The Gainshare Model Explained: No Savings, No Fee

Gainshare means exactly what it says: no savings, no fee. We are paid a share of the savings we actually realize on your ITSM contract, measured against an agreed baseline. If we do not reduce your cost, you owe nothing for the negotiation work. This guide explains the mechanics, the math behind the baseline, and the guardrails that keep the model honest, so you can decide whether gainshare or a fixed fee fits your renewal.

How gainshare works, step by step

• Set the baseline. Before anything else, we agree what your contract would cost over the renewal term if nothing changed, including scheduled uplifts and True Forward. That number is the line everything is measured against.
• Run the engagement. We apply the full Map, Benchmark, Leverage, Close method to the renewal exactly as we would on a fixed fee. The model does not change the work, only how it is paid for.
• Measure realized savings. When the deal closes, the gap between the baseline and the signed contract is the realized saving. We share an agreed percentage of that gap; you keep the rest.
• No saving, no fee. If the negotiation does not beat the baseline, there is no gainshare fee to pay. Your downside is protected.

Why we offer it

Most buyers have been burned by advisors who bill by the hour and disappear before the savings show up. Gainshare removes that risk entirely. It also signals confidence: we would not put our fee at stake on every renewal if the method did not work. Across 500+ engagements and $420M+ in negotiated contract value, the discipline holds, which is why we are willing to be paid from the result rather than the effort.

Gainshare versus fixed fee

Neither model is universally better. Gainshare suits high-stakes renewals where the outcome is uncertain and you want zero downside. A fixed fee is often more economical when scope is clear and savings are predictable, because you keep 100% of the reduction. The full comparison, with worked examples, lives on the pricing page and inside this guide.

Download the guide

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Related reading

Compare both commercial models side by side on the pricing page, see the method we run on either basis in contract negotiation, and read how it played out in our BMC Helix finance case study where a contract fell from $7.8M to $5.2M. For the wider picture, the case studies index shows realized reductions across platforms.