1 Assess your needs and priorities

Before you enter any negotiation, you need to assess your organization's needs and priorities for IT enablement solutions. This means identifying the problems, opportunities, and goals that you want to address with these solutions, as well as the requirements, constraints, and expectations that you have. You also need to evaluate the current state of your IT infrastructure, capabilities, and resources, and how they align with your business vision and strategy. By doing this, you can define the scope, objectives, and criteria of the IT enablement solutions that you are looking for, and avoid unnecessary or irrelevant features, costs, or risks.

3 Prepare your strategy and tactics

After you have selected the IT enablement solutions and providers that you are interested in, you need to prepare your strategy and tactics for the negotiation. This means setting your target, reservation, and aspiration points for the deal, as well as your best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA). You also need to anticipate the other party's interests, positions, and arguments, and plan how you will respond to them. Additionally, you need to determine your negotiation style, approach, and techniques, and how you will communicate, persuade, and influence the other party. By doing this, you can increase your confidence, leverage, and flexibility during the negotiation.

4 Review the terms and conditions

During the negotiation, you need to review the terms and conditions of the IT enablement solutions carefully and thoroughly. This means examining the details, specifications, and deliverables of the solutions, as well as the responsibilities, obligations, and liabilities of both parties. You also need to pay attention to the clauses, warranties, guarantees, and indemnities that protect your organization's assets from potential risks and threats, such as data breaches, service interruptions, performance failures, or contract disputes. Furthermore, you need to verify the validity, legality, and enforceability of the contract or agreement, and ensure that it complies with your organization's policies, standards, and regulations.

5 Negotiate the value and the price

One of the most important aspects of the negotiation is to negotiate the value and the price of the IT enablement solutions. This means demonstrating the benefits, advantages, and outcomes that the solutions will bring to your organization, as well as the costs, risks, and trade-offs that they will entail. You also need to justify your offer, demand, or counteroffer, and provide evidence, data, or references to support your claims. Moreover, you need to explore the options, alternatives, and concessions that you can make or accept, and seek to create a win-win situation for both parties.

6 Finalize the deal and the relationship

After you have reached an agreement on the IT enablement solutions, you need to finalize the deal and the relationship with the provider. This means confirming, clarifying, and documenting the terms and conditions of the contract or agreement, and signing it with the appropriate authority and approval. You also need to establish, maintain, and monitor the communication, collaboration, and feedback channels with the provider, and ensure that they deliver the solutions according to the agreed standards, expectations, and timelines. Furthermore, you need to evaluate the performance, value, and impact of the solutions, and address any issues, problems, or changes that may arise.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?