Leverage the inclusion of 'Complimentary Consensus User License' and the 'Onsite Training Package' as valuable negotiation points. Emphasize how these offerings align with your expected growth and investment in the software. By showing how this adds to your potential ROI and engagement with their platform, you increase your leverage to negotiate a lower base cost or additional benefits.
Highlight the need to remove any auto-renewal clauses in the contract. This is often a critical condition for finance teams to agree to a renewal. By doing this, you maintain control over budgeting and can negotiate better terms each year or evaluate alternative solutions without being bound.
Address the issue of overage fees in the negotiation process. Present data on your expected usage based on previous periods and advocate for waiving these fees or consolidating them into a flat fee structure. By negotiating on these terms, you can create more predictable budget expenses.
Bring competitor quotes into your negotiation. This tactic often creates leverage when discussing pricing adjustments or additional services. Present the insights from competitors that demonstrate the value you can get elsewhere at a lower price, reinforcing your positioning for a better deal.
Propose that you are willing to act as a reference or participate in case studies to showcase successful implementation and usage of Consensus. This offer can be a substantial 'give' during negotiations, potentially securing better pricing or additional services in return for your commitment.