HubSpot CRM

As a HubSpot Partner, we help businesses get set up quickly and effectively, ensuring the CRM delivers measurable results from day one. Our process begins with technical setup, connecting your CRM to your website, email, and other systems. We then handle data migration, carefully importing and cleaning your existing contacts so nothing is lost.

Next comes customisation. We tailor HubSpot to your specific sales process, pipeline stages, and reporting needs. Training is built into every project, with live sessions, resources, and ongoing support so your team feel confident and can hit the ground running. Importantly, we don’t just set things up and leave you to it. We continue to optimise the system with you by monitoring performance, refining workflows, and making improvements over time.

👉 Learn more about how we do this with clients using the HubSpot CRM - see our HubSpot Onboarding services.

Our CRM Systems Success Stories

We’ve helped hundreds of SMEs put HubSpot CRM at the heart of their sales and marketing. For example:

• Giftware Company Case Study: This business was struggling with multiple systems, spreadsheets, and a lack of visibility over its sales pipeline. After implementing HubSpot CRM with our help, they gained a centralised system where every lead, customer, and sales opportunity could be tracked. The result was a faster, more efficient sales process and improved lead follow-up. Read the full story here ›
• Professional Services Migration Case Study: A professional services company needed to migrate to HubSpot Professional and get their CRM working quickly. We managed the full onboarding and implementation, including data migration, technical setup, and training. Their team was able to hit the ground running, with a CRM tailored to their sales process and integrated with their wider marketing tools. Read the full story here ›

These are just two examples from over 3,000 businesses we’ve supported in the past 20 years. With the right setup and support, HubSpot CRM can give you the clarity and structure you need to grow.

A Guide to CRM System Integrations

One of the biggest frustrations we hear from business owners is: “We’ve got lots of systems, but none of them talk to each other.” Sales use spreadsheets, accounts use their own software, marketing has its own tools, and the result is duplication, inefficiency, and missed opportunities.

When choosing or setting up a CRM, think about how it will connect with the tools you already use. Common examples include:

• Email Systems: So every call, meeting, and email is logged automatically.
• Marketing Platforms: So leads from your website and campaigns flow straight into your sales pipeline.
• Accounting Software: To connect quotes, invoices, and payment information with your customer records.
• E-commerce Platforms: So you can track purchases and buying behaviour.
• Customer Service Tools: Giving you one place to see the full customer journey, from first enquiry through to after-sales.

Map your current tech stack and prioritise the integrations that will save time and improve customer experience. Ease of integration matters as much as features: CRMs like HubSpot offer reliable native integrations, while others may require third-party connectors or custom development.

How to Choose the Right CRM for Your Business

Many SMEs end up with a CRM that’s never fully used, either because it’s too complex, doesn’t integrate with the rest of the business, or simply wasn’t the right fit from the start.

Here’s what to focus on when making your decision:

• Scalability – Will it still work for you in three or five years’ time as your customer base grows?
• Ease of use – If your team find it confusing or time-consuming, they won’t use it consistently.
• Integration – Does it connect with your other systems (accounts, email, ERP, marketing)? Without integration, you’ll end up with more silos.
• Customisation – Can it be tailored to reflect your sales process, pipeline, and reporting needs?
• Support – What level of onboarding, training, and ongoing help is available? This is often the difference between success and failure.

It’s also important to look at the provider’s track record. Ask to see testimonials, case studies, and examples of similar businesses using the system successfully. Don’t just take their word for it. Proof matters.

Before committing, take advantage of free trials or demos. Get hands-on, involve your team, and see how it feels to use day to day.

CRM Systems and the JDR 6-Step System

A CRM system isn’t something that sits on its own. It’s a core part of your growth strategy. That’s why we’ve built it directly into our Proven 6-Step Marketing & Sales System.

It starts with strategy and planning. Your CRM underpins everything by giving you visibility of leads, customers, and sales data, so your decisions are based on facts, not guesswork. From there, it supports consistent content creation, connecting with your marketing activity to ensure every lead is tracked from the moment they engage with you.

When it comes to traffic generation, your CRM plays an equally important role. As your website attracts visitors, the system automatically captures enquiries so nothing is ever lost. With the right tools in place, you can turn visitors into leads using forms, automation, and tracking.

This leads directly into one of the CRM’s biggest strengths: converting leads into sales. By giving your sales team the structure to follow up consistently, manage pipelines effectively, and focus on the right opportunities, your CRM helps you close more deals.

Finally, it supports long-term growth by helping you deliver, delight, and retain customers. Up-to-date records and integrated service tools make it easier to provide great customer experiences while also opening opportunities to cross-sell, upsell, and strengthen relationships.

When used properly, your CRM ties all six steps together, creating one central system that connects marketing and sales.

👉 Learn more about our Proven 6-Step System.

Moving Forward With A CRM System - Your Action Plan

If you’ve recognised that a CRM could make a real difference to your business, the key now is to turn that intention into action. Too many SMEs buy a CRM licence, dabble for a few weeks, then let it gather dust. The businesses that see real results are the ones that commit to implementing it properly, training their team, and tracking the impact.

Here’s what to do next:

1. Set clear goals – Decide what you want your CRM to achieve. Is it better lead follow-up, improve visibility of your pipeline, or more accurate forecasting? Write it down and use it as your benchmark for success.
2. Plan your implementation – Outline who will be responsible, what systems need to be integrated, and the timescales for rollout.
3. Train your team – The CRM will only work if your people use it. Invest in proper training so they feel confident and motivated to adopt it.
4. Measure and review – Use the reporting tools to track progress. Set KPIs around leads, sales conversion, and customer response times to prove ROI.
5. Refine as you go – Your CRM should evolve as your business grows. Keep listening to your team, reviewing your processes, and making improvements.

At JDR, we help SMEs avoid the “unused CRM” trap by managing the whole process from setup and integration to training and ongoing support. As HubSpot Partners, we specialise in onboarding HubSpot CRM and tailoring it to your sales process, so it quickly becomes a tool your team rely on every day.

A CRM isn’t just about software – it’s about creating a more efficient, scalable, and profitable business. The sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll see the benefits in your sales pipeline, your customer relationships, and ultimately, your bottom line.

👉 Download our HubSpot CRM Guide to learn more, or get in touch with us today to see how we can help you put the right CRM in place for your business.