“We're tied into last year's refresh”

Head of Infrastructure · Cloud infrastructure

A recent refresh means this cycle's budget is spent, not that the conversation is over. Don't try to unpick a decision they've just made. Sell the next decision instead: ask what the next refresh has to do better, and who will be in the room when it's decided.

What the buyer says

We refreshed our servers and storage with our current supplier last year. We're tied in for at least three more.

How to handle it

Listen

Note the timing and the relationship. "Last year" and "three more" give you the date of the next decision. "Our current supplier" tells you whether they sound happy, or just committed.

Acknowledge

Agree that a refresh is a big project, and that nobody wants to reopen it a year later.

Explore

Ask how the last refresh went: what took longest, what they'd change, what the business asked for that it couldn't deliver. Ask what has changed since, such as new demands from AI, data growth or cost pressure, and who will own the next decision.

Respond

Offer something useful before the next refresh: a view on how others are planning theirs, or a small project that solves a problem the refresh didn't. Agree when to talk again, well before the next decision starts.

Say this
“That's a big project to have just finished. Nobody wants to reopen it.”

Say this
“Looking back, what would you want the next refresh to do better?”

Say this
“When does planning for the next one start, and who'll be in the room?”

Variations

IT Director: “We've just signed a five-year support deal.”
CIO: “We've made our infrastructure decision for this cycle.”

Questions people ask

How do you respond when a prospect has just refreshed their infrastructure?

Don't try to reopen the decision. Ask what the next refresh needs to do better and when planning starts, then offer something useful in the meantime, so you're part of the next decision rather than late to it.

When should you contact a prospect about their next infrastructure refresh?

Well before the formal process starts. Requirements are often set months before a tender or a supplier review, and shaping them is easier than competing against them.