Deal-Making is About Transformation, Not the Transaction
When the economic circumstances are right, boards of directors and executives can become like wolves searching for a juicy acquisition or merger to grow their company.?The drive to buy something gets into their bloodstream, acting like a hormone fueling a hunger that will not abate until a deal is made. In my M&A work with companies, I’ve witnessed an almost primordial chest-thumping motivational force take over some boards and executive teams to get out and BUY THINGS! It is like watching a feeding frenzy.
The problem with many M&A situations is that the boards and executive teams lose sight of the real goal – how to transform their business. They get so focused on the transactional details and negotiating the best deal that they neglect asking the right questions to ensure the long-term benefits of the merger or acquisition.
At this time, it appears likely that the deal-making conditions in the fourth quarter 2021 and the coming years will be very positive, encouraging many companies to seek out opportunities for M&A deals. If your firm goes on the hunt, here are some recommendations to be sure you are not chasing the wrong deal:
1.????Stay focused on the long-term (at least 5 years) of benefits from the merger or acquisition. How will the deal transform your company and add value over the long term?
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2.????When negotiating, avoid getting bogged down in the transactional details that take your minds off the transformational goals.
3.????Most important of all, precisely define the exact means by which the deal will change your company.??This will not only serve as means to assess whether the you should pursue the deal, but also provide an ongoing assessment of whether the costs of the deal are justified.???
While these recommendations may seem like common sense to an experienced board, I can attest to working with plenty of firms whose boards seem to lose that common sense when they start chasing M&A prey. Mistakes are far easier to make when you are hungry for a deal. It takes vigilance and focus to come out of a M&A search as a true long-term winner.?