Bad Attitudes Can Kill A Sale!

The following is taken from my October 2008 column because my blood pressure still goes off the chart every time I remember this incident:

Arrogance – I was on one of the list servs recently and I was talking about the necessity for setting a realistic price for a business. No sooner had I posted my comments, which were never meant to be confrontational, when a fellow list member responded with: (The quote below is exactly how it appeared – it is not a fictionalized statement designed to help tell a story)

“John, if I decide to sell my business I will set a price and if you don't want to pay my price, you can stick in your ear… If someone doesn't want to pay my price I will haul that $%^& to the city land fill, shut the door and forget about it. I'm not required to sell my business based on your formula or anybody else's formula. It's my friggin business and I can damn well do what I want to with it after spending 30 years operating it. I sure as hell don't need some know it all salesman trying to make a buck off my business telling me what my selling price ‘needs’ to be.”

Wow, now here’s a guy with a reasonable attitude, wouldn’t you agree? What a thoughtful and considerate response from a guy whose wife runs the business 90% of the time while he pursues his favorite hobbies. So after all is said and done, this gentleman says he would rather close the doors than listen to a reasonable offer to purchase, one that is based upon sound business valuation practices. Instead, he will let his childish emotions rule the day and along the way ruin his future or what remains of it.