Lessons Learned from Failed Mergers Buying or selling a company? Learn how to avoid the most common mistakes in these business transactions.

Q: Roughly two in three mergers and acquisitions don't succeed. What lessons can businesses learn from what went wrong?

A: Many botched transactions can be traced to something your mother used to tell you: Study harder. Companies that don't thoroughly assess all sides of an acquisition--pre- and post-close--increase their chances of becoming one of those failures.