It became clear discussions could go no further and so the Fiat Chrysler-Renault merger collapsed just barely a week and half after it was first announced. A peak behind the scenes reveal a number of lessons to learn from this failed merger. Pay attention to cross-border issues Many reports note that Fiat failed to win …
Tag: owners
How to Bridge the Price Gap in Acquisitions
Price is often the number one focus in mergers and acquisitions and everyone is eager to get down to the numbers. However, as you might expect, buyers and sellers have very different expectations on price, which can lead to friction between the two parties. On the one hand, most sellers plan to offer their business …
Pursuing Not-For-Sale Acquisitions: 3 Ways to Change an Owner’s “No” to “Yes”
“I’m not interested in selling my business right now.” “We already have a strategic plan in place.” “We are already talking to another buyer.” “Why should I listen to you? I get asked to sell all the time.” “I may sell in a few years when my company has a higher value.” “Who are you????” …
The Key to Successful First Meetings: Putting an Owner at Ease
Owners are usually skeptical or defensive when asked about selling their “not-for-sale” company. In fact, many will hang up or refuse to consider your offer. If you do manage to break through and get the owner to agree to a first meeting, your job is to put them at ease, dissuade fears and communicate the …
Successful Acquisitions Begin with Trust
Trust is everything. As leaders, we can forget this during the excitement of a deal. We can get caught up in reviewing financials, bogged down in the details of due diligence, or absorbed in mountains of research and completely forget about the humans involved in the transaction. When you take a moment to think, it’s …
What Do You Have to Offer an Owner?
“Why should I let you buy my company?” Chances are an owner will ask you this question during the course of your acquisition and you must have a convincing answer. While the strategic fit and benefits of an acquisition may be abundantly clear to you, an owner may not share your perspective. As a leader, …
3 Ways to Maintain Momentum from LOI to Close
After signing a letter of intent, you expect the deal to close, but there are a number of reasons acquisitions fail ranging from regulatory hurdles to unexpected challenges that arise during due diligence to cultural clashes. In my last post, I discussed reasons deals fall apart even after both parties sign a LOI. Here are …
Remembering the Human Factor in M&A
For an owner of a privately-held company, the business is their baby and using hard-nosed tactics to negotiate for the lowest price is ill-advised. The human factor cannot be overlooked when pursuing M&A and establishing trust with an owner is critical. Buying a privately-held business is not like buying a car where you can negotiate the …
How to Negotiate When a Company Has Two Owners
Q: When a company has two owners that are equally involved is it advisable to ask them to choose only one negotiator, especially at the final stages? A: Negotiating with one owner of a company and convincing them to sell their business can already be challenging. The situation becomes more complex when the company you wish to …
Do You Really Understand the Seller?
We recently had a situation where our client, the buyer, was pursuing the acquisition of one of their suppliers. The buyer expected the process to be relatively easy because he and the seller had known each other for years. However, when he tried to speak to the owner about possibly selling his company, he was …
