FlexJet CEO Doesn't Believe In M&A, Should You?

Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/Want to recruit great marketers? Find them here: https://marketingschool.io/hire Eric shares a clip of FlexJet's CEO, Kenn Ricci, saying he does not believe in M&A, and Neil pushes back with lessons from the companies he has bought. They agree on culture, look at big companies that grew through acquisitions, and Eric argues M&A is a tool, not a rule. They cover why buying a small business often comes with big, hairy problems. Then sales: Eric explains why reps should listen at least 60% of the time on a call, and shares how daily AI performance reviews feed his quarterly reviews. They discuss Gokul Rajaram's take on short and long work, and the risk of pay-for-performance deals for agencies. Judge every deal on its own numbers. Key takeaways◾M&A is a tool to use case by case, not a belief◾In sales calls, listen more than you talk◾Pay-for-performance deals carry real risk for agencies Chapters00:00 Sales talk ratio, then FlexJet's CEO on M&A02:02 Neil Patel defends M&A04:55 Big companies built on M&A07:12 M&A is a tool, not a rule10:08 FlexJet's own acquisitions11:50 Why small acquisitions bring big problems12:43 Sales calls: listen 60, talk 4015:07 Daily AI performance reviews17:20 Gokul Rajaram on short vs long work20:28 Pay-for-performance risk21:57 Should agencies take performance deals?