Ludworth Lettings / BG-Demo – Negotiation
Callcompleted
Ludworth Lettings · 26 Mar 2026 09:45
Stephen Arden asked for a lower price on the £28k first-year total. Owen Tallis offered only a modest first-term adjustment in writing. Gail Moorcroft asked for quarterly billing. Signature is targeted for 16 Apr 2026.
What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Stephen Arden asked for a lower price on the £28k first-year total. Owen Tallis offered only a modest first-term adjustment in writing. Gail Moorcroft asked for quarterly billing. Signature is targeted for 16 Apr 2026.
What happened: Owen Tallis joined Tom Ashdown for terms. Stephen said "It's twenty-eight. All in. I'd like it lower" but named no rival and said he signs once Kerry and Gail are happy.
Customer view: Kerry defended the value in terms of landlords retained. Gail asked for quarterly payment because winter cash flow is lumpy, and wants to read the agreement herself, including any break clause.
Commercial: Owen confirmed quarterly billing is available on request and does not change the total. He will send a first-term adjustment with the order form, with no figure given on the call.
Watch: Stephen declined a fifth connector and Owen did not push it. Owen will hold 16 Apr 2026 in the forecast and move it if Gail's comments take longer.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Theme
Starter price and terms
Importance
renewal
Sentiment
mixed
Voice
decision-maker
Who was there
BG-Demo
CRMmade from
Them
CRMmade from
Follow-up
Next steps
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Owen Tallis to confirm quarterly billing in writing and send the first-term adjustment with the order form.
- Tom Ashdown to put the implementation split on the order form and send the agreement wording.
- Gail Moorcroft to send comments on the agreement, with signature targeted for 16 Apr 2026.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Stephen Arden wants a lower price and the adjustment is not yet quantified.
- Gail Moorcroft's contract review, including the break clause question, could move the 16 Apr 2026 date.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Stephen Arden said he alone signs and no one else blocks the deal.
- Owen Tallis left the door open to a larger tier if Starter works.
Transcript
Tom AshdownMorning, all. Give it a minute, I think we're still waiting on Gail. Kerry, how's the week treating you?
Kerry BramallMorning. Backlog's down a bit, so that's something. Still two boilers outstanding. Gail's just finding the link, she'll be a sec.
Stephen ArdenMorning. Kerry, how's it going?- Kerry BramallI literally just said, Stephen.
- Stephen ArdenDid you? Good.
Gail MoorcroftSorry, sorry. Morning everyone. I'm in, can you hear me? I had to go round the houses to find the invite.- Tom AshdownHear you fine, Gail. No drama. This is Owen Tallis, our VP of sales. Owen, Gail looks after accounts at Ludworth, Kerry and Stephen you know.
Owen TallisMorning, all. Thanks for making the time. Tom, where does the deal stand against the date?- Tom AshdownStarter, proposal's been out, we're aiming to sign for Thursday 16 April 2026. Today's about terms. Stephen, you had a couple of points?
- Stephen ArdenYes. Price. It's twenty-eight. All in. I'd like it lower.
- Owen TallisUnderstood. Let me say how I see it. Twenty-eight thousand is the deal total, with implementation inside it, first year. It's a fair price for what Kerry's team gets. I'm not going to pretend there's no room anywhere, but I'd like to know what you're comparing it with.
- Stephen ArdenNothing. Just, it's a lot for a small team.
- Kerry BramallIt's not a lot compared with what we lose when a repair slips and a landlord walks. I've said that, Stephen.
- Stephen ArdenYou have. Landlords who stay. Fine.
- Owen TallisLet me be straight, then. Any concession we make applies to the first term only, and I'd rather not discount twice. So if we do something, I want it to be clear what we get back. What's the next dated step on your side? Who signs?
- Stephen ArdenI sign. Once Kerry and Gail are happy.
- Owen TallisGood. That's what I wanted to hear. So signing is not blocked by anyone else.
- Gail MoorcroftCan I come in on the payment side? I've read the proposal Tom sent. It's annual in advance, thirty days. We usually prefer to pay quarterly if we can. Cash flow's lumpy in the winter, with the landlords' statements going out.
- Tom AshdownQuarterly's something we can do on request. I'll let Owen speak to whether it changes anything on the price.
- Owen TallisQuarterly billing is available on request. It doesn't change the total, it changes when the invoices land. I'll confirm in writing today so you've got it in front of you.
- Gail MoorcroftThat helps. And is the implementation part invoiced separately, or does it go into those quarterly bits?
- Tom AshdownI don't want to guess. I'll check how it splits and put it on the order form so there's no ambiguity. Leave that with me.
- Owen TallisYes. The order form is what counts, not the emails. Whatever we agree today goes on it and Gail checks it line by line.
- Gail MoorcroftI like that. I'm precise about it.
- Stephen ArdenBack to the price. If I sign quickly, can you do better?
- Owen TallisSigning early helps us, so I can look at a modest first-term adjustment. I'm not going to offer a figure on the call, because I'd rather agree it internally and send it with the order form. And it wouldn't carry into the second year.
- Stephen ArdenWhat's modest?
- Owen TallisWithin what we normally allow on a first term. You'll see it written down before you sign. I won't make you decide blind.
- Stephen ArdenRight. Keep it simple. Send it and I'll look.
- Kerry BramallCan I ask something else? When the four weeks of set-up start, who's my person? Tom said Marcus.
- Tom AshdownMarcus Bell, yes. Customer success. He'd run the set-up with you and stay on after. I'll introduce you properly once the paper is signed, so you're not hearing from a stranger.
- Kerry BramallGood. And the connectors. I've been thinking: lettings system, helpdesk, accounts and email. Is that still the right four?
- Tom AshdownIt's your call, and we can adjust at kick-off. Starter has a hard limit of four, so if you wanted a fifth later it would be a separate conversation about an add-on or a bigger tier.
- Stephen ArdenNo fifth. Not now. I don't buy more than I need.
- Owen TallisSensible, and I won't push it. Starter is the right fit for one team. If it works, the next step is yours to ask for.
- Gail MoorcroftOne more from me. Is there a break clause if it doesn't work out?
- Owen TallisIt's an annual term under our standard master agreement. I'd rather not improvise terms on a call. Tom will send the actual wording and you can come back with anything you want changed.
- Gail MoorcroftThat's fair. I'd like to read it myself rather than be told.
- Stephen ArdenGail reads it. I don't.
- Tom AshdownThat's how it should be, Stephen. Right, so let me read back what I've got. One: quarterly billing, Owen confirms today. Two: Owen sends the first-term adjustment in writing with the order form. Three: I put the implementation split on the order form. Four: Gail reads the agreement and sends me comments. Five: we target signature for Thursday 16 April 2026.
- Owen TallisThat's it. Thursday 16 April 2026 is the date I'll hold in the forecast, and I'll move it if Gail's comments take longer. Honest pipeline.
- Kerry BramallSounds right. Thanks, all.
- Stephen ArdenGood. Thanks. Stephen.
- Owen TallisThanks, Owen. Sorry, I mean, thanks everyone. Speak soon.
- Tom AshdownCheers, all. Bye now.
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