


Why Do Acquisitions Fail? Part 4 – Price Negotiation & Deal Structure
The success of an acquisition is rarely down to the price you pay according to the research. First the research: Cass Business School, concluded from detailed research covering 12,339 deals including 2917 acquisitions of distressed companies from 1984 to 2008 that...
Why Do Acquisitions Fail? Part 3 Target Assessment
This 6-part blog series is based on our Acquisitions Approval Model. This week we examine the crucial stage of getting to know the target. This week in Part 3, we review our Phase 3 where an acquirer meets the target, builds a comprehensive picture of their business,...
Why do Acquisitions Fail? Part 2 – Target Identification & Prioritization
This 6-part blog series is based on our Acquisitions Approval Model. In practice this model may not flow in a sequential manner because circumstances can change quickly. A target owner who is in dialogue with you in Phase 3 may stall for several months, motivating you...
Why do acquisitions fail? Part 1 Strategy
The acquisition of another company continues to be a graveyard of failed dreams, disappointments, and of course some bad luck. In a recent article in the HBR the failure rate cited based on most surveys is an eye watering 70% to 90%. It’s easy to find deals that...
New Book – The Jolt Effect (Best sales book I’ve read in years)
In 2001 Matt Dixon and Brent Adamson authored the best-selling book, “The Challenger Sale”. This time Matt has teamed up with Ted McKenna to publish the remarkable book “The Jolt Effect.” We are all in sales! From single entrepreneurs to multi-nationals. Closing deals...
Has Your Acquisition Been a Success? Private Equity Vs Public Company Comparison.
Acquisitions are often a graveyard of failed dreams. It’s not the fact they didn’t close. Sure, you got the deal done but so what. I’m talking about the deals that close but never deliver the value forecasted in the business case. Here is a little comparison to think...
Acquisitions are Unique and Often Complex
The percentage of acquisitions that fail varies depending on the source, but some estimates indicate that as many as 70-90% of acquisitions fail to achieve their intended goals. Factors that contribute to the failure of acquisitions include cultural differences...
The Portfolio Partnership Relaunch
It’s been a while since I’ve posted under The Portfolio Partnership (TPP) brand, actually over 3 years. I’ve been busy embedded in the Swedish public company Mycronic, helping to scale their US operations, project managing a build out of a state of...