Hey everyone! I need some advice about our current CRM situation. We’ve been using this platform for quite a while now and just recently did a major upgrade. We locked ourselves into a 3-year deal to get better features, which obviously cost us more money.
Now here’s the problem - just a few weeks after signing that contract, we realized we might need a dedicated IP address feature. When we reached out to our account manager, they were pretty pushy about timeline and wouldn’t keep their quote open for long. Even worse, they’re demanding another 3-year commitment just to add this one feature.
Is this typical behavior for CRM companies? We were hoping for maybe 6 months to test it out, or at minimum a 1-year agreement. Since we already increased our spending significantly with the recent upgrade, we’re not thrilled about adding even more costs so quickly.
Anyone else dealt with similar situations? Any suggestions on how to handle this?
This sounds frustratingly familiar - I’ve been through this exact thing with enterprise software vendors. The timing’s super suspicious. You just locked into a major contract and suddenly they ‘discover’ you need another feature that requires yet another long commitment. Same thing happened with our marketing automation platform. They conveniently forgot to mention certain integrations needed separate licensing until after we’d already signed. Here’s what worked for us: skip the account manager and go straight to their regional director or VP of sales. Account managers have zero flexibility, but the higher-ups can actually make decisions, especially when you’re already spending more money with them. We got them to agree to a pilot period at full price but with an early exit clause. Also try this angle - ask for the feature as part of your existing contract since you just upgraded. Frame it like they missed it in the original scoping, not like it’s something new you’re asking for.
This is standard practice across most enterprise software companies, not just CRM vendors. They structure pricing to extract maximum value through staged commitments. The fact they approached you weeks after your upgrade? Totally planned - they knew you’d need that IP feature eventually but waited until you were locked in. I’ve managed tons of software contracts, so here’s my advice: Get everything in writing about what happens if you don’t renew that add-on after the term ends. Many vendors will hold your data hostage if you try to downgrade later. Also check your original contract language carefully - sometimes there are clauses about feature additions that give you more negotiating power than you think. The pressure tactics around timeline are completely artificial. They’re designed to prevent you from exploring alternatives or getting proper internal approvals. Stand firm on that.
Yeah, this is becoming the norm unfortunately. CRM vendors know you’re stuck and they milk it hard. Same thing happened with our sales platform - they locked essential features behind separate multi-year deals after we’d already sunk tons of money in. What worked? I threatened to move our data somewhere else. Sure, it would’ve sucked and cost a fortune, but they didn’t know that. You need real alternatives researched and ready to go. Amazing how flexible these vendors get when they smell actual churn. Document everything in writing and don’t fall for their fake deadlines. If they actually cared about your business, they’d work with you on reasonable terms - you’re a long-term customer, not some random prospect. Maybe hire a procurement consultant who knows software deals. They’re expensive but usually pay for themselves in better contract terms.
Been there with our old CRM vendor. That dedicated IP requirement screams upsell trap - they knew you’d need it down the line. Three years for one feature is insane, especially after you just upgraded. Ask for a month-to-month trial at their regular rate, then negotiate once you’ve tested it. If they won’t budge, make them explain in writing why they can’t do shorter terms. Forces them to own their BS policy. Check your contract too - might be something about add-on features you can leverage. Don’t let them pressure you into another long commitment. You just increased your spending, so you’ve got leverage here. Use it.
Ugh, crm vendors always pull this stuff right after you sign. Try playing hardball - tell them you need your legal team to review it first and check if it violates your existing agreement. Just mentioning lawyers usually makes them back off the timeline pressure.