Presenting competing quotes can significantly increase your leverage in negotiations with BrightEdge. Highlight competitors who are offering a more attractive price for similar functionalities. Stress that budget constraints are pushing your team to evaluate alternatives, thus urging BrightEdge to reconsider their offer.
Push back against any proposed uplift in pricing, especially as you have not witnessed any additional value to justify the increase. Highlight that most of your vendors offer more favorable terms and that the removal of uplift is critical to maintaining your relationship with BrightEdge.
Negotiate to remove auto-renewal clauses from the contract. This allows you more control over future negotiations and keeps them from becoming a formality. Emphasize that this is a requirement of your internal finance team.
Leverage your willingness to act as a reference or participate in case studies as a negotiation tactic. This can be positioned as a value to BrightEdge and may help secure better pricing or terms in return.
If BrightEdge is resistant to adjusting pricing, emphasize the need for a shorter contract duration. Acknowledging potential ROI issues can persuade them to agree to more favorable terms as it reduces their risk.