What was said
What this says
Current to 11 Oct 26Usage had steadied after the summer dip and the one ticket was answered in time. Helen Varley wants a usage and value page for her finance team before the 1 May 2026 renewal at £48,500 a year.
What happened: Marcus Bell reported average active users a hair under last quarter and questions asked holding well. Quiet users from the summer had mostly returned, which he credited partly to Helen Varley's nudging.
Customer view: Helen wants something she can show her finance team without a lot of explaining. She felt last time she was defending forty licences with nothing in her hand.
Commercial: The contract runs to 30 Apr 2026 and renews on 1 May 2026 at £48,500 a year with forty licensed users. Marcus will start the renewal conversation in the new year and bring in the pricing colleague on terms.
Watch: A couple of smaller trusts ask very few questions. Helen declined to discuss new teams or systems until the budget is agreed.
Themes
Current to 9 Oct 26Who was there
BB-Demo
Them
Follow-up
Next steps
Current to 9 Oct 26- Marcus sends Helen January slots for a short session for newer managers.
- Marcus builds a usage and value page showing questions asked by month, who is asking and which dashboards are used.
- The colleague who owns pricing picks up renewal terms nearer the time.
Risks
Current to 9 Oct 26- Helen again needs to defend forty licences to her finance team at renewal.
- Smaller trusts ask very few questions and may be surprises at renewal.
Opportunities
Current to 9 Oct 26- Helen is open to discussing new teams or other systems once her budget is agreed.
- A January session for newer managers could deepen adoption before renewal.
Transcript
- Marcus Bell NoneAfternoon, Helen. Thanks for making time with the break so close, I know it's a strange week.
- Helen Varley NoneAfternoon Marcus. It's fine, half the office is already gone. So just the two of us and a very quiet inbox. Three things from me: usage, the ticket from last month, and the spring.
- Marcus Bell NoneThat's my list too, so let's go in that order. I'll share my screen. I've pulled the numbers and they're steady. Average active users is a hair under last quarter, nothing to worry about.
- Helen Varley NoneGood. That's better than the summer. What's driving it, are the managers back in?
- Marcus Bell NoneYes, mainly. The quiet ones from the summer have mostly come back, which I think is partly down to you nudging them. Questions asked is holding well.
- Helen Varley NoneBy trust, please. Are the busier trusts the ones I'd expect?
- Marcus Bell NoneFrom what I can see, yes. The big ones you'd expect are the ones asked about most. A couple of the smaller trusts get very few questions, so that may be somewhere to look.
- Helen Varley NoneI'll take that to the account managers. Smaller trusts are exactly where we get surprised at renewal. Right, the ticket.
- Marcus Bell NoneOne last month, not high priority, and it was answered inside your response time. I've got it open. It was a how-to question about filtering by trust. Support walked you through it.
- Helen Varley NoneYes, that was one of the newer managers. It was fine. I just want to know there'll be someone to pick up when we're back in January and everyone has forgotten how it works.
- Marcus Bell NoneSupport will be staffed as normal bar the bank holidays, and I'm around again properly in the new year. I'd rather not promise anything beyond that, but nothing is planned that should touch your account.
- Helen Varley NoneFine. Spring, then. Where are we?
- Marcus Bell NoneYour contract runs to 30 Apr 2026 and renews on 1 May 2026, at £48,500 a year with forty licensed users. I'll start the renewal conversation properly in the new year, and Priya will come in on terms. It would be good to have a usage and value page ready for it.
- Helen Varley NoneThat's what I'd want. Something I can show our finance team without a lot of explaining. Last time I felt I was defending forty licences with nothing in my hand.
- Marcus Bell NoneUnderstood. I'll put it together in the new year: questions asked by month, who's asking, the dashboards that are actually used. If there's a gap, you'll see it before they do.
- Helen Varley NoneGood. And what's the sensible thing for me to do before then?
- Marcus Bell NoneHonestly, keep doing what you're doing with the account managers. Maybe a short session in January for anyone who's joined since the summer. Shall we book half an hour?
- Helen Varley NoneYes, the second week of January. Send me something.
- Marcus Bell NoneWill do. Anything else on your side? New teams who want to come on, other systems you'd like in the picture?
- Helen Varley NoneNot yet. Ask me again in the new year, I'll know better once the budget's agreed.
- Marcus Bell NoneWill do. So, recap: I send January slots for the session, I build the usage and value page, and Priya picks up terms nearer the time.
- Helen Varley NoneThat's right. Thanks Marcus, enjoy the break.
- Marcus Bell NoneAnd you, Helen. Speak soon. Cheers.