What the checklist is for
Most LMS evaluations compare demos, and every demo looks good. A requirements checklist fixes the questions before you see the first one, so vendors are judged on what your team needs rather than on what each vendor chooses to show.
The template has four parts: the weighted requirements, a scorecard with one column per vendor, a demo script that asks every vendor to show the same things on your content, and the pricing questions that make quotes comparable.
It is written for sales teams. A general LMS checklist stops at courses and completion; this one adds scored practice, certification with expiry, readiness reporting by skill and access to selling content, which is where sales LMSs differ.
When to use a sales LMS requirements checklist
- You are replacing an HR learning system that sales has outgrown.
- You are choosing between a corporate LMS and a sales readiness platform.
- Several stakeholders, such as enablement, HR, IT and sales leaders, need to agree on one decision.
- Procurement asks for a documented comparison before signing.
- You need quotes that compare like with like on users and add-ons.
Checklist, RFP or pilot
Three ways to evaluate an LMS, often used in sequence. This template covers the first and feeds the other two.
| Method | What it gives you | When to use it | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Requirements checklist | A weighted list and a scorecard per vendor | At the start, to shortlist | Prove the product works on your content |
| RFP | Written answers and a formal quote from each vendor | When procurement requires it | Show how the product feels to reps |
| Pilot | Real use by a team on your content | With the final one or two vendors | Compare many vendors cheaply |
The template
Four blocks: the weighted requirements, the vendor scorecard, the demo script and the pricing questions. The Excel version has the template, the worked example and the instructions on separate sheets.
Weighted requirements
| Area | Requirement | Weight (3 must, 2 important, 1 nice) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content | Courses from video, PDF and slides; SCORM import; quizzes with question banks; live sessions | ||
| Content | AI-assisted drafting of courses from playbooks and documents | ||
| Paths | Learning paths by role with due dates and automatic enrolment of new hires | ||
| Practice | Recorded or AI role-play with scoring against a rubric | ||
| Certification | Pass marks, manager approval, expiry dates, renewals and reminders | ||
| Reporting | Readiness by team, role and skill; completion and scores over time; exports | ||
| Selling content | Reps find decks, battlecards and playbooks without leaving the platform | ||
| Integrations | CRM, single sign-on, HR system, calendar and video conferencing | ||
| External learners | Partners or distributors with separate access and reporting | ||
| Administration | Roles and permissions, languages, branding, audit trail | ||
| Security | Data location, retention, AI data use and the documentation your security team needs | ||
| Rollout | Time to the first team live; migration of existing courses; support model |
Vendor scorecard (score 0 to 3 per requirement)
| Requirement | Vendor A | Vendor B | Vendor C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content and SCORM | |||
| Learning paths | |||
| Scored practice | |||
| Certification | |||
| Reporting | |||
| Selling content | |||
| Integrations | |||
| Weighted total |
Demo script (ask every vendor to show the same things)
| Step | What to ask them to show |
|---|---|
| 1 | Build a short course from one of our playbooks, including a quiz. |
| 2 | Assign it to a new hire as part of a learning path with a due date. |
| 3 | Run a role-play on one of our real objections and show how it is scored. |
| 4 | Certify a rep with a pass mark, manager approval and an expiry date. |
| 5 | Show the readiness report a sales leader would use each week. |
| 6 | Show where a rep finds the current deck during a deal. |
Pricing questions
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| How do you count users: every seat, active users or a plan allowance? | Sales headcount changes every quarter. |
| Which features in the demo cost extra? | Role-play, AI, integrations and external learners are often add-ons. |
| What are the implementation, content and support fees? | They can be a large share of year one. |
| What happens when headcount changes mid-contract? | Avoid paying for leavers or waiting to add hires. |
| How do we export courses, scores and certificates if we leave? | Your training history should leave with you. |
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Email me the filesA worked example
Example: fictional company
One team's weighted scorecard for three vendors. The point is how the weights, not the demos, decide the shortlist.
Halbrook Systems has 60 sellers on an HR learning system that tracks completion but not skills. The enablement lead weighted practice, certification and readiness reporting as must-haves and scored three vendors after scripted demos.
Halbrook Systems: weighted scorecard
| Requirement (weight) | Vendor A | Vendor B | Vendor C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scored practice (3) | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Certification with expiry (3) | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Readiness reporting (3) | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Content and SCORM (2) | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Selling content (2) | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Weighted total | 18 | 34 | 27 |
Example: fictional company. Ferncastle Analytics, Harborview Metrics, Marlow & Finch Logistics and every person named in this example are invented for illustration. Any resemblance to real companies or people is coincidental.
How to run the evaluation
Agree the weights first
Get enablement, sales leadership, HR and IT to agree the must-haves before any demo, so nobody changes the rules after seeing a favourite.
Send the demo script ahead
Give vendors the six steps and one of your playbooks a week before. Demos on their own sample content tell you little.
Score straight after each demo
Each evaluator scores alone, then compare. Big gaps usually mean a requirement was understood differently.
Ask for quotes on the same basis
Same user count, same add-ons, same term. Our sales LMS pricing guide shows how differently vendors count users.
Pilot the top two
Run a two to four week pilot with real reps on real content before you sign.
Where LMS evaluations go wrong
Scoring demos instead of requirements
Polished demos win when the questions are not fixed in advance.
Treating every requirement as a must
If everything weighs 3, nothing separates the vendors.
Ignoring how users are counted
A low per-user price can cost more than a module price once partners and new hires are added.
Forgetting the reps
If sellers find the platform slow, they will not use it. Include reps in the pilot.
No exit plan
Check that courses, scores and certificates can be exported before you sign.
Where Revspire fits
Most general LMSs cover content, paths and completion well and leave practice, certification on selling skills and selling content to other tools.
Revspire AI Sales Training & Coaching runs courses built from video, PDF, SCORM packages, quizzes and live sessions, AI role-play with instant scores, and certifications with pass marks, manager approval, expiry, renewals and a public verification page, beside the content reps sell with. It is priced by module with unlimited user licenses; about $25,000 USD a year on average.
Sales LMS requirements checklist FAQs
What should be on an LMS requirements checklist for sales?
Content and SCORM import, learning paths, scored practice, certification with expiry, readiness reporting by skill, access to selling content, integrations, external learners, administration, security, pricing model and rollout, each with a weight.
How do you weight LMS requirements?
Mark each as must-have, important or nice-to-have before any demo, and agree the weights with every stakeholder. For most sales teams, scored practice, certification and readiness reporting are the must-haves.
How do you compare LMS vendors fairly?
Send every vendor the same demo script and one of your playbooks, score each requirement straight after the demo, and ask for quotes on the same user count, add-ons and term.
Should we run a pilot before buying an LMS?
Yes, with the final one or two vendors: two to four weeks with real reps on real content shows how the platform works day to day.
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