Amateurs negotiate the price. Pros negotiate the terms — and walk away richer at a lower headline number.

Amateurs negotiate the price. Pros negotiate the terms — and walk away richer at a lower headline number.
A 36x all-cash with a 14-day inspection and a tight non-compete can net you more, safer, than a 40x stuffed with an 18-month earnout, a long training tail, and a clawback. Price is one variable in a deal with ten.
— Payment structure, escrow, training period, non-compete, holdbacks — all move your real net
— Buyers concede headline price to win on terms; do the reverse
— The multiple is the decoy; the APA is the deal
If you only argued over the number, you got played. Tell me which term you'd never give up.