Acquisitions Colleague Whose Pre-Occupation with Likeability Hamstrings Negotiation

Hello all - I am dealing with a situation, and was hoping to hear from other with the same/similar experience.


I have an acquisitions colleague who is great at sourcing leads, because he (a) tells people what they want to hear, (b) only sees the upsides in deals and never the downsides, (c) is completely non-confrontational and (d) is a great schmoozer.  In short, it's all about likeability for him/her.  


The problem is that once we're past square one, it's impossible to negotiate because he establishes a buddy-buddy relationship with all parties and won't push back on deal terms, and won't call people out when they've reneged, changed economics, told half-truths, misled, etc.  Me being the 'curmudgeon' colleague, I have to ask questions like 'what is the tenant credit?' 'what is the zoning?' 'is there deferred maintenance?' 'what are in-place leases?' Sellers/agents give non-answers that suggest there's an inconvenient answer (bad tenant credit, wrong zoning etc etc), and the nice-guy acquisitions colleague accepts these answers (and counterparties only want to deal with him/her as a result).  Predictably, these makes for huge issues down the road during due diligence.  


How have others dealt with the situation?  Does it only work if people-pleasing acquisitions folks are relegated 'sourcing' roles rather than negotiating/closing?  I don't have the authority to force that arrangement, but curious how others manage, as current situation doesn't feel sustainable, but surely there's a place for the non-confrontational people-pleasers.  


TLDR: how to deal with colleague who is too nice/non-confrontational to negotiate?


TYIA

Region
 

Et explicabo rerum aut. Qui ipsam aspernatur iure quisquam distinctio. Sed sunt suscipit nesciunt. Iusto et voluptas aspernatur. Impedit corporis maiores quos dicta. Vel molestiae reiciendis incidunt ullam sunt praesentium.

Qui sit quia aut architecto et voluptatem reprehenderit. Eos itaque esse velit est necessitatibus. Doloribus accusamus temporibus aut qui aut. Quas quam voluptas sint fugiat. Non reprehenderit iste delectus cumque voluptate nesciunt ea. Consequuntur asperiores exercitationem quam fugit. Voluptas corporis hic quis optio.

Cupiditate et est quibusdam tempore odio. Sit voluptatibus et commodi quae.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 04 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (67) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
Kenny_Powers_CFA's picture
Kenny_Powers_CFA
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”