Software Buying Guide for Contractors

Questions Worth Asking Any Vendor

1. "Is this feature live for existing customers today, or is it on your roadmap?" A roadmap item described in present tense in a demo is a common source of buyer disappointment.
2. "Can I see this working with my own data, not sample data?" Sample data is curated to look clean; your real data will surface real gaps.
3. "What happens to my data if I cancel?" Export format and timeline matter more after the fact than most buyers realize beforehand.
4. "Who do I talk to when something breaks, and what's the actual response time?" Not the marketed SLA -- the real, current one.
5. "What does implementation actually involve, and how long has it taken for other customers like me?" A vague answer here usually means it hasn't been standardized yet.

Red Flags Worth Noticing

• A feature demoed but never shown working live, only in slides or a video.
• Pricing that requires a sales call to learn even roughly, with no ballpark offered.
• No clear answer about who owns your data or how to leave.
• Testimonials with no way to verify they're from real, current customers.

Applying This to Modern Trades CRM

We built the capabilities matrix specifically so you can ask us these same questions and get a direct answer without a sales call -- every row is labeled Available, Prepared, Planned, or Unavailable, not just described in marketing language. If a row doesn't have enough detail, that's a fair thing to ask about directly.

Limitations

This guide reflects general due-diligence practice, not a certification of any specific vendor (including Modern Trades CRM) -- always verify claims against your own use case before committing.