Vendor & Contract Negotiation Support – neutral help on big IT deals, renewals and SLAs.
Contracts • Renewals • SLAs • Neutral Second Opinion

Vendor & Contract Negotiation Support

Before you sign the next 3–5 year IT contract, change MSPs, or renew a major platform, get a neutral, executive-level second opinion on proposals, SLAs and total cost. We help you spot traps, ask better questions and negotiate with confidence.

Typical investment: from $2,250 USD per major contract or renewal.

What this support looks like
  • We translate proposals into plain English.
  • We highlight lock-ins, gotchas and missing pieces.
  • We outline options, leverage points and trade-offs.
  • You get talking points to use in negotiation.

We do not sell licenses or hardware – our only job is to help you get a better, clearer deal for your business.

What you get from Vendor / Contract Negotiation Support

This is a per-deal engagement designed to give you clarity and leverage before you sign. It works for new purchases, renewals, MSP changes and major cloud/security moves.

  • Proposal & contract review in plain English – what is being promised, and what is not.
  • Identification of lock-ins, price escalators and one-sided terms.
  • Assessment of service levels, responsibilities and gaps in the SLA.
  • A short, CEO-ready summary & recommendation (e.g., proceed / renegotiate / walk away).
  • A set of negotiation questions and talking points to use with the vendor.

For larger or more complex deals, we can also support you on vendor calls and board/lender briefings as needed.

Typical scope & pricing

Typical scope includes:

  • Review of proposal(s) and key contract terms
  • One working session (virtual) to walk you through findings
  • Written summary & negotiation playbook

From $2,250 USD per major contract or renewal, depending on size and complexity.

If you have multiple related contracts (e.g., a full MSP change), we can scope a bundled engagement.

How Vendor / Contract Support works

1

Share the materials

You send us the proposal, draft contract and any context (e.g., vendor relationship, alternatives, deadlines).

2

Review & debrief

We review terms, SLAs and pricing, then walk you through the key issues, options and leverage points in plain English.

3

Negotiate with confidence

You enter negotiations with a clear strategy, suggested wording and a written summary you can share internally.

Is this negotiation support right for you?

Good fit if:

  • You’re about to sign or renew a significant IT contract (MSP, ERP, core platform, security stack, etc.).
  • You want to avoid lock-in and surprises around cost or service levels.
  • You’d like a neutral second opinion that isn’t tied to any vendor.

Probably not a fit if:

  • You’re only buying low-risk, month-to-month tools with no real contractual commitments.
  • You have in-house legal and technical teams who already provide joined-up, business-focused guidance.

Common questions

Can you join calls with the vendor?

Yes. For larger deals, we can join selected calls to ask questions in a neutral, professional way and help steer discussions.

Do you replace legal review?

No. We provide business and IT-focused input. For significant contracts, we recommend that your legal counsel also review the documents, using our summary as context.

What if we decide not to proceed with the vendor?

That outcome is often a win. If a deal clearly does not serve your interests, we’ll say so – and help you articulate why.

Don’t go into your next IT deal alone.

One independent review can save you years of cost, lock-in and frustration. Let’s look at the proposal before you sign.

For broader, ongoing oversight of IT vendors and spend, consider the Executive IT Strategy Club or our other Executive IT Engagements.