HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire a CRM consultant in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to CRM consultants. Here is how customer data, marketing consent and the scope should be handled.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a CRM consultant in five steps

  1. Map how your team sellsStages, handovers and reports you need, before anyone configures fields.
  2. Agree days and doneA scope with days, deliverables and what counts as finished.
  3. Check consent recordsWhich contacts may receive marketing emails, recorded in the CRM.
  4. Clean data before importDuplicates and out-of-date records removed, with a plan for what to delete.
  5. Train the teamUsers trained and administrators given documentation.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses CRM consultants in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland; platform certifications are voluntary. References for similar setups and a written scope are the checks.

Ask for a similar implementation and a client you can contact.

Marketing consent (PECR)

Under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, marketing emails and texts to individuals need specific consent, apart from the soft opt-in for your own customers. A CRM that sends campaigns must record who has agreed.

Ask the CRM consultant to set up consent fields and suppression lists before any campaign runs. ico.org.uk →

Customer data and the ICO

Data protection rules require customer information to be kept secure, accurate and up to date, and people told how it is used; most businesses must pay the ICO fee.

Agree how the consultant accesses live data, and set user permissions so staff see only what they need. gov.uk →

Off-payroll working (IR35)

A CRM consultant working through their own limited company may come under HMRC's off-payroll rules; usually the client decides employment status, except a small private-sector client.

Ask how the consultant is engaged. gov.uk →

VAT

CRM consultancy is standard-rated: a registered CRM consultant charges 20% on configuration, data import and training, while the CRM licences are billed to you separately. Registration becomes compulsory once a CRM consultant has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the CRM consultant for the VAT number with the scope and for VAT on the consultancy fee only. gov.uk →

“Which CRM platforms have you implemented, for businesses like mine?”

A good answer: Named setups, with the CRM consultant's role and a client you can contact.

“How many days will the CRM setup take, and what is included?”

A good answer: A scope with days, deliverables and acceptance.

“How will the CRM record marketing consent?”

A good answer: Consent fields, sources and dates, plus suppression lists, following PECR.

“Who will clean and import our data, you as consultant or my team?”

A good answer: A clear owner, a plan for duplicates and a test import.

“How will the consultant set user permissions?”

A good answer: Roles that limit access to what each person needs.

“What CRM integrations are included?”

A good answer: Each connection named, with what syncs and how often.

“What training and documentation will the consultant leave?”

A good answer: User training and an administrator guide.

Getting the quote right

  • Day rate and days, or a fixed fee for the scope
  • Who actually attends the configuration and the training: the CRM consultant named, an employee, or a subcontracted developer for the integrations
  • Configuration, data import and integrations listed
  • Training and documentation included
  • CRM licences and add-ons paid by you separately
  • Engagement basis (sole trader or company)
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the consultancy fee as a separate line

Walk away if

  • Imports old lists with no consent check
  • Gives everyone full admin rights
  • No written scope or days
  • Custom code with no documentation
  • Licences in the consultant's name
  • No training planned
LOW
£330
TYPICAL
£500
HIGH
£700

What a CRM consultant costs: £330–£700 per day

CRM consultants usually charge a day rate against an agreed scope; CRM licences are paid separately. CRM Consultant price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

CRM consultants near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. DiscoveryHow your team sells and serves customers mapped.
  2. ConfigurationFields, pipelines, permissions and reports set up.
  3. Data importCleaned customer data imported and checked.
  4. IntegrationsEmail, finance or e-commerce connected.
  5. TrainingUsers trained and administrators documented.

Pipeline
The stages a sale moves through.
Custom field
An extra data field added for your business.
Deduplication
Merging or removing duplicate records.
Suppression list
Contacts who must not be marketed to.
Integration
A link between the CRM and another system.
User role
A set of permissions for a type of user.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check permissionsReview who can see and export customer data.
Test a campaignConfirm only consented contacts are selected and unsubscribes work.
Keep the admin guideSo the next administrator can run the CRM.
Write the reviewBooked work is the only kind reviewed on Locufy, which makes each review of the CRM consultant worth reading. Use the make-it-right step first if anything is unresolved.

STEP 1Complain to the CRM consultant directlyEmail the CRM consultant with the facts, the evidence and a date for a reply. Reasonable care and skill is a term the Consumer Rights Act 2015 reads into every service a trader sells you, and a shortfall entitles you to have it redone or pay less.
STEP 2Bring in LocufyRate the job under four stars and you can send it to the CRM consultant through the make-it-right step. We keep track of it, then you post the review.
STEP 3Where to report itNo regulator oversees CRM consultants. If the CRM consultant will not respond, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims, as the last stepWhen the CRM consultant has had a fair chance and nothing has changed, small claims is built for you to use yourself: £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland under simple procedure, £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a CRM consultant: questions people ask

No. No licence or registration is needed in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and no qualification is set by law.

Marketing emails and texts to individuals need specific consent under PECR, apart from the soft opt-in for your own customers. The CRM should record it.

Your business. Keep it secure, accurate and up to date, and tell customers how it is used.

Between £330 and £700 per day, most often near £500. The platform, custom development, data migration and integrations move the day rate and the days needed. For the reasons behind the range, read the CRM consultant price guide; for local CRM consultants, enter your town above.

They can, if the consultant uses their own company.

Small setups take a few days; full implementations can run for weeks.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

How to hire: Email Marketing SpecialistHow to hire: Digital Marketing ConsultantHow to hire: Data AnalystHow to hire: Cloud ConsultantHow to hire: Managed IT ServicesHow to hire: Project ManagerHow to hire: Software DeveloperHow to hire: AI / Machine Learning ConsultantAll 701 hiring guides →

CRM consultants near you

CRM consultants in LondonCRM consultants in ManchesterCRM consultants in BirminghamCRM consultants in GlasgowCRM consultants in BelfastAll crm consultants on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. ICO — electronic mail marketing (PECR)
  2. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  3. gov.uk — understanding off-payroll working (IR35)
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register