Telecom Expense Management Blog

In addition to the subject matter-specific information I provided about negotiating a better telecom contract, we offer the following general negotiating tips:

• Begin sourcing services 8-12 months before you need them so you don’t negotiate with your back against the wall.
• If you do have a deadline coming up, don’t disclose it to the seller.
• Understand what you need in great detail (this is the hardest and most time consuming part!).
• Get quotes from multiple carriers to understand the market rates for the services you are sourcing.
• Make a prioritized list of deal points to be negotiated. Be sure to include some items you can concede because they are not important to you.
• Offer a justification for every negotiating position you take.
• There is tremendous power in patience. Always tell the seller you do not have sole decision-making authority. This creates the perception of “institutionalized” patience.
• “Silence is Golden.”
• Never make two consecutive concessions to the seller. You can’t negotiate with yourself and obtain a favorable outcome.
• It is easier to negotiate with friends than with adversaries.
• Nobody likes to be made to look stupid.
• Ask for additional small but important concessions from the seller at the end of the negotiating process as a condition of closing the deal.