3 ms·

Congrats! I think that you can be upfront with them. "Look, there are a couple of things that make us uneasy about this deal. Mainly, we feel the offer is a l

by jaxn 16y ago

Congrats! I think that you can be upfront with them. "Look, there are a couple of things that make us uneasy about this deal. Mainly, we feel the offer is a little low and that the vesting schedule is a little long. The combination of the two makes this a very difficult deal to consider. I am not saying we don't want to consider it, but just that since we assume you are wanting to work with us for at least the next 4 years, we might want to spend some time to make sure we get started with the best chance of long term success." I think that is both honest and strong negotiation.

petervandijck 16y ago
That's pretty good. Instead of "a little low", say "low". Instead of "a little long", say "long". Don't qualify. That way it's even stronger. "We feel the offer is too low and that the vesting schedule is too long."
- gfodor 16y ago
  Ok, I'll bite. Say "extremely low considering <specific information about your revenue that can justify a higher valuation>" and "well beyond the length we'd be willing to do because we've already spent N years at this and have built value you'd be getting on day one."