The proper place to begin is to “Google it,” or to use Super Search.

Every CPAN module has its own specific mechanism for testing and installing itself.   That mechanism is designed to work easily with the cpan command, and, with or without that command, to “do the right thing™” correctly and seamlessly.   (Whether it actually does so or not, in any particular case, is an engineering question... ;-) )   So, whether or not you decide to use the cpan command to invoke the package’s installation procedure, you do need to follow that procedure.

I say, quite sincerely ... save yourself some hair-follicles and do some preliminary web-research concerning this very Frequently Asked Question.   You are not exactly “in a china shop,” but stumbling around and whacking at it is not likely to be productive.