Mistakes that can be made during a Microsoft contract negotiation
When contract negotiations are not carried out correctly, they can lead to a negative financial impact on your organization. They can also impact your whole organization’s operations and create potential data protection issues.
Going into a contract negotiation should involve background checks with I.T. Managers and key product users to understand the current stance and future road maps to negotiate well. Here are five common mistakes to avoid.
1/ Do not close deals with Account Executives or Managers before attempting to escalate to higher management to seek re-dress should a problem occur. At the initial stages where you are not comfortable, request for input from a person with the right authority.
2/ Do not go into a negotiation without a plan, strategy or what your future road map is. Build negotiation models around the other party’s strong selling products and pitch that to your advantage.
3/ During negotiations, especially if it is for a discount or an initial product purchase, you might be offered juicy offers; agree to them not because of the discounts involved but because you really need to use the products.
4/ Avoid going into a negotiation a few days to when you would need to maximize the outcome of the negotiation. Plan months ahead and give yourself and your team time to think through deals properly.
5/ Engage your internal products’ users to know how current products are delivering and what future products should cover to avoid wrong contract dealings.
The Microsoft experts at Q-Advise have negotiated hundreds of contracts and we are happy to share our knowledge with you. Talk to our experts to help you with your negotiation and to optimize your costs. As an independent licensing company, we combine expert knowledge of the software and licensing market to help you resolve licensing issues, save on your Microsoft purchases and carry out cost-reduction actions.
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