What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Marcus Bell opened the renewal with CFO Andrew Sugden, who agreed a call but wants the headline value and reach first. He will not sign without a written business case and has already heard that adoption is lower than hoped.
Ask: Marcus proposed a first renewal conversation on usage and what a renewal must look like, with commercial terms left to Lewis Kerr. Andrew had not been dealt with before.
Customer view: Andrew is direct. He wants to know what Harcastle gets for the money and how many people it touches, and he rules out signing without a written business case.
Next: Andrew asked for usage by team before the Wednesday afternoon call. The evidence does not show whether it was sent.
The thread
Updated 9 Oct 26Messages
- Marcus Bell 7 Jan 2026 08:19Hi Andrew, Happy new year. I'm Marcus, your customer success manager at BG-Demo. We've mostly dealt with Nicola, so apologies for the cold note. The Growth subscription runs to 10 Apr 2026, and I'd like to start the renewal conversation properly while there's plenty of time. Before we get into terms, I'd like to walk you through what the team has got out of the brain this year, using the usage numbers I've pulled, and hear what you need to see to make a decision. Two things I'd cover: - how the brain is being used across the account managers, and where it isn't - what a renewal would need to look like for you to take it to the plan Commercial terms sit with Lewis Kerr, our account executive, so I'll bring him in once we've had a first conversation and you know what you want to ask him. Shall we book half an hour next week? Happy to jump on a call at whatever time suits you. Thanks, Marcus
- Andrew Sugden 9 Jan 2026 14:52Marcus, Thanks for the note. Nicola has mentioned you. I can do half an hour on Wednesday afternoon, after two. Send an invite. I'll be direct so you can prepare. I need the headline: what does Harcastle get for the money, and how many of our people does it touch? From what Nicola tells me, fewer than we hoped. I'm not going to sign anything until there's a written business case, and anything beyond what we pay now has to go in the plan. So before Wednesday, can you send me the usage by team, without the product detail? Just who uses it and how often. Andrew Sugden