The due diligence process since signing the LOI is consuming eighty percent of our leadership team's time, and our weekly Scorecard metrics are starting to slip. How do we use our Level 10 Meeting™ structure to keep the business running while getting this deal across the finish line?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The period between signing the LOI and closing is incredibly exhausting, and operational slippage is a major threat. If your business performance drops during due diligence, the buyer will absolutely use it to renegotiate the purchase price. To prevent this, you must compartmentalize the transaction. Use your Accountability Chart to create a clear division of labor. Appoint one key leader, such as your Integrator or Chief Financial Officer, to handle ninety percent of the buyer's due diligence requests. The rest of your leadership team must remain focused on running the day-to-day operations. Do not let transaction talk hijack your weekly Level 10 Meeting. Keep the agenda strictly focused on reviewing your weekly Scorecard, tracking progress on your Rocks, and using the IDS process to solve operational issues. If due diligence requests require attention, create a specific, separate meeting for those discussions. This discipline ensures that your team remains focused on maintaining performance. By keeping your weekly operations structured and separate from the deal dynamics, you protect your run-rate EBITDA. This proves to the buyer that your business runs on a self-sustaining system that does not collapse under stress.