Astley Brook Packaging / BG-Demo – Negotiation
Callcompleted
Astley Brook Packaging · 3 Feb 2026 15:00
Negotiation with Astley Brook's finance director and head of customer service on a Growth deal at £60k all-in. Douglas Entwistle signs and wants everything in writing. Target signature is Fri 20 Feb 2026.
What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Negotiation with Astley Brook's finance director and head of customer service on a Growth deal at £60k all-in. Douglas Entwistle signs and wants everything in writing. Target signature is Fri 20 Feb 2026.
What happened: Sophie Ling put Growth on the table at £60k, implementation included, and stressed it is the all-in figure, not an annual price. Douglas asked for the one-off and recurring parts to be shown separately on the order form.
Customer view: Leanne Partington described a short pallet that morning and having to ask three people in three systems. Douglas said credit cannot see a brand's complaints next to its invoices, and wants that business case written down before he signs.
Commercial: Owen Tallis said the proposal already reflects the first-term arrangement and warned against discounting twice. He also said the first-term arrangement ends at renewal, which is priced from the list at that point. Douglas signs, after his managing director has seen the case.
Watch: The evidence does not show whether the order form was signed on this call. Douglas accepts annual billing on 30-day terms but wants every figure sourced.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Theme
Growth order form negotiation
Importance
upsell
Sentiment
positive
Voice
decision-maker
Who was there
BG-Demo
CRMmade from
Them
CRMmade from
Follow-up
Next steps
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Sophie Ling sends the order form with the one-off and recurring lines shown separately, plus a covering note, the day after the call.
- Leanne Partington sends her customer service draft to Sophie the same day, and Sophie turns it into a one-page case.
- Douglas Entwistle shows the case to his managing director, with signature targeted for Fri 20 Feb 2026.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Douglas wants the business case written and seen by his managing director first, so signature could slip past Fri 20 Feb 2026.
- Douglas will scrutinise what happens after the first term, so the renewal price step must be stated plainly in the order form.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- A one-page case joining orders, complaints and invoices per brand gives Douglas and Leanne a shared reason to sign Growth.
- The ERP analyst joining the first calls suggests early, practical engagement with the implementation.
Transcript
Sophie LingHello, hello. Can everyone hear me all right? I've got Owen on from our side, and Douglas and Leanne, I can see you both.
Leanne PartingtonHi Sophie, yes, loud and clear. Sorry, I'm a minute behind, I've just come off the phone with a brand about a pallet that turned up short. Third one this week.
Owen TallisAfternoon, both. Good to meet you, Douglas. Leanne, that sounds like precisely the thing we're here to help with.
Douglas EntwistleAfternoon. Before we start, what decision is needed from me today?- Owen TallisFair question, and I'll be straight. Where the deal stands against the date: we're hoping to have an order form signed by Friday 20 February 2026. Today is about getting you to the point where you can sign it. So what's the next dated step? That's what I'd like us to leave with.
- Douglas EntwistleRight. Then let's start with the number.
- Sophie LingSure. So what's on the table is Growth, and the total is £59,500, implementation included. That's the all-in figure for the deal, not an annual price. I want to be clear on that so nobody reads it the wrong way.
- Douglas EntwistleUnderstood. And that includes the one-off work to set it up.
- Sophie LingYes, the fixed-fee implementation sits inside it. It's one fee, set at the start, so there's no meter running afterwards.
- Douglas EntwistleIn writing, please. I want the split between the one-off and the recurring part on the order form, with the source for each. I don't accept a figure without knowing where it comes from.
- Sophie LingOf course. The order form will show both lines separately, and I'll put the tier and the term at the top so it reconciles to the proposal you already have.
- Owen TallisAnd just so it's on the record, the pricing in that proposal already reflects what we can do for a first term. Let's not discount twice. If we reopen it, we reopen the whole thing.
- Douglas EntwistleI wasn't about to ask for more. I just want to see it written down. Next year I'll want to know what it does to the margin per customer, so I need to see what comes after the first term.
- Owen TallisFair. The first-term arrangement ends at renewal, and the renewal is priced from the list at that point. We'll put that in the paper so nobody is surprised in a year's time.
- Douglas EntwistleGood. Surprises are expensive.
- Leanne PartingtonCan I come in? I'm not going to touch price, that's Douglas's. But Douglas, from my side, the short pallet this morning is a good example. The brand rang, and I had to ask three people in three systems before I could tell them anything. Which brand, which line, what did the customer see? I want that in one place.
- Douglas EntwistleAnd credit has the same problem from the other direction. I can't see a brand's complaints next to its invoices. That's the business case, Leanne. I'd like it written down properly before I sign anything.
- Leanne PartingtonI can draft the customer service section today. Let's close it today, honestly, I'd rather not leave it hanging.
- Sophie LingThat would help a lot. If you send me what you have, I can help turn it into a one-page case with the three views you mentioned: orders, complaints and invoices side by side for each brand.
- Douglas EntwistleOne page. Not a presentation.
- Sophie LingOne page, understood.
- Owen TallisDouglas, who signs on your side? You, or does it go further up?
- Douglas EntwistleI sign. I'll want my managing director to have seen the case first, but the signature is mine.
- Owen TallisGood. That's what I wanted to hear. So the order form can go to you directly.
- Douglas EntwistleWhat are the payment terms?
- Sophie LingThirty days from invoice. The subscription is billed annually in advance, and if you'd rather pay quarterly we can do that on request. I'd put that in the order form if you want it.
- Douglas EntwistleAnnual is fine. How many days are we out on the implementation invoice?
- Sophie LingSame terms, thirty days. I'll write it into the order form so it isn't left to a conversation.
- Douglas EntwistleGood.
- Leanne PartingtonSorry, one practical thing. Our ERP analyst will need to be on the first calls once we sign. Is that a problem?
- Sophie LingNot at all, the more the better. Once the order form is signed, our implementation team will get in touch with a plan and a first call. I'd rather not guess at dates until it's signed.
- Leanne PartingtonFine. I just don't want to promise the plant anything they haven't agreed to.
- Owen TallisCompletely sensible. Right, let me summarise so we've all got the same list. Sophie sends the order form to Douglas with the two lines shown separately. Leanne sends her draft to Sophie today. Sophie turns it into one page. Douglas shows his managing director, and we aim to have it signed by Friday 20 February 2026. Anything I've missed?
- Douglas EntwistleNo. As long as it's all in writing.
- Sophie LingIt will be. I'll send the order form and a short covering note tomorrow.
- Owen TallisGood. And if anything slips, tell me early rather than on the day. I'd rather move a date honestly than sit on a hopeful one.
- Douglas EntwistleNoted. Thank you both.
- Leanne PartingtonThanks, everyone. Speak soon.
- Sophie LingThanks all, bye.
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