Kelvinhaugh Pension Services / BG-Demo – Negotiation
Callcompleted
Kelvinhaugh Pension Services · 4 Jan 2024 11:30
On the 4 Jan 2024 negotiation call, Finance Director Hamish Crawford would not commit. He needs board approval of £24k and wants usage reporting in the order form. BG-Demo offered first-term movement only.
What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026On the 4 Jan 2024 negotiation call, Finance Director Hamish Crawford would not commit. He needs board approval of £24k and wants usage reporting in the order form. BG-Demo offered first-term movement only.
What happened: Owen Tallis joined Tom Ashdown to press for signature by 26 Jan 2024. Hamish Crawford, the Finance Director, said at the outset he would not commit on the call.
Customer view: Hamish must justify £24k to the board and wants usage reporting written into the order form. Fiona Drummond, the business owner, named fifteen relationship managers in scheme relationships as the first users.
Commercial: Owen offered movement on the first term only, which falls away at renewal. He declined to write adoption into the contract and offered a check-in review of questions asked and active users instead.
Watch: The evidence does not show a board decision or a signature. The proposal is an open item, and the first-term movement will not carry into the renewal.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Theme
Starter price and adoption proof
Importance
neutral
Sentiment
mixed
Voice
decision-maker
Who was there
BG-Demo
CRMmade from
Them
CRMmade from
Follow-up
Next steps
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Owen Tallis sends the revised order form with the first-term movement, usage review wording and invoicing lines by the start of the following week.
- Hamish Crawford takes the order form to the board, and Fiona Drummond confirms a named rollout owner.
- Fraser McAllister gets the purchase order reference from Hamish for the invoice lines.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- The board has not approved the proposal total of £23,550 and Hamish Crawford would not commit on the call.
- Hamish wants adoption evidence in the order form, which BG-Demo will only meet through the check-in review.
- The first-term movement falls away at renewal, so the price will be questioned again then.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Starting with fifteen relationship managers and a six-month check-in gives a clear route to show value and later widen use.
Transcript
Tom AshdownMorning, everyone. Happy new year, if we haven't said it yet. Can you all hear me?
Fiona DrummondHappy new year, Tom. Yes, all fine here.
Hamish CrawfordGood morning. And a happy new year.- Tom AshdownHow's the first week back treating you? Anyone still got turkey sandwiches?
- Fiona DrummondOnly emails. The trustees clearly didn't take a break.
Fraser McAllisterHello, sorry, Fraser here from accounts. I think I'm a minute early, is that alright?- Tom AshdownPerfect timing, Fraser. Now, I've brought Owen along. Owen's our VP Sales, he looks after the commercial side with me, so he's the person to ask about terms.
Owen TallisHello all, and thanks for making the time. Tom's told me where we got to last month. I'll keep this short and practical. Where does this stand against the date? I have 26 Jan 2024 as the target for signature.- Hamish CrawfordThat's the date I have too, Owen. I should say at the outset, though, I'm not going to commit on this call.
- Owen TallisUnderstood, and that's fine. What I'd like is to leave with the open points named and a dated next step. So, what's still in the way?
- Hamish CrawfordTwo things, really. The figure, and whether we can justify that to the board. The total on the proposal is £23,550, and I'd be asking the board to approve that for a team of relationship managers.
- Owen TallisRight. And just so we're all using the same words: that's £23,550 all-in, implementation included. It isn't a yearly figure. The order form will show what is one-off and what repeats.
- Hamish CrawfordThank you, yes. That's how Tom described it before Christmas. And what I was going to ask is whether there's any movement on it.
- Owen TallisThere's some room, yes, on the first term. I can look at that. I'll be plain about the limits. It applies to the first term only and it falls away at renewal. I won't build a discount into the price twice, and I won't pretend it's permanent.
- Hamish CrawfordThat seems honest. Let's not rush. Can I ask what you'd want in return?
- Owen TallisA signature by 26 Jan 2024, which keeps the implementation start where Tom planned it. And a named person on your side who owns the rollout. Who signs, by the way?
- Hamish CrawfordI'd sign, once the board is content. Fiona's the business owner.
- Fiona DrummondThat's right. And I've done the list I promised Tom. Fifteen managers, all in scheme relationships. Nobody from outside the team to begin with.
- Tom AshdownWhich is exactly where I'd start. Keep it tight, get the habit going, and then look at it again at the six-month check-in.
- Hamish CrawfordMm. About that, Tom. Who is actually using it, and how will I know? You sent an example report, which I read. I'd want that in the order form, not left to goodwill.
- Owen TallisI can't write a promise about adoption into the contract, because we don't control whether your managers log in. What I can do is agree that the check-in reviews questions asked and active users, and that you get the figures. Tom, does that sit with how Daniel runs it?
- Tom AshdownIt does. Daniel does that on every Starter account. I'll make sure it's in the paperwork and not just in his head.
- Hamish CrawfordThat would be acceptable. I'd still like to be able to say it in front of the board.
- Fiona DrummondIf it helps, I've seen this work when the managers were told up front that the first quarter is about showing it's used. Hamish, we can say that to the partners too, and be clear about it.
- Hamish CrawfordYes. I think that's the right framing.
- Owen TallisGood. Fraser, you've been quiet. Anything from the accounts side?
- Fraser McAllisterJust practical bits. When would we be invoiced, and on what terms? I'll need to know for the cash forecast, and whether it needs a purchase order.
- Owen TallisSubscription is invoiced in advance, thirty-day terms. The implementation appears as its own line. If you need a purchase order reference on the invoice, tell Tom and it goes on the order form.
- Fraser McAllisterThat's fine. I'd need the reference from Hamish, and it would be the same for both lines.
- Hamish CrawfordI'll sort that, Fraser.
- Tom AshdownLet me read it back so we've all got the same list. Owen sends a revised order form with the first-term movement, the usage review wording and the invoicing lines. Hamish takes it to the board. Fiona confirms the named owner for the rollout. Fraser gets the purchase order reference. Anything I've missed?
- Hamish CrawfordNo, that's the list.
- Owen TallisAnd the next dated step is the revised order form with you by the start of next week. If the board meets before 26 Jan 2024 we hold the date. If it doesn't, tell Tom early and we'll talk about it rather than let it drift.
- Hamish CrawfordThat's reasonable. Thank you, Owen.
- Tom AshdownBrilliant. Leave that with me and Owen. Cheers, everyone, speak soon.
- Fiona DrummondThanks, both. Bye for now.
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