Short answer
A good CRM discovery maps decisions, not menus. Answer five questions before anyone builds: how buyers or clients move through your process, who owns each record, what data is truly needed, where each system's job starts and stops, and what evidence will show the launch worked. Keep a requirements log that maps one to one to the build.
The five questions
- Journey. How does a prospect or client move from first contact to service? Where are the handoffs?
- Ownership. Who owns each record and each step, and what happens when they're out?
- Minimum data. Which fields does each step need to work? Everything else is optional until someone reports on it.
- System boundaries. Which system is the source of record for each kind of data, and which way does it sync?
- Launch evidence. What measure will show the launch worked: adoption, cycle time, fewer spreadsheets?
How to run it
- Interview the people who do the work as well as their managers.
- Ask for a reverse demo: users show their current spreadsheets and screens while you record. Capture what appears on screen as well as what people say.
- Keep a living requirements log with an ID per requirement, and trace each one to a build item and a UAT script.
- Keep a decisions log with the date and who decided.
- Separate must-haves for phase 1 from later phases, and plan something users can see early.
What you should get at the end
- Current-state summary and process maps
- Prioritized requirements log
- Data model and integration outline
- Phase plan with estimates and the assumptions behind them
- Risks, dependencies and what the client must supply
Frequently asked questions
What should a CRM discovery phase produce?
A current-state summary, a prioritized requirements log, a data model and integration outline, a phased plan with estimates and assumptions, and a list of risks and client dependencies.
What is a reverse demo in CRM discovery?
Users walk the consultant through their current spreadsheets, screens and workarounds while the session is recorded. It surfaces steps people do every day but forget to mention in interviews.
Salesforce, HubSpot, Anthropic and OpenAI change their products often. Check the official documentation before you rely on a specific setting, limit or price.