Consider leveraging the fact that discounts were previously provided in the last pricing discussions. If a discount is labeled as a 'one-time' discount without formal inclusion in a prior agreement, this gives you room to negotiate for this to be carried over into your new contract without conditioning it for just this year. Your finance team has only budgeted for a flat renewal, and emphasizing this could lead to better pricing terms.

Highlight any security-related requirements and make it a point that adding features must not lead to an additional cost, especially during the negotiations. Many competitors have bundled in standard security features without additional fees, which strengthens your argument for Clay to follow suit. Communicate that you need these features, but adding them should not come with a premium given the market offering.

Emphasize that your finance/legal team has mandated that all purchases require the abolition of the auto-renewal clause. Make it clear that while you recognize the auto-renewal option exists, it does not align with your internal requirements, and you are committed to ensuring this flexibility is present in your agreement as it paves the way for future negotiations without being bound to automatic renewal terms.

Address the subject of overages as part of the contract. Given that there might be terms in the original agreement that covered overages, use this history to push negotiations. Articulate that any increase must not involve associated fees since it impacts your growth and budgeting methods.

The current contract reveals your usage behavior, showing stable utility. Request that the anticipated uplift percentage be removed or substantially reduced to align with your current financial expectations. Make sure to clarify any product or service issues that justify this request, anchoring your figures around what has been contracted so far.