Why Deal Strategy Matters

Most owners obsess over the sale price — but deals don’t fall apart over price.

They fall apart over structure.

Buyers care deeply about how the deal is structured: how much is paid upfront, what’s tied to performance, whether the seller stays involved, and how risk is shared. If your deal terms create uncertainty, risk, or misalignment, it won’t matter how attractive your valuation is — the deal won’t close.

And even if it does, a poorly structured deal can cost you hundreds of thousands in taxes, delayed payments, or unexpected liabilities.

In short: Strategy isn’t just about getting a deal. It’s about getting the right deal, for the right reasons, on the right terms.

What You’ll Learn How to Do

This section helps you think like a buyer so you can negotiate from strength — not stress.

You’ll learn how to:

• Reverse-engineer a deal based on your take-home goals, not just vanity price.
• Understand how deal math (earnouts, seller notes, holdbacks) impacts your real payout.
• Identify which deal structures align best with your goals, timeline, and risk tolerance.
• Protect yourself before signing an LOI or entering exclusivity.
• Avoid common behaviors and red flags that break trust during negotiation.

Whether you’re 12 months from exit or already in conversations with a buyer, the right strategy can be the difference between a clean win… or an expensive lesson.

Who This Is For

• Owners who want to maximize their payout, not just accept the first offer.
• Founders who’ve received a Letter of Intent but aren’t sure what’s fair.
• Sellers who want to avoid being stuck in earnout hell or post-close regret.
• Entrepreneurs who want to negotiate like a professional, even if it’s their first exit.
• Anyone who wants to protect the upside and reduce the risk in their sale.