Negotiation — sharper buying, without the effort
Why most software deals aren’t market competitive
Publishers know exactly what a customer pays for a comparable license elsewhere. Buyers usually don’t. That information advantage costs enterprise organizations an average of 10–20% on their software spend.
Resellers don’t necessarily help either: they earn commission from the publisher and benefit if you buy, not necessarily if you buy smart.
Our approach: market data + independence
SoftVaro works exclusively for the buying party. We have live market data from 4,000+ suppliers: what comparable organisations pay, which discounts are realistic, and where there’s room to negotiate in each contract.
With that knowledge, we engage with the publisher. You stay in the background or join in — whichever you prefer.
What does independent negotiation deliver?
Six reasons organisations engage SoftVaro instead of negotiating themselves or buying via a reseller.
Live market data
We know what comparable enterprise organisations pay for the same licenses. That’s your starting point.
100% independent
No reseller commission, no vendor interest. We work only for you.
You save time
We do the heavy lifting — you decide. No endless email chains with vendors.
Not just price
Besides price, we negotiate contract length, SLAs, auto-renewal clauses, and expansion rights.
Full transparency
Transparent about approach, rationale, and results. No black-box advice.
Proven results
On average 10–20% savings in the first year, often on contracts you thought were already sharp.
This is what a negotiation process looks like
Analysis of the current contract
You provide the contract or offer. We analyse the terms, pricing, and any pain points.
Benchmark against market data
We compare with our market data. Here you see exactly where the room is — and how realistic a better deal is.
Strategy determination
Together we define the strategy: where the priorities lie, which arguments to use, who leads the talks.
The negotiation
We take over the conversation with the publisher. You stay in the background or join in — whichever you feel comfortable with.
Closing and documenting
The result: a sharp contract with better terms. We explain every adjustment before you sign.
Which suppliers do we negotiate for?
From Tier 1 platforms to Tier 3 niche tools. Access to 4,000+ suppliers in our market data.
Adobe, Autodesk
Large publishers with complex license structures. This is where our market data adds the most value.
VMware (Broadcom)
Virtualisation and infrastructure software — traditionally tough negotiations where preparation is crucial.
Atlassian, Zoom, Figma
Collaboration and productivity tools where price per seat quickly rises with scale.
Palo Alto, CrowdStrike
Endpoint protection and firewall suppliers. Complex contracts, lots of room for negotiation.
Microsoft Enterprise
Long-term contracts with large seat counts. We consistently extract the most savings here.
Tier 3 specialists
Niche tools and departmental software where you have little comparison material yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can I save?
That varies per contract and supplier. On average, we see 10–20% savings in the first year, often more on contracts not reviewed for a long time. After the initial analysis, we provide a realistic estimate.
What does it cost?
We work on a performance fee basis: you pay a percentage of the actual saving. No saving, no fee. Concrete terms are agreed in advance.
When should I engage you?
As early as possible. Ideally 3–6 months before renewal — that gives the best negotiating position. But we can also help last-minute, albeit with less room to manoeuvre.
Do I conduct the talks myself or do you?
You decide. We can take on the entire process, or act as advisers in the background while you lead the talks. Many clients opt for a hybrid: we prepare, they speak.
How do you handle confidentiality?
We always sign an NDA before starting. Contract information is stored encrypted and not shared with other clients or parties.
Contract expiring soon?
Send us the contract, and we’ll send you a first estimate of the saving potential within 24 hours. No obligation and under NDA.