What was said
What this says
Current to 13 Oct 26Proposal call with Kelly Swainston and Finance Director Steven Holroyd. Scope fits, but Steven wants one-off and annual split out, a renewal warning in good time, and proof the brain beats another unused dashboard.
What happened: Priya Raman presented the Growth proposal at £56k all-in, implementation included. Steven asked who uses it, what it saves and what recurs.
Customer view: Kelly described client managers spending most of a day per brand assembling orders, returns and review notes. Steven judges value by cost per order and said he does not renew on autopilot.
Commercial: Steven wants the one-off and annual split shown separately and nothing on the invoice he has not been warned about. Success measures were agreed to review after the first quarter, with a target signing date of 21 Mar 2025.
Watch: Steven is the finance gate and will take terms through his credit controller. The evidence does not show a decision on the figure yet.
Themes
Current to 9 Oct 26Who was there
BB-Demo
Them
Follow-up
Next steps
Current to 9 Oct 26- Priya Raman sends a revised proposal with one-off and annual split, success measures and returns-first plan.
- Priya books a terms session with her VP Sales within the next couple of weeks.
- Steven takes the proposal through with his credit controller.
Risks
Current to 9 Oct 26- Steven will not accept an overhead line he cannot explain, so an unclear one-off and annual split could stall the deal.
- Value is judged on cost per order, so a dashboard nobody opens would lose the finance director.
Opportunities
Current to 9 Oct 26- Growth tier fits several teams, with the dashboards builder for Kelly's monthly review view.
- Agreed success measures after the first quarter give a clear value case for the first renewal.
Transcript
- Priya Raman NoneHello, hello. Can you both hear me alright?
- Kelly Swainston NoneLoud and clear. Afternoon, Priya.
- Steven Holroyd NoneAfternoon. I'm here, just about. Had a supplier on the phone until a minute ago.
- Priya Raman NoneNo problem at all, we've only just started. How's the week been? Thursday already, I don't know where it goes.
- Kelly Swainston NoneBusy. I've got a service review tomorrow for one of the skincare brands, so I've been in returns data all morning. Which is rather the point of today, really.
- Priya Raman NoneHa, yes, it is. Right, let me do a quick recap so we're all in the same place. We did the demo on your own orders and returns tickets a little while back, Kelly's team had a good go at it, and Steven, you asked to see a proper proposal before anything else. So that's what I've got today. The date we're working to is Friday 21 March 2025, and if we can get this over the line by then, we keep momentum and you're not waiting on us for the build.
- Steven Holroyd NoneBefore you start. Who's using it? Day to day, I mean. Not who's got a login.
- Kelly Swainston NoneFair question. It's the client managers first. Each of them looks after a handful of brands, and today they each build their own picture for the monthly review. Orders from one place, returns tickets from another, and the notes from the last review in someone's inbox.
- Steven Holroyd NoneAnd that takes how long?
- Kelly Swainston NoneMost of a day per brand, if I'm honest. More if the brand has been shouting. And that's before anyone's actually looked at what's wrong.
- Steven Holroyd NoneRight. So what does it save us?
- Priya Raman NoneCan I come in on that, Steven? Because it's exactly what the proposal is built around. The Growth tier is meant for several teams looking at the same picture, so your client managers, but also whoever runs the sites if you want them in. Everything sits in your own Snowflake account, so nothing leaves your environment.
- Steven Holroyd NoneWho looks after that on our side? I don't want a new thing that needs a person.
- Priya Raman NoneGood, that's a fair point. During the build we'd want one person from your IT as the technical contact and Kelly as the business owner. After that it's mostly the nightly refresh doing its thing, and our CSM, Amara Obi, picks it up with you for the reviews.
- Kelly Swainston NoneI'd be the business owner, yes. Our IT lead has already said he can give us a few hours a week for the connectors.
- Steven Holroyd NoneA few hours. Mm. For how long?
- Priya Raman NoneThe implementation runs eight weeks on Growth. The first couple of weeks are the heaviest for your IT, then it tails off, and we'd be asking for less and less from him.
- Kelly Swainston NoneEight weeks works. What did the brand see, that's the question I get asked, and I'd like to be able to answer it before the brand asks me. Returns first, then orders. That's the order I'd want the connectors in.
- Priya Raman NoneGot it, I'll write that into the plan. Returns tickets first, then the orders system, then the CRM and whatever you use for the service review notes. Growth gives you room for the connectors you need, and the dashboards builder, so Kelly's team can put the monthly review view together themselves.
- Kelly Swainston NoneThat's the bit I like. If I can take the facts to the review, and they're the same facts the client manager had on Monday, that's the whole job.
- Steven Holroyd NoneFine. Number, please.
- Priya Raman NoneYes. So the all-in figure is £56,000, implementation included. That's the deal total, not a yearly price, so it covers the build as well as the first year's subscription.
- Steven Holroyd NoneRight. So what recurs and what doesn't? I need to see that split. I'm not putting an overhead line in front of the board that I can't explain.
- Priya Raman NoneAbsolutely, and that's on page two of the proposal, the one-off and the annual are shown separately. I'll make it easier to read and send you a cleaner version. Happy to make this easy.
- Steven Holroyd NoneDo that. And I'll want to know what happens in a year. I don't renew on autopilot.
- Priya Raman NoneUnderstood, and you shouldn't. Amara would be in touch well ahead of the renewal with the usage and what it's been worth, so you're deciding on facts. You'd have that conversation in good time.
- Steven Holroyd NoneGood. That's what I'd like. Send me the renewal in good time, and nothing on the invoice I haven't been warned about.
- Kelly Swainston NoneThat's Steven's whole philosophy, by the way.
- Steven Holroyd NoneIt is. Cost per order. That's what I watch. If this helps us spot a returns problem before a brand escalates, that's a cost I can count. If it's another dashboard nobody opens, it isn't.
- Priya Raman NoneWhich is why I'd suggest we agree a few things upfront that we'll look at together after the first quarter. How many client managers are asking questions, how many reviews were prepared from it, and whether returns tickets are being caught earlier. You can hold us to those.
- Kelly Swainston NoneI'd add the review prep time. I can measure that myself, I know what it is now.
- Steven Holroyd NoneAye, that works. Put that in.
- Priya Raman NoneWill do. Now, one thing on timing. If we're signing on 21 March 2025, the build could start soon after, and you'd have it live in time for the reviews that follow. Kelly, does that fit your calendar?
- Kelly Swainston NoneIt'd be tight but it's better than waiting. I've got a couple of reviews I'd like to do the old way and then never do the old way again.
- Priya Raman NoneBrilliant. So where I've landed: I'll send the revised proposal with the one-off and the annual split out, the success measures we just talked about, and the plan with returns first. Steven, you take it through with your people, and perhaps your credit controller wants a look at the payment side.
- Steven Holroyd NoneShe will. I'll get her on the next one. And you'll want someone senior on your side if we're talking terms.
- Priya Raman NoneYes, I'll bring my VP Sales along, it keeps things moving. I'll find a slot in the next couple of weeks and we'll go through the terms properly.
- Kelly Swainston NoneLovely. Thanks, Priya, that was useful.
- Steven Holroyd NoneThanks. Speak soon.
- Priya Raman NoneCheers both, speak soon. Enjoy the rest of your Thursday.