Practical, real-world advice and technical knowledge for corporate buyers who do M&A Did you ever do a search for the failure rate of M&A deals? Apparently, it’s high. In fact, there are many studies that say M&A deals tend to fail a majority of the time, especially for corporate buyers. But are these statistics really true? Because if the majority of deals fail, then why would anyone keep doing them year after year? Does anyone do them right? Actually, a lot of people do them right. But if you believe the statistics, there seem to be a lot more people doing them wrong. The question is, how can buyers do deals the right way, so that they don’t become just another statistic? This book answers that question and explains exactly how corporate buyers in particular can do deals the right way. Buyers who have the right mindset to approaching their deals, and a process that involves the right people with the right skills, are much more likely to have success in M&A. With that being said, this book contains practical real-world advice that has been applied in actual deals, and it provides the framework, best practices, and technical skills that are so important for executing successful deals and avoiding the failures. What’s Inside Part one of the book provides a basic overview of the M&A market. It then turns its attention to the corporate buyer and explains some of the more common reasons why deals tend to fail for corporate buyers. From there, it provides a framework for these buyers to develop their own playbooks for approaching and executing deals in a consistent, reliable, and repeatable way. Part two of the book begins to cover some of the more technical details that a buyer should know when doing a deal. It explains in detail how M&A deals are structured and negotiated. It also points out where buyers need to be careful as they negotiate, so that they’re choosing the right structures, keeping the economics of a deal fair, and aren’t taking on any unnecessary risks. Part three of the book explains how businesses are valued, with a focus on the middle market where many businesses are privately owned. It explains purchase price multiples, discounted cash flow analysis, and how to measure returns. It also explains how accretion and dilution are created from a deal and why that’s so important to a corporate buyer. Then, the book provides a framework so that buyers can use all of this information together in order to objectively decide for themselves what a business should be worth when negotiating a deal. Part four of the book covers some of the more advanced topics that buyers should be aware of when doing deals so that they don’t run into unexpected surprises after a deal has closed. This includes explaining what a quality of earnings is, why it’s important, and how it can affect a buyer’s view on the valuation of a business, as well as how to navigate the complexities of carve-outs, cross-border transactions, structuring earn-outs, and valuing intangible assets. From having an appreciation for the mindset and process that goes into executing deals, to understanding how they’re structured, negotiated, and valued, this book is intended to be the most useful, practical, and hands-on guide ever written for corporate buyers doing M&A deals in the middle market.