I was on a call with a prospective client when he asked a question I frequently hear: “Will we get a list of companies we can look at to acquire?” It’s a common misconception that your objective in hiring an M&A consultant is a long list of for-sale acquisition prospects. I strongly caution against this …
Tag: acquisition strategy
Five Common Mistakes Made During an Acquisition (And How You Can Avoid Them)
About 77% of company acquisitions fail. Don’t let that number scare you off from an acquisition. Based on my observations as an M&A consultant, I’ve found most acquisitions fail due to widespread misunderstandings of the process. Head over to the ACG National Capital Blog to read my list of some of the most common mistakes …
Striking a Balance in Negotiation
When approaching negotiation for an acquisition, it’s essential to establish the right mindset from the start. You should strike a balance between negotiating firmly on the one hand and protecting your relationship with the acquisition prospect on the other. Any potential deal suffers tremendously when the parties become combative. You can be a tough negotiator …
The Prospect Funnel
If you have started to look at individual acquisition prospects, you may be wondering, why use a prospect funnel? That’s to say, why pursue lots of possible acquisitions, rather than focus on just one? I have frequently been approached by clients after a deal suddenly fell through—a deal they had been working on for months …
Prepare to Buy: Planning A New Acquisition
The decision to make an acquisition is no small step. While there is risk inherent in any acquisition, the downsides can pale next to the potentially enormous rewards. In my post on the Association for Corporate Growth blog, I outline how to plan a new acquisition so you can minimize the risk and reap the …
Less is more?
When you hear the word “grow,” you probably think of getting bigger: having more customers, more markets, more products, or more revenue. I prefer to see growth strategy as a way to recalibrate your company, enabling you to become increasingly focused and effective. Recalibration is a continual necessity today, because economic and technological changes are …
Seven Strategic Questions
Last week, I wrote about the importance of self-exploration. To begin your journey of self-exploration, here are seven strategic questions you may find helpful: 1) What business are we in? 2) What is our core competency? 3) What are we not? 4) Where is our pain? 5) What are our dreams? 6) What is our …
From Beginning to Beginning
When I am teaching M&A, I often use the phrase ‘‘from beginning to beginning.’’ I am signaling a difference from the more familiar phrase ‘‘from beginning to end,’’ which suggests that once the deal is signed, the process is over. In my experience, the end of an M&A transaction marks the beginning of a whole …
Choosing the Right Growth Pathway
As you move from developing the strategic foundations for growth to implementing your growth plan, think about the different pathways to growth. Choosing the right pathway for growth is considered to be the heart of business. In the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) blog, I outline some of the strategic pathways you can take for growth, …
“Go-Shop Clause”
Edelman Financial Group agreed to sell their business for $258 million which is reported to be a 43% premium over their stock price. The interesting thing is the agreement includes a 40 day “go-shop clause” where the company can seek higher bids. I have been talking about these provisions for several years and expect you’ll …
