Presenting competitors' quotes has proven effective, particularly when backed by a realistic threat of churn. Inform your current supplier that another vendor is quoting significantly less, which might help lower your price. Clearly state your preferred choice while highlighting the financial constraints your team faces.

Leverage your growing user base to negotiate lower unit costs based on economies of scale. The expectation here is that as you grow your usage, your pricing should reflect that growth rather than incrementally increase as a flat fee. Communicate this clearly during your negotiations.

Negotiate for the removal of any uplift from previous agreements. Make it clear that any increase in pricing was not anticipated based on your prior experiences, and anchor your discussions on budget constraints while expecting stable pricing in light of the potential growth indicated by your increased user base.

Advocate for the removal of auto-renewal terms in your contract. Highlight that this is a requirement from your finance team to allow for more active negotiation during future pricing discussions. Emphasizing financial and legal requirements can strengthen your position and simplify future negotiations.

Offer to serve as a reference or participate in a case study in exchange for improved pricing or better terms. This approach can position you as a valuable partner to the vendor and can help elicit better pricing strategies as a mutual benefit.