Leverage Big Company Tactics when Negotiating with Telecom Vendors

Author(s): John Stehman

Unless a mid-sized company believes and acts as if they are on, or at least moving towards, a strong growth path, vendors will likely retain the upper hand in the negotiation process. From the vendor perspective, there is negotiation room for those companies that display a potential growth opportunity.

This research note addresses the following areas:

  • Some of the negotiation points that large companies utilize.
  • How to negotiate as if the business is in, or will soon enter, a growth phase.
  • How to negotiate discounts based on the most attractive and achievable discount tier.
  • How to obtain gratis, or almost gratis, services such as maintenance and support.
  • The importance of developing a business relationship with vendor executives.
  • A brief case study on how Company X negotiated with its telecom vendor.

In addition, even when pricing concessions are not obtained, many vendors still provide other valuable services at no charge.