We signed our LOI and the buyer is using the sixty-day exclusivity window to slow-walk requests while our operational metrics are starting to dip. How do we regain control of the timeline and push this deal to close without getting chipped on the enterprise value?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Sign a Letter of Intent and the clock starts ticking against you. Every day a deal drags out is another day for the market to shift, your team to get distracted, or the buyer to find a reason to re-trade the price.

To regain control, you must treat the transaction like your most critical company Rock. Stop letting the buyer dictate the pace. Set up a weekly cadence, identical to your Level 10 Meeting, specifically for the transaction. Bring both legal teams, the investment banker, and the buyer to the table to resolve bottlenecks in real time. Use this meeting to IDS issues that are holding up the definitive agreement.

Next, hold your leadership team accountable to their day-to-day seats. The biggest mistake owners make is neglecting operations to chase the sale. If your numbers dip during due diligence, the buyer will seize on the decline to justify a multiple discount. Protect your run-rate by delegating ninety percent of the data requests to a single point person.

Finally, establish a hard drop-dead date for exclusivity. If the buyer asks for an extension, do not grant it without a non-refundable deposit or a signed, clean draft of the purchase agreement. Let them know your business is thriving and you are prepared to walk back to the market if they cannot close the deal on time.