Salesforce Engagement Success Story: Fortune 500 Company Achieves Remarkable Cost Savings
At The Negotiator Guru, we recently had the privilege of working with a prominent Fortune 500 company to facilitate their Salesforce renewal process. Our primary goal was to help them reduce their annual licensing costs without committing to significant future growth. Through our expertise and strategic approach, we achieved outstanding results, saving the client an impressive $1.84 million in direct costs and enabling them to avoid additional expenses of $5.1 million.
Our Approach:
To ensure a successful engagement, we implemented our proven 4-step IT Software Negotiation Process, tailored specifically to the client's Salesforce requirements:
Step 1) Discovery:
Collaborating closely with the global client team, we thoroughly examined their historical use of Salesforce and gained valuable insights into their future plans for the platform over the next 3-5 years. This comprehensive understanding formed the foundation for our negotiation strategy.
Step 2) Strategy:
We facilitated productive discussions involving all key stakeholders to establish a unified vision of the necessary licenses and add-ons required to meet the client's evolving needs. This alignment ensured that our negotiation efforts were targeted and focused, optimizing the outcome.
Step 3) Negotiate:
Utilizing our outcomes-based negotiation tactics, we engaged in open and constructive conversations with Salesforce. We effectively communicated the client's strategic objectives and explored how Salesforce could best support their business goals. This approach fostered a mutually beneficial dialogue and helped drive the negotiation towards a win-win solution.
Step 4) Contract Execution:
In collaboration with the client's Legal department, we diligently identified and mitigated contractual risks and open-ended obligations. By ensuring a clear and favorable agreement, we provided the client with a solid foundation for their ongoing partnership with Salesforce.
The Remarkable Results:
Our engagement delivered substantial benefits to the client, yielding cost savings of $1.84 million and cost avoidance of $5.1 million over the contract term. Beyond the financial gains, the negotiation process fostered executive-level engagement between the client and Salesforce, enhancing their relationship and paving the way for a stronger partnership. The outcome was a win-win solution that satisfied both parties and set the stage for continued success.At The Negotiator Guru, we take pride in our ability to deliver exceptional results for our clients. This success story exemplifies our commitment to achieving substantial cost savings while nurturing valuable business relationships. Contact us today to discover how our expertise can drive favorable outcomes for your Salesforce engagements and negotiations.
See More Case Studies
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Contract Consolidation Post-Merger
Client Profile
A national healthcare provider with 10+ facilities undergoing post-merger integration of systems and vendor contracts.
Challenge
Multiple overlapping software and infrastructure contracts (some with auto-renewal clauses and duplicative pricing) created an estimated $5M in redundant spend and significant compliance risk across entities.
TNG Solution
- Conducted a full post-merger contract risk assessment.
- Identified conflicting licensing terms and misaligned SLAs across vendors.
- Renegotiated bundled agreements, centralized governance rights, and aligned pricing to true usage.
Outcome
Eliminated $5.3M in redundant costs and created a centralized contract framework that mitigated legal exposure while ensuring scalability for future growth.
SaaS Contract Optimization
Client Profile
A Fortune 100 big-box retailer implementing a multi-year rollout of a cloud-based workforce management platform across 1,200 locations.
Challenge
Vendor’s original SaaS contract included non-negotiable annual price escalators, unscalable support fees, and unrestricted termination clauses, leading to a potential $14M overcommitment.
TNG Solution
- Conducted a clause-by-clause risk audit.
- Introduced performance-based renewal language, capped escalators, and tiered user thresholds.
Outcome
Negotiated total contract value down by $6.8M, implemented enforceable performance guarantees, and secured rights to re-negotiate upon key business changes.
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SAP Indirect Access & Audit Exposure
Client Profile
A publicly traded global logistics company with over 30,000 employees and a complex SAP landscape.
Challenge
SAP alleged the client owed $9.6M in retroactive fees due to indirect access violations following an internal audit. The client had signed an outdated license agreement that left them fully exposed.
TNG Solution
- Performed a forensic risk analysis of the original SAP contract and audit report.
- Identified outdated metrics, ambiguous user definitions, and license overlap.
- Negotiated a new licensing model that eliminated indirect access exposure and established a future-proof digital access clause.
Outcome
Reduced SAP’s claim from $9.6M to $0 and negotiated a forward licensing strategy that saved the client $7.2M over five years.
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