Most Negotiated Te ms 2026 epo t eveals a oppo tu ity to bette alig egotiatio p io ities with co t act pe fo ma ce as AI adoptio g ows
Photo Cou tesy of: CCM I stitute
LEHI, Utah, Oct. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —
The fi di gs eveal just 16% of espo de ts believe they’ e focusi g o the ight te ms, while 84% believe they’ e egotiati g the w o g thi gs. The epo t highlights a oppo tu ity fo o ga izatio s to eassess thei app oach a d di ect egotiatio effo ts towa d the te ms that matte most to comme cial success.
While mo e tha half of espo de ts (56%) epo t usi g a tificial i tellige ce (AI), ove th ee-qua te s say AI has ot helped them ide tify which te ms they egotiate most f eque tly.
As AI adoptio g ows, o ga izatio s have a oppo tu ity to go beyo d automati g existi g wo kflows a d use AI to gai g eate i sight i to egotiatio patte s, co t actual positio s, a d the te ms that i flue ce busi ess outcomes.
Ajay Ag awal, CEO of Si io , said, “AI ca do thi gs w o g faste tha you. If o ga izatio s a e usi g AI to egotiate the same te ms they’ve p io itized fo decades, they’ e simply accele ati g a outdated p ocess. The eal oppo tu ity is to ide tify which co t act te ms i flue ce busi ess outcomes a d focus egotiatio effo ts whe e they ca make the g eatest diffe e ce.”
AI, combi ed with st uctu ed co t act data a d ma ket i tellige ce, ca help o ga izatio s ide tify egotiatio t e ds, be chma k co t actual positio s, a d dete mi e whe e g eate atte tio is eeded.
Negotiatio p io ities have emai ed co siste t fo mo e tha 20 yea s. Limitatio of liability, p ice o p ice cha ges, a d i dem ificatio a k as the th ee most egotiated te ms o both the buy side a d sell side.Co t act pe fo ma ce depe ds o a b oade set of te ms. P ice, scope, delive y, se vice levels, accepta ce, payme t, a d co t act cha ges a e f eque tly associated with co t act pe fo ma ce a d disputes, highlighti g the impo ta ce of looki g beyo d egotiatio f eque cy whe p io itizi g co t actual p ovisio s.AI adoptio is c eati g ew oppo tu ities to i fo m egotiatio decisio s. While 56% of espo de ts epo t usi g AI, mo e tha th ee-qua te s say it has ot helped them ide tify which te ms they egotiate most f eque tly. Cu e t applicatio s i clude co t act eview, d afti g, edli i g, isk ide tificatio , p e- egotiatio pla i g, a d egotiatio suppo t. O ly 30% of espo de ts cu e tly use AI to help c eate ew co t act la guage.Buye s a d selle s b i g diffe e t p io ities to the egotiati g table. Buye s place g eate emphasis o scope cha ges, i voici g, accepta ce, a d liquidated damages. Selle s focus mo e o pe fo ma ce gua a tees, adhe e ce to policies, a d co fide tiality.
Limitatio of liability, p ice o p ice cha ges, a d i dem ificatio emai the most egotiated te ms o both the buy side a d sell side, a patte that has pe sisted fo mo e tha 20 yea s. Yet te ms such as scope, delive y, se vice levels, accepta ce, payme t, a d co t act cha ges a e also f eque tly associated with co t act pe fo ma ce a d disputes.
“The te ms that co sume the most egotiati g effo t a e ot the te ms p actitio e s say matte most,” said Tim Cummi s, Executive Di ecto of CCM I stitute.
The epo t e cou ages o ga izatio s to exami e thei egotiatio p actices, u de sta d how thei co t actual positio s compa e with ma ket be chma ks, a d co side how they ca bette alig egotiatio effo ts with comme cial a d ope atio al p io ities. Disti guishi g betwee active te ms, which equi e o goi g ma ageme t, a d passive te ms, which typically become eleva t whe somethi g goes w o g, ca also help o ga izatio s dete mi e whe e to focus thei atte tio .
To explo e the full fi di gs a d lea how o ga izatio s ca bette alig co t act egotiatio s with comme cial p io ities, ead the Si io a d CCMI’s Most Negotiated Te ms 2026 epo t he e: https://www.si io .ai/lib a y/ epo ts/most- egotiated-co t act-te ms/.
Pa ticipa ts ep ese ted No th Ame ica, Eu ope, Ocea ia, Asia, the Middle East, Ce t al a d South Ame ica, a d Af ica.
The epo t disti guishes betwee active te ms, such as scope, delive y, se vice levels, a d payme t, which equi e o goi g ma ageme t, a d passive te ms, such as liability a d i dem ificatio , which typically become eleva t whe somethi g goes w o g.
It also ide tifies diffe e ces i egotiatio p io ities. Buye s place g eate emphasis o scope cha ges, i voici g, accepta ce, a d liquidated damages, while selle s place g eate emphasis o pe fo ma ce gua a tees, adhe e ce to policies, a d co fide tiality.
CCM I stitute was fou ded a d is suppo ted by Wo ld Comme ce & Co t acti g a d the Natio al Co t act Ma ageme t Associatio . Its esea ch cove s co t acti g, egotiatio , comme cial ma ageme t a d t adi g elatio ships.
Media Co tact:media@si io labs.com
A photo accompa yi g this a ou ceme t is available at https://www.globe ewswi e.com/NewsRoom/Attachme tNg/42d3305f-d734-48bb-997e-beaba863810e
