Introduce competition as a lever in the negotiation process. Emphasize that you are considering other options available in the market, particularly your current usage and the value it brings. This not only increases your negotiating power but can lead to price reductions or better terms.
Negotiate a lower price or better terms based on competitive pricing or alternative solutions. Make sure to outline your budget constraints explicitly, as this gives you a strong foundation to request for price cuts or free trials on certain features.
If you plan on increasing the number of users or features in your plan, use this growth as a bargaining tool. Highlight that growth should correspond with a lower price per user, which creates an incentive for the supplier to negotiate favorably.
Emphasize that you need to negotiate discounts that can carry over to future terms. Highlighting that your finance team has set a budget cap can help leverage discussions towards a favorable long-term discount.
Insist on removing any auto-renewal clauses in the contract to ensure you have the flexibility to reassess your needs at the end of the contract term. This is crucial in maintaining your leverage for future negotiations.