Who does what
- Negotiation
Negotiation firms
Negotiate the price of a specific contract for the buyer, often on a contingency basis.
- Benchmarks
Benchmarking and research services
Provide pricing data and market research, usually by subscription.
- Consulting
Large consultancies
Run sourcing and licensing programs within broader technology practices.
- Licensing
Licensing specialists
Review entitlements, compliance and audit exposure for a specific vendor.
- Resale
Resellers
Handle the purchase itself and are paid through the sale.
How to choose
If the question is whether a price is fair, a benchmark may answer it. If it is what you are entitled to use, a licensing review may. If there is a proposal on the table and the goal is the best possible price, negotiation help can add to what your own team is already doing.
Then ask how each firm is paid and who else it works for.
Where Deal IQ fits
We negotiate, at the final stage of the deal, often after the client's own team has secured a strong offer. We are independent and work only for the buyer.
Our founder trained thousands of technology-vendor salespeople, and our negotiators work with a network of 350+ former vendor sales, pricing and deal desk leaders. They know the incentives and approval paths behind an offer. That has carried $20B+ in contract value across 3,000+ negotiations with 600+ vendors, spanning software, cloud, hardware, telecom and services, for Fortune 500 companies and leading private equity firms.
Clients rate us accordingly. In independent research by Plural Strategy Group in 2026, every client interviewed rated us 9 or 10 out of 10. CoreTrust, the Blackstone-backed group purchasing organization, chose Deal IQ as its IT contract negotiation partner in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a benchmarking service and a negotiation firm?
A benchmarking service tells you how a price compares with the market. A negotiation firm works to improve the price of a specific contract.
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