Leverage competitive bids to negotiate better terms and pricing. By presenting a quote from a competitor that is lower than the proposed price from Rutter, you can signal that you are prepared to switch providers, which can prompt them to offer a more attractive deal. Highlight the key functionalities you require and be clear about your expectations concerning pricing and value.

If you are willing to consider a multi-year agreement, emphasize your company's hesitance about such commitments and the need for significant discounts. Inform the vendor that your finance team generally does not approve long-term deals without substantial cost savings. Use this tactic to pressure Rutter into providing better initial pricing if you opt for a multi-year term.

Discuss any previous concerns related to Rutter's product and how these have impacted your operation. By addressing product-related frustrations during negotiations, you can create leverage for additional discounts or more favorable terms. Be specific about issues encountered and the resources invested in solving them.

Negotiate for the removal of any overage fees based on the growth trajectory of your usage. By explaining that your team is expanding and expects their service usage to increase, advocate for waiving any fees charged for exceeding the originally agreed threshold. This approach ties usage directly to your negotiations about cost.

If you anticipate a significant increase in costs, emphasize to Rutter that your budget for the upcoming term cannot exceed a certain level. If you insist that any rate increase should be linked to a committed evaluation of their services or features, negotiate for reducing the existing scope as leverage against the uplift in pricing.