We just signed an LOI with a strong buyer, but our leadership team is already getting buried in diligence requests and our daily operations are starting to slip. How do we keep our eye on our Rocks and prevent the buyer from re-trading the price before close?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Signing the Letter of Intent is not the finish line. It is the beginning of the most dangerous phase of your exit journey. Once the LOI is signed, the balance of power shifts to the buyer. They have exclusivity, and your primary risk is deal fatigue and operational slippage. To maintain your leverage, you must run a dual-track process. First, protect your daily operations by keeping your leadership team focused on their Rocks. Do not let the diligence process derail your weekly Level 10 Meeting™. Use that time to compartmentalize deal tasks so they do not bleed into daily operations. Second, assign a single point of contact, such as your financial executive, to handle the buyer's data requests. This keeps the rest of your Accountability Chart focused on hitting your numbers. If your performance drops during diligence, the buyer will use it as an excuse to re-trade the price. By showing the buyer that your business continues to hit its weekly Scorecard targets without owner intervention, you prove the business is self-sustaining. This operational discipline is your best defense against post-LOI price chips. Keep your team focused on execution, and let the data prove your valuation is fully justified.