During due diligence, seller/owner who is also the key management often gets “offended” by the DD questions from professionals. What is the best way to manage their emotions? They are the ones who build the business and naturally take a lot of pride in doing so, and it is hard for them to acknowledge that their business may not be as “perfect” as they think.
I believe it depends on the approach as everyone knows there is always room for improvement. If a company is interested in acquiring the business from the seller/owner, then they obviously have a reason, and the discussions can start with the advantages of such an acquisition – how the target company would fill the buying company’s gap.