Write the non-negotiable requirements
Pick a small number of genuine requirements: the intended audience, a supported CRM, the channel, staff access and a workable budget. Distinguish a requirement from a preference. A product that fails a hard requirement should not win because it has unrelated attractive features.
Record whether each requirement is confirmed, contradicted or still unknown. An unpublished price or uncertain integration is a question to resolve, not an automatic zero score.
Choose three different buying hypotheses
For example, compare a managed line, a CRM-focused service and an API platform if all three could solve the job. Give each the same short description of the intended workflow and ask for a plan-specific response.
Bring a realistic sample conversation and the same cost assumptions to every demonstration. Keep customer data out of early sales exercises; a synthetic example can expose many of the same workflow gaps.
End with a decision record
Write why each finalist remained or left the shortlist. Separate facts from your team’s preferences and keep the source date for important price or limit claims.
Select a bounded pilot for the strongest fit. If a provider cannot answer a critical question, keep it open in the record rather than filling the gap with a testimonial or an attractive homepage promise. Revisit the shortlist when the job or the commercial terms change.