Removing auto-renewal clauses from your contract can significantly enhance your negotiation leverage for future changes or renewals. Suppliers often prefer auto-renewals to ensure continuation of service, so making it clear this is a requirement from your finance/legal departments may sway negotiations in your favor.
When negotiating a renewal with an expected uplift, you should anchor your budget substantially below the proposed increase. Highlight how competitive suppliers provide better terms on renewal without uplift, ensuring that the cost remains stable as your usage increases, leveraging your specific contract history to justify these terms.
Discuss discounts that can be applied not just as one-time incentives but as standard practice moving forward. Clarifying the absence of specified 'one-time' conditions in the previous agreement enables you to maintain a precedent that discounts can continue into future renewals.
Introduce competitive quotes and expressions of interest from other vendors to apply pressure for better conditions or pricing. Make it known that other providers have presented lower quotes for similar services, and use this to leverage your negotiation for more competitive pricing.
Articulate that security features are a growing concern alongside the adoption of your platform. If these features are provided without additional costs by competitors, applying this pressure could result in securing added functionalities or discounts.
Consider leveraging your willingness to act as a reference for other potential clients or participating in case studies in return for better pricing or terms. This allows you to offer value that could be reciprocated with discount considerations.