Negotiationadvanced
The Vendor Renegotiation
A vendor wants to increase rates mid-contract with vague justifications.
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The situation
Our software vendor wants to increase pricing by 30% at renewal, citing "market conditions." They're being evasive about specifics and keep changing what they're offering at each price point. I need to negotiate firmly while preserving the partnership.
Who you will be talking to: Evasive Negotiator
They'll seem cooperative and agreeable but avoid concrete commitments. Expect vague language, topic shifts when pressed for details, and new conditions introduced after apparent agreement.
What tends to work
- Pin down specifics — ask "What exactly are you agreeing to?" before moving on
- Summarize agreements aloud and get explicit confirmation
- When they shift the goalpost, name it: "That's different from what we discussed"
One way to open: “Before we go further, I want to make sure we're aligned on what we've already agreed to.”
Say it out loud, then see what you said
Reading about a hard conversation is not the same as having it. You talk to an AI counterpart by voice, like a phone call, and afterwards get a scorecard that quotes your own words: what helped, and what to try next time.