On: Ask pg.news.yc: How do acquisition prices get settled?

>How can you trust the negotiators to work in your best interest?

Be one of the negotiators. Sounds stupid, but if you aren't at the table, you really aren't being represented, no matter how wonderful the high priced help is.

This doesn't sound stupid to me. It rings true. Quite simply, of course you can't "trust the negotiators to work in your best interest." The only person you can trust to work in your best interest is yourself.

> The only person you can trust to work in your best interest is yourself.

If only that were true! A great many people have psychological difficulty in following through on what they believe to be in their best interest.

Other people can often be better advocates for you than you are. They may demand more for you than you would be comfortable asking for yourself.

You are totally right. Of course, this makes life really difficult because it means you can't trust anyone absolutely, not even yourself. This is yet another reason that these types of negotiations are so stressful!

You might be making soap while you sleep.

"sounds stupid" because many people scoff at the idea, feeling themselves not skilled enough or a little overwhelmed by the whole thing.