Kenmure Business Telecom / BG-Demo – Negotiation
Callcompleted
Kenmure Business Telecom · 4 Aug 2025 11:45
Robert Lindsay, Morven Tait and Heather Gillespie questioned the contracted figure, service levels, quarterly payment and discount. Nothing was agreed on the call; revised paperwork is due, aiming for signature by 14 Aug 2025.
What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Robert Lindsay, Morven Tait and Heather Gillespie questioned the contracted figure, service levels, quarterly payment and discount. Nothing was agreed on the call; revised paperwork is due, aiming for signature by 14 Aug 2025.
What happened: Tom and Owen Tallis met the CFO, procurement and the financial controller. Robert opened by asking which figure is the contracted one, and was told the £134k proposal total includes the one-off implementation fee.
Customer view: Robert will not agree anything on a call and wants everything in writing. Morven wants the service level wording before signature, and said data freshness is what her people will care about.
Commercial: Owen said a first-term discount can be looked at, once, and that at renewal the price goes to the list price in force. Heather asked for quarterly payment, which Owen said can be written into the order form.
Watch: signature depends on Robert having the revised order form, service level wording and security questionnaire in time to match them to the contract terms.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Theme
Enterprise deal terms negotiation
Importance
upsell
Sentiment
neutral
Voice
decision-maker
Who was there
BG-Demo
CRMmade from
Them
CRMmade from
Follow-up
Next steps
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Tom Ashdown to send Robert and Morven the revised order form and service level wording early next week.
- Morven Tait to send the security questionnaire to Tom Ashdown.
- Robert Lindsay to review the documents, aiming for signature by 14 Aug 2025.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Robert will not sign anything he has not matched to the contract terms, so late documents could slip the signature date.
- Customer expectations on Enterprise data freshness credits depend on the exact order form wording.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Enterprise data freshness credit speaks directly to the concern Morven raised about the nightly refresh.
- Quarterly payment on request could remove Heather's objection to a large single annual payment.
Transcript
Tom AshdownMorning all. I think that's everyone. Robert, Morven, Heather, thanks for making the time. I've got Owen with me from our side, he's our VP of Sales.
Owen TallisMorning. Good to meet you properly. Tom's told me a lot.
Robert LindsayGood morning. Before we start, can I ask the invoice question? Which figure is the contracted one? I have the proposal total and I'd like to be sure what will actually appear on an invoice.- Tom AshdownFair question, and I'll let Owen come in. The proposal total is £134,500. That's the whole deal value, including the one-off implementation fee. It's not an annual figure.
- Owen TallisTo add to that. The implementation is invoiced as a fixed fee, the subscription is annual and in advance. The order form will split the two lines, so you can match each invoice to a line. Nothing appears on an invoice that isn't in the order form.
- Robert LindsayGood. I'll need that split in writing, please. I'm not able to agree anything on a call.
- Owen TallisUnderstood, and that's how we'd want it. Who signs on your side, Robert? Is it you alone?
- Robert LindsayIt's me. Morven runs the process and Heather will tell me whether the payment terms work for us.
Morven TaitYes, from procurement's side I have a short list. The master agreement, the order form, the security review, and the service levels. I'd like to see the service level wording before anything is signed.- Tom AshdownSure. Enterprise has its own service levels. First response times are the quickest of our tiers, and the availability commitment is the highest. It also credits you for data freshness as well as availability, which the lower tiers don't. I'll put the exact wording in the order form pack rather than quote it from memory.
- Morven TaitThat's helpful. Data freshness is what our people will actually care about. If the nightly refresh is late, the account managers are looking at yesterday's faults.
- Owen TallisRight, and that's why it's in the Enterprise terms. The refresh is meant to be complete before the working day starts, every business day. If it isn't, and it happens often enough, there's a credit. Details will be in the order form.
Heather GillespieCan I ask about payment? Our finance team prefers to pay quarterly. An annual payment in advance is a big single item for us.- Tom AshdownYeah. The standard is annual in advance, but quarterly is available on request. Owen, you'd be the one to confirm that.
- Owen TallisWe can do quarterly. It's a request, so I'd want it written into the order form, not left as an understanding. Thirty-day terms either way.
- Heather GillespieThirty days from invoice date, is that right? I'd like that written down as well.
- Owen TallisFrom invoice date, yes. It'll be in the paperwork.
- Robert LindsayThen, to be plain about it, what's the room on the price? I'm not asking you to agree to anything today. I'd like to know whether there is any.
- Owen TallisThere is some. For a first term we can look at a discount, within limits. I'd rather do that once, properly, than keep chipping at it. Let's not discount twice. What I'd propose is that Tom sends you a revised order form with the movement already in it, and you check it against the proposal.
- Robert LindsayThat's acceptable as a way of working. And after the first term?
- Owen TallisA discount only applies to the first term. At renewal it goes to the list price in force then. I'd rather you hear that now than in a year's time.
- Robert LindsayThank you. That's what I wanted to hear stated. Heather, you'll note that.
- Heather GillespieNoted. I'll put it in the file alongside the payment terms.
- Morven TaitOn the security review, is that included in the price, or will there be extra to pay if it runs on?
- Tom AshdownIt's included in the Enterprise implementation. Twelve weeks, security review support inside that. If your IT people have a lot of questions, that's still inside it.
- Morven TaitGood. Then I'll send the questionnaire this week, if you can name someone to receive it.
- Tom AshdownSend it to me and I'll make sure it reaches the right person the same day. No drama.
- Owen TallisLet me pin the dates down, because I like a dated step. Tom sends the revised order form and the service level wording to Robert and Morven. Morven sends the security questionnaire. Robert reviews. The aim is signature by 14 Aug 2025. Does that look right?
- Robert LindsayIt's workable, provided I have the documents in time to read them. I won't sign something I haven't matched to the contract terms.
- Tom AshdownUnderstood. I'll get them to you early next week, so you've got proper time.
- Heather GillespieFine from my side. I'll wait for the order form before I say anything about the invoicing schedule.
- Owen TallisThanks, everyone. Thanks, Robert, for being so clear on what you need.
- Robert LindsayThank you. Goodbye.
- Tom AshdownCheers all. Speak soon.
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