Grisedale Search & Selection / BG-Demo – QBR
Callcompleted
Grisedale Search & Selection · 1 Sep 2026 16:15
At the 1 Sep 2026 QBR, Stuart Haworth challenged value with about six daily users on forty Growth seats and said he wants a proper money conversation at renewal. Marcus Bell agreed a team session and a usage breakdown.
What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026At the 1 Sep 2026 QBR, Stuart Haworth challenged value with about six daily users on forty Growth seats and said he wants a proper money conversation at renewal. Marcus Bell agreed a team session and a usage breakdown.
What happened: Marcus said daily logins averaged about six against forty licensed users, down by well over a third on the previous quarter. Lauren put it down to habit and less pushing since the summer.
Customer view: Stuart said he would not call it good value for six people and wants to see it in fee income. Lauren said that when used it does what they bought it for.
Commercial: Marcus stated £48k a year is the contracted and invoiced figure, with nothing overdue. Stuart said he is not signing on autopilot, and the renewal date is 1 May 2027.
Watch: Stuart wants a one page summary, not a long email. The call does not show Priya's role.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Theme
Low usage, renewal value
Importance
renewal
Sentiment
negative
Voice
decision-maker
Who was there
BG-Demo
CRMmade from
Them
CRMmade from
Follow-up
Next steps
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Marcus sends Lauren the usage by person today or tomorrow, and a one page summary for Stuart.
- Lauren agrees a time with the consultants and Marcus runs the 30 minute session on their own accounts.
- Marcus tells Priya that Stuart wants a proper money conversation, and checks in with Lauren in a few weeks.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Stuart questions value with about six daily users on forty seats and wants to see fee income, which Marcus cannot promise.
- Stuart says he will not sign the 1 May 2027 renewal on autopilot, so price is open to challenge.
- Use has drifted down quietly and Lauren has pushed it less since the summer.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- A 30 minute session on the consultants' own live client accounts could rebuild the habit.
- Forty seats give plenty of headroom, so new starters can be added with no licence issue.
Transcript
Marcus BellHello, can you hear me all right? I'm just getting the recording going.
Lauren PilkingtonHi Marcus, yep, loud and clear. Stuart's just grabbing a coffee, he'll be a minute.- Marcus BellNo problem at all. Afternoon, Lauren. How's the week been treating you?
- Lauren PilkingtonBusy. Quick one before we start, one of the consultants asked me this morning whether she can see a client's open roles and their last complaint on the same page. I said I thought so, but honestly I wasn't certain it was still set up like that.
- Marcus BellRight, yes, that's the account page. I'll show you in a bit. It's the part I wanted to look at today anyway.
Stuart HaworthAfternoon both. Sorry, sorry. Did you see the match at the weekend? Absolute shambles.- Marcus BellI'm more of a rugby league man if I'm honest, Stuart, but I did hear. Not a great one.
- Stuart HaworthDon't. Right. Give me the headline. What are we doing for the next hour?
- Marcus BellSo I'll share my screen and take you through three things. How the team is using the brain, how the quarter has gone on the support side, and what we do about the first one, because I've pulled the numbers and I'd rather be straight with you about them.
- Stuart HaworthGo on then. Straight is good.
- Marcus BellOkay. You've got forty licensed users on Growth. Over the last month, the number of people actually logging in on a typical day has averaged about six. And that's down by well over a third on the previous quarter.
- Stuart HaworthSix. Forty seats and six people.
- Lauren PilkingtonMm. I knew it had dipped, I didn't think it was that much.
- Stuart HaworthWhat's that cost us again? Remind me.
- Marcus BellIt's £48,500 a year, that's the contracted figure and it's what's been invoiced. Everything's paid up, nothing overdue. If you want to talk about the money side, that's really one for Priya, I'd only be guessing.
- Stuart HaworthFine. But I'm not going to sit here and say it's good value for six people. What's in it for the consultants? That's all I care about.
- Lauren PilkingtonCan I say something? When it's being used it does what we bought it for. They can see a client's roles and complaints before they pick up the phone. That's the bit that'd save us hours.
- Stuart HaworthThen why aren't they using it?
- Lauren PilkingtonWell. That's the thing, isn't it. I think some of it is habit. They go back to their inboxes because it's quicker than opening something else. And I haven't pushed it as much since the summer, to be fair to them.
- Marcus BellThat fits what I'm seeing, Lauren. It's not a sudden drop, it's a slow drift. People stopped, and nobody noticed, because nothing broke.
- Marcus BellOn the support side, it's quiet. One ticket in the last month, a how-to question, answered inside the time. Nothing high priority. Which is good, but it also tells you people aren't poking at it.
- Stuart HaworthSo it's working and nobody's using it. Brilliant.
- Marcus BellIt's available and it's refreshing every night, yes. I'm not going to dress it up. The data isn't the problem. The habit is.
- Lauren PilkingtonMarcus, can the consultants see that breakdown, by person? Who's on and who's not? I don't want to name and shame anyone, I just want to know who needs a nudge.
- Marcus BellI can send you that after the call. Happy to jump on a call with the team too if it helps. Shall we book 30 minutes with the consultants rather than just you?
- Stuart HaworthThirty minutes. I like that. Short. But it has to be something they'd actually want. Not a lecture.
- Marcus BellAgreed. I'd do it on their own accounts. Pick a live client, show them the roles, the emails and the complaints in one place, and let them ask it a question.
- Lauren PilkingtonThat'd go down well. They love seeing their own clients. Honestly if they see one of their own accounts light up they'll get it.
- Stuart HaworthRight. And what do I get out of it? I need to see it in fee income, not in a login count.
- Marcus BellFair. I can't promise a fee number, and I wouldn't. What I can do is show you what questions are being asked about your clients and where the consultants are getting answers they'd otherwise have to chase. Then you judge.
- Stuart HaworthDo that. And I'll say this now so nobody's surprised. When it comes to renewal, I want a proper conversation about the money. Priya and I have had that chat before and I'm not signing on autopilot.
- Marcus BellUnderstood. The renewal date is 1 May 2027, so there's a good stretch before then. I'll make sure Priya knows you want that conversation, and that it's based on what the usage looks like by then.
- Stuart HaworthGood. Don't let it creep up on us.
- Lauren PilkingtonCan I just check one more thing, quick one. If we get new starters in, does it matter that we've got forty seats and they're not all used? Can we just give them logins?
- Marcus BellYes, you've got plenty of headroom. Send me names and I'll get them added. Honestly the licences are the least of the worries.
- Lauren PilkingtonPerfect. Then I'll sort the new starters and speak to the team about a slot next week.
- Marcus BellLovely. So to recap. I send Lauren the usage by person today or tomorrow. Lauren picks a time with the consultants. I run a short session on their own accounts. And I tell Priya about the renewal conversation.
- Stuart HaworthSounds right. Give me the one page summary after, not a long email. I won't read it.
- Marcus BellOne page, understood. And I'll check in with Lauren again in a few weeks to see if the numbers have moved.
- Stuart HaworthBrilliant. Right, I've got to dash. Cheers, both.
- Lauren PilkingtonThanks Marcus, speak soon. Ta.
- Marcus BellThanks both. Speak soon.
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