EC Roundup: Negotiators, boards of directors and some really dumb sales people

Here’s the latest from VentureBeat’s Entrepreneur Corner:
Ask the attorney: Should I hire a pro negotiator now that I have a buyout offer? — It’s exciting to get a buyout offer for your company, but is it worth taking the additional step to hire a professional negotiator? Attorney Scott Edward Williams looks at the pros and cons.
5 ways to make your startup attractive to VCs — Even during the good times, it’s not easy to convince a venture capitalist to fund your startup. And these are hardly good times. Richard Brekka, president of Dolphin Equity Partners, notes five ways to make your company stand out among the competition.
Get a board of directors – even if you’re not funded — Boards of directors tend to be something a startup doesn’t give much thought to until they’re in the midst of fund raising. But serial entrepreneur Will Herman notes that having a board even in the early days can be a source of invaluable advice.
14 of the stupidest things ever said in sales meetings — Jim Nichols, CEO of Catalyst:SF, has heard some dumb things in sales meetings. After talking with some of his associates, he came up with this list of the worst — including one from a sales person who quit their job mid-pitch.
Entrepreneurs have no rules — Accuray’s John Adler says he knew his son would be a successful entrepreneur from day one, because Trip (who founded Scribd) always made up his own rules. The two discuss the importance of an independent attitude and the advice John gave Trip in this Stanford University lecture.
Tags: entrepreneur corner