Renewal Conversation Script Pack

Three scripts. Say them close to word-for-word the first few times - the phrasing is doing deliberate work (non-defensive tone, timeline control, permission-based discovery).

Script A - The Standard Renewal Call (60-75 days out)

Opener: "Hi [Name], thanks for making time. I want to use today for two things: walk through the outcomes you've gotten from [Product] this year, and talk through what renewal looks like on [date]. Sound good?"

Value recap (30 seconds, 3 numbers max): "Since [start date], your team has [metric 1 - e.g., '40% faster onboarding'], [metric 2], and [metric 3]. That's against the goals we set in [kickoff/QBR]."

Timeline-confirmation ask: "Given all that, my plan is to bring the renewal paperwork to you [X weeks] before [date] so procurement has plenty of runway. Does that timeline still work, or has anything shifted in your budget cycle I should know about?"

Objection - "We're in a budget freeze": "Understood - that's really common right now. Two questions: is the freeze on new spend, or does it also cover contracted renewals? And is there a date the freeze lifts that I should plan around?"

Objection - "We're not using it as much as we thought": "Appreciate you telling me straight. Before we talk renewal terms, can we spend 15 minutes on why usage dropped? Sometimes it's a rollout gap we can fix in a week, sometimes it's a real fit problem - I'd rather know which before either of us assumes."

Objection - "Can we get a discount?": "I can absolutely have that conversation. Help me understand what's driving the ask - is it budget pressure company-wide, a competitor quote, or usage not matching the seat count? The answer changes what I can actually offer."

Script B - The Auto-Renew Reminder (90 days before the auto-renew date)

Call/video opener: "Hi [Name] - quick heads-up call, nothing alarming. Your contract has an auto-renewal clause that triggers on [date], which is [X] days out. I wanted to flag it directly rather than let it happen silently, and use the time to check whether anything's changed on your end - team size, use case, budget owner - before it renews."

Voicemail script: "Hi [Name], it's [Your name] from [Company]. Nothing urgent - just flagging that your [Product] contract auto-renews on [date], about [X] days from now. Wanted to check in before that happens rather than after. Call me back or grab time on my calendar at [link] - talk soon."

Email template: Subject: Heads-up: your renewal date is [date]

"Hi [Name],

Your [Product] agreement is set to auto-renew on [date] ([X] days from today). Before that happens, I'd like to grab 20 minutes to walk through this year's results and confirm the plan still fits your team.

Here's my calendar: [link]. If timing doesn't work, just reply and we'll find another time before [date].

[Your name]"

Script C - The "We're Evaluating Alternatives" Conversation

Defusing opener: "Hey [Name] - appreciate you telling me directly, that's exactly the kind of conversation I want us to have rather than finding out at the deadline. Before we get into it, can I ask what's driving the evaluation - is it something we're not delivering, budget pressure, or standard due diligence at renewal time?"

Discovery questions (ask in order, one at a time):

1. "What would the alternative need to do that we're not doing today?"
2. "Who's driving the evaluation - is this coming from you, from your team, or from finance/procurement?"
3. "Is there a specific moment or event that triggered this - a bad experience, a new stakeholder, a budget review?"
4. "If we could close the gap you just described, would that change the outcome, or is this decision already made?"

Reframe and close: "Here's what I'd propose: give me [X days] to put together a direct response to [the specific gap they named] - with the people on our side who can actually fix it. Then let's get back on a call before you make a final call. Fair?"

Tone guardrails for all three scripts: never open with the price. Never negotiate before you've diagnosed. Never let "evaluating alternatives" go unaddressed for more than 48 hours - silence reads as confirmation that you have nothing to say.