Template

Contract negotiation call template

Working through the open terms of a contract with the other side: what each needs, what each can give, and what goes back to lawyers — so the deal closes without surprises.

45 minutesFor The seller's account lead and, where needed, legal or finance; the buyer's decision-maker and procurement or legalAgenda room
Change the agenda first

The agenda, with a time for each part

  1. Where we agree already5 min
    • Which terms are settled?
  2. The open points, most important first20 min
    • What do you need here, and why?
  3. Trades10 min
    • If we move on this, can you move on that?
  4. What goes to lawyers5 min
    • Which wording needs legal review, and by when?
  5. Next steps and dates5 min
    • What do we each send, and when do we sign?

How the notes read afterwards

A made-up example, so you can see the shape. In a real call each line carries the words that were said and who said them.

Agreed. Price, term, number of users.

Open. They want unlimited liability for data breaches; we offer twice the annual fee.

Trade. We accept 30-day payment if they accept a two-year term.

Lawyers. Liability wording by Thursday; signing target the 28th.

Running it well

Ways to change it

Procurement-ledAsk procurement early for their standard terms and their deadline.
Small dealUse your standard terms and negotiate only price and term.

When to skip it. If the open points are only wording, let the lawyers handle it in writing.

Questions

What is discussed on a contract negotiation call?

The open terms of a deal — such as price, payment terms, length, liability, data protection and service levels — and the trades each side will make.

How do you prepare for a contract negotiation?

Know what you must have, what you would like and what you can give up, and understand the reasons behind the other side's requests.

Should lawyers be on a contract negotiation call?

For complex legal terms, yes; for business terms like price and length, the business leads usually agree first and lawyers write it up.

What happens in the room

Everybody joins from the link, with no account. The agenda sits beside the call and each item fills in with what was said about it, under the name of the person who said it.

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