The document provides advice on whether a law firm should use a CRM database or spreadsheet to manage client contacts and relationships. It lists several questions a firm should ask itself, and recommends a spreadsheet over a CRM database in most cases. If a firm only needs basic contact lists and mailings, plans to have one person manage the system, thinks a CRM will be easy to implement, or is unsure of its needs, the document suggests starting with a spreadsheet instead of investing in a full CRM. It also warns that implementing a CRM requires ongoing improvement and user engagement to be effective.

1. Does your Law Firm
need a CRM database?
Or will a spreadsheet do?
Simon McNidder
CRM Database Consultant
Database First Aid Limited

2. Ask yourself…
Are you just planning on sending
mailings, emailings and looking up lists of
contacts?
Then use a spreadsheet instead

3. Ask yourself…
Are you going to take a 'carrot and stick'
approach to getting users to use your
system regularly and properly?
If not, then use a spreadsheet instead

4. Ask yourself…
Are you planning on only having one
person adding to, updating and seeing
the information in your database?
If so, then use a spreadsheet instead

5. Ask yourself…
Do you think a CRM database will be easy
to implement?
You’d better use a spreadsheet instead

6. Ask yourself…
Do you think buying an expensive CRM
system will be solve all your problems?
The tech can’t solve this alone, so best
use a spreadsheet instead

7. Ask yourself…
Unsure as to what exactly you want and
how to get it?
Use a spreadsheet instead until you are

8. Ask yourself…
Thinking about using a cheap CRM
system as a stop-gap solution until you
get a full blown CRM system?
Use a spreadsheet instead – it’s easy to
use, quick and most of your staff
know how to use excel already

9. Ask yourself…
Not planning on checking, improving and
enhancing your data?
Use a spreadsheet instead. If you don’t
improve the data in your system, all your
users will hate it.
And then not use it…

10. About Simon McNidder
• 20+ years in-house experience of using CRM
Databases
• 18 years in Professional Services
• Won two CRM awards for database projects
• Merged the CRM databases from five professional
service firm mergers and 100’s of lists

11. Simon McNidder
CRM Database Consultant
Database First Aid Limited
Simon@DatabaseFirstAid.com
www.DatabaseFirstAid.com
07919 56 86 55