Time your negotiations by understanding owner psychology. Everyone wants to talk about price in mergers and acquisitions. It’s often the number one focus of buyers and sellers…but for opposite reasons. Both are likely to say they are looking for a “good deal,” but this can have a completely different meaning depending on the perspective. Buyers …
Tag: Negotiation
Six Ways to Reduce Stress During Due Diligence
Pursuing M&A is a passionate process. Emotions run the gambit from excitement in finding a new deal to anxiety about risks uncovered during the acquisition. I’ve found due diligence and negotiations to be among the most stressful times during mergers and acquisitions. Here are six ways to help everyone keep their cool during these critical …
Partnership, Not Conquest: Mergers and Acquisitions
A collaborative mindset often leads to the best long-term outcome when you’re looking to buy another company. Buying a company is not like buying a used car where you walk away and never see the dealer again. It can be more like buying an automobile with the seller thrown in. Imagine yourself at a dealership …
5 Approaches to Risks Identified Through Due Diligence
During due diligence, you may uncover deal-changing issues, or what I like to call “red bucket items.” Identifying these risks doesn’t necessarily mean you walk away from a deal, but you will need to negotiate new terms with the seller. Among the ways to protect yourself as the buyer when you find major issues: 1. …
Do You Need a M&A Advisor?
From my perspective of largely successful acquisitions, most acquisitions end in failure because they are missing a third-party advisor. A third-party advisor can play an irreplaceable role on your acquisition team as an ‘‘outside insider’’ who can unearth hidden intelligence, resolve stubborn conflicts, help cooler heads prevail, and maintain a strategic perspective from beginning to …
Facebook Says No Waze
Yesterday, we learned that Facebook’s bid for Israeli startup Waze has ended. According to reports, negotiations broke down over disagreements on moving the Waze team from Israel to Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California. Facebook was rumored to be in talks to buy Waze for $1 billion. This is a great example of why it’s …
Negotiation: Take Notes!
I cannot overemphasize the importance of writing everything down during negotiations. Once an item has been discussed and decided upon, have someone from each party initial the notes to confirm the completion. Maintaining a written record helps to keep everyone on the same page. Without such a record, you run the danger of having two …
Six Key Questions in Negotiation
Before you enter negotiation with an acquisition prospect, there are six key questions you and your acquisition team should answer: 1) What is the “big picture”? The key here is to have just one strategic reason for acquisition that you developed at the beginning of the acquisition process. 2) What elements of the “owner’s equation” …
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 …
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