AVOIDING CIRCLES

I dread when negotiations start to go in circles. When this happens, I immediately advise my clients to take the lead and help maintain urgency in the process. When negotiations stall over minor points, the two sides can lose focus on the big picture and dig in until they get their way. As the buyer, you want to constantly remind the entire negotiating team of the reasons this deal is going to happen and how it will benefit both companies.

If negotiations stall, one way to maintain big-picture thinking is to use the sales strategy of the “assumptive close”: Subtly turn the discussion to business activities after the merger, as if it were a foregone conclusion. For example, if you are buying a company in order to obtain a foothold ...

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