No one wants to spend more than necessary on SaaS tools, especially with budgets tightening and SaaS stacks growing. Recent Sastrify data indicates that the average company uses more than 96 SaaS tools, so getting the best price possible is crucial.

With so many vendors to negotiate with, you need to know how each one operates and how you can get the best deal terms.

That’s where this Sastrify blog series comes in. We’re sharing our best advice for SaaS buyers to get the best contract terms during subscription renewal negotiations. All of our tips are based on years of negotiating and procurement experience across our team of experts, so you can put them into practice right away.

(If you prefer to hand the negotiating over to a team of experts so you can focus on what matters in your business, Sastrify is ready to help.)

In recent weeks, we’ve brought you exclusive subscription management and renewal tips for tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, Twilio Segment, Datadog, Tableau, and Zendesk, with more to come soon.

Now, let’s talk about DocuSign.

What is DocuSign?

DocuSign is an automated electronic agreement platform that enables organizations to manage the signing of documents and contracts from any device or location. The company has more than one million paying customers and over a billion users worldwide.Alternatives to Docusign include HelloSign (now known as Dropbox Sign), PandaDoc, and Adobe Sign.

Top tips for DocuSign renewals

When it’s time to negotiate your DocuSign renewal contract (or if you start using the tool for the first time), these are our top 6 tips to get the best deal possible.

1. Select the right DocuSign pricing model for your business needs

DocuSign has different pricing model options to explore, and you’ll want to make sure you select the right one for your business: per seat or per envelope pricing.

An “envelope” in DocuSign refers to a container for documents that you send to a recipient to sign. It can have as many documents and signers as you need.

Two things that are important to note when choosing your pricing model: 

• The per seat subscription can still have a limit on the number of envelopes you send out. Read the fine print so you know of any envelope limits and can make an informed decision.
• DocuSign gives limited discounts on the per seat price model compared to the per envelope price model.

2. Take care to accurately forecast the number of DocuSign envelopes needed

Developing an accurate forecast for the number of envelopes you’ll need is essential for DocuSign, as there can be an overage charge of 1€/envelope. To keep spend predictable and under control, proper forecasting is key.

However, DocuSign will inform you when you reach your envelope maximum or exceed your contract volume and offer to expand your bundle. Doing this can help you avoid overage costs.

3. Ask if you can rollover unused DocuSign envelopes

If you overestimated how many envelopes you needed for your contract term, look at the possibility of transferring unused envelopes to the next contract year. It can’t hurt to ask and can save you money on next year’s payment.

4. Aim high for DocuSign discounts!

DocuSign is known in SaaS procurement circles for having large discounts possible. Our data shows an average discount of 30% of the list price, so aim high during your negotiations.

5. Get the best DocuSign discounts at fiscal year end or end of quarter

As is the case with most SaaS vendors, timing your contract negotiations and signing is key to getting the best price. DocuSign reps tend to give more discounts as they near the end of their fiscal year (January 31st) or the end of each quarter (April 30th, July 31st, October 31st). 

DocuSign sales reps will be working to hit their targets at these times, giving you the opportunity to achieve better pricing and contract terms if you sign the contract close to these dates.

6. Research alternatives to ensure you find the right solution for you

Docusign has plenty of alternatives (even beyond the ones listed above), so a deep dive on your requirements is needed to determine the right E-signature or contract management solution for you.

Get the best DocuSign contract with Sastrify

All the above DocuSign contract negotiation advice (along with the tips in the rest of our renewals series) are from Sastrify’s SaaS procurement and negotiation experts. Our team is continually negotiating with SaaS vendors like DocuSign on behalf of our customers, so no one is better equipped to get you the best contract terms available on the market.

Getting the best SaaS deal possible requires a combination of these tips and the right timing and preparation. Sastrify’s experts know exactly how and when to approach DocuSign in negotiations so you can achieve your ideal contract.

Find out how much you can save with our free SaaS savings calculator, and be sure to check back for the rest of our series on things you didn’t know about renewals for popular tools.

More renewal management guides:

• Hubspot
• Salesforce
• Auth0
• Zendesk
• Tableau
• Datadog
• Segment