Presenting competition as a realistic alternative can drive better pricing and terms. Indicate to Vercel that another competitor has provided a lower quote and emphasize the financial constraints from your finance team. This tactic shows you are serious about evaluating alternatives, which can compel the supplier to improve their offer in order to retain your business.
You can request the removal of any proposed uplift on your renewal, arguing that the uplift was not part of the previous agreement and that similar suppliers usually do not impose it. If Vercel expects an uplift, anchor your negotiation to a budget that does not accommodate increases, emphasizing the nature of your current business growth and partnerships.
Insist on eliminating any auto-renewal clauses due to new finance/legal requirements from your organization. This can help maintain leverage in future negotiations, ensuring you are not forced to renew under potentially unfavorable terms. This should be positioned as essential for your budgetary processes.
Offer to serve as a reference or participate in a case study as a value-add to Vercel, contingent on reaching a mutually beneficial pricing agreement. This leverages the goodwill of your company while providing them marketing material, ensuring more favorable pricing in return.
If you foresee a substantial increase in users, emphasize this growth to Vercel during negotiations, as it can lead to price reductions due to economies of scale. Stress that you should be rewarded for this anticipated increase in volume.
Review your current usage and confirm that you are not overpaying for unused features or capacities. Position this as a basis for negotiation, possibly leading to a reduction in the total costs or introducing more favorable terms based on real utilization data.