WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A MERGER AND ACQUISITION CONSULTING FIRM
Hint… Trust and Experience Matter!
Mergers and acquisition consultants work with businesses to plan and execute their strategic acquisitions (or divestitures). When you hire an M&A consulting firm, you should expect the following:
A company and team that has a repeatable methodology & playbook, along with expertise in strategy, process, technology, and delivery.
Confirmation that the M&A consulting firm understands the human element and change management components to ensure that the merger generate superior value quickly!
The M&A firm should have proven case studies, white papers, thought-leadership, and client references related to M&A Strategy, Sell-Side M&A, Buy-Side M&A, and large post-merger transitions.
According to a Forbes article, 83% of Mergers fail to boost shareholder returns. This is often due to mismanagement of risk, cultural/people differences, lack of planning, etc. Although there are many similarities in each merger and acquisition, each is unique in terms of people, geography, systems, etc. and must be crafted specifically to your situation. If not managed carefully, you risk losing critical people at the acquired & acquiring companies, including those required to help successfully execute the transition.
So, what are you looking for in an M&A consulting firm? In short… trust and experience. It is critical that you can and should trust any consulting firm you bring in, but especially one which will navigate you through the financial, emotional and resource-driven decisions you will need to make. Not only must the firm be trustworthy with your critical details, they must instill you—and your team with confidence. Will they be fully transparent with you, and give you the honest answers you are looking for? Beyond good chemistry, this boils down to experience. Does your Mergers and Acquisition consulting firm have experience with businesses in your industry? Do they have a repeatable methodology/playbook? Do they have experience with companies of your size? Have they produced the desired outcome? Have they sat on at the table of both mergers AND acquisitions and delivered on their strategic directive?
Meeting with your M&A consulting firm is important. While T Exponents is proudly located in the Seattle / Bellevue area (Mercer Island), we also have satellite offices across the US. Our M&A teams have performed work with clients in cities & locations such as Dallas, Orange County CA, Denver, Kansas City, LA, San Francisco, San Jose/Silicon Valley, and Harford CT. When an M&A process begins, where appropriate, we “embed” consultants in as members of your team, working at your office and seeing you through the process.
We know that choosing and M&A consultant is a big decision, but an important one in order to get the most out of the process. Combining the people, resources, IP, finances and more can be daunting, but with the right team in place, you will be able to get the most from the experience.
If you would like to discuss ways that T Exponents can help you with your M&A strategy, please click the “Learn More” button below.
DRIFT IQ LLC DBA T EXPONENTS™ PRIVATE, PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL. COPYRIGHT © 2022 T EXPONENTS™. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.