Introduce competition as leverage during your negotiations with Security Journey. If there are competitors offering similar functionalities at a lower price point, use that to push for better terms or discounts. Emphasize to Security Journey that other options are available and financial constraints mean you're obligated to evaluate those alternatives. This adds pressure for them to offer you a more appealing deal.
Given the context of the current offer and management requirements, insist on removing any auto-renew options in your contract with Security Journey. This aligns with your organization's need for flexibility and regular evaluation of service value. Stress that this is a new alignment from your finance team that will help you maintain negotiating power in future discussions.
Propose to Security Journey that your company can participate in case studies or serve as a reference if you can achieve agreeable pricing terms. This offers them marketing value, which can be used as a counterbalance for any pricing concerns.
Address overage fees proactively in your discussions. If there are any anticipated overages due to usage spikes, negotiate to have these fees waived or at least significantly reduced. This can often be framed around your usage patterns, making it clear that managing growth is a shared interest.
If Security Journey introduces new features or packages, ensure that the associated costs of these upgrades are minimized, or even waived. Present case studies on how competitors are offering advanced security features without an additional premium to emphasize your budget constraints.