Negotiating mistakes in M&A, on either side of a deal, can strip value and hamstring the opportunity for long-term post-deal success. So, avoiding the most common mistakes at critical junctures is immensely important.
Bill McComas, co-founder of the law firm Jensen & McComas, drops by to talk about the top M&A negotiating mistakes from both the buy and sell side, what they can do to a deal, and how to avoid them.
Here’s an excerpt:
“I always say in transactions like this, or any real business transaction, that people fail in business for the same reason why they fail in their personal lives,” McComas says. “And that is, for transactions like this, it’s almost like you’re dating someone. The courtship process is very similar. So, if you asked in a courting relationship for a pre-nup on the first date, that’s not going to send a very good, strong message. It’s certainly not going to suggest trusting one another.”
