When business leaders are in the market for a new software as a service solution, it can be tempting to quickly sign up with a provider that looks promising so they can start leveraging the benefits. But it’s essential to first ask a series of important questions—and it’s also essential that the potential SaaS vendor can give satisfactory answers.

From data privacy standards and practices to service level agreements, there are many details you need to know about a SaaS vendor, and the right time to ask about them is before you become a paying client. Below, 20 members of Forbes Technology Council share important questions to ask a potential SaaS vendor and what to listen for in their replies.

This question gives insight into the vendor’s approach to security, data handling, breach response and privacy policies. Working with a SaaS vendor means trusting them with your company’s reputation, legal obligations and customers’ trust, so due diligence on data privacy and compliance is nonnegotiable. – Jeff White, Gravy Analytics