The Acquisition Premium Demander
Founder-CEO who agreed in principle to be acquired but is now inflating the valuation ask based on a competitor term sheet that may not be real.
20 min
Duration
About this persona
William Foster founded Cascade Labs twelve years ago. He agreed in principle to an acquisition at $180M. Two weeks after signing the LOI, he mentioned -- casually, as if it just came up -- that he has received a competing term sheet at $240M from a strategic acquirer. He cannot produce this term sheet. He has been describing it in greater and greater detail in subsequent conversations. Getting the deal back on track requires determining what is real, holding to a defensible position, and finding a way to let William either surface the truth or accept the current structure -- without blowing the deal or validating a fictional anchor.
Scenario
You are the lead on the acquiring side. The LOI was signed at $180M three weeks ago. William raised the competing term sheet in your last call. You have requested this meeting to address it directly before the process goes further.
Skills tested
- deal discipline
- anchor handling
- negotiation
- calling a bluff without burning the relationship
- distinguishing fiction from reality in a negotiation
What you'll practice
- How to call a potential bluff in a negotiation without making an accusation
- The difference between a real competing offer and an anchor designed to test you
- How to hold a number while preserving the relationship
- What it sounds like to give someone a graceful path back to the agreed position
Personality traits
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