The most frequently used term in the vendorspeak dictionary is, of course, solution. It's also the most annoying, simply by virtue of its overuse and meaninglessness. It's typically used as a synonym for product, which means it is, at best, a possible or potential solution. Until it solves my problem, it's a product and nothing more.

If solution is the most exaggerated term, partner is a close second. Vendors just love to refer to themselves as partners to their customers. Yet typically, by almost any measure, the relationship is anything but a true partnership. If I spend an obscene amount of money for a product and I don't get a return on my investment, my company loses money and I may well lose my job. Meanwhile, my vendor's sales rep is earning interest on the bonus he received at my expense. He loses, at most, a license renewal. Some partnership.

But suppose the vendor did lose something. Suppose I stipulate in the contract that if I don't get a certain return on my investment within a specified time frame, I don't pay a dime. By the same token, if my payback exceeds a certain dollar figure, I pay an even more obscene amount of money. Now that's a partnership.

The point is, the vendor has to have some skin in the game. And you should start thinking about demanding just that.

When negotiating software licenses, for example, be aware that the competition for your business can often be fierce. Many software vendors recognize that users are getting fed up with nonsensical licensing arrangements (having to pay the vendor more money if a system is simply moved from one location to another, for example). And they know they have to end the craziness.