You’ve done your research, prepped your financial materials, honed your elevator pitch, and now it’s time to connect with a potential buyer! Meeting prospective buyers is an exciting part of an M&A transaction, but it requires thoughtful preparation in order to ensure a productive conversation for both parties. Use these tips below as a checklist before preparing for your next call.

M&A Transaction Checklist: Buyer Intro Call

  1. Minimize Distractions: It seems obvious, but find a quiet place with a good internet connection. If you work from home, buyers understand some limitations, but eliminating distractions and noise will help you make the most of your time! Ensure that your background and surrounding environment look professional.
  2. Leave a Lasting Impression: Enter the conversation with an infectious, positive attitude, and let your personality shine through! Buyers want to connect with you as a person and potential professional collaborator, not just a business entity. So, lead with charisma during the call to leave a lasting impression that resonates.
  3. Dive into the Details: A little research can go a long way. By demonstrating your knowledge and enthusiasm, you’ll captivate the buyer and create a compelling case for collaboration. Make sure you know who will be on the call and what their role is specifically within the organization.
  4. Harness the Power of Preparedness: Arm yourself with essential documents that hold the key to success. From crucial financial metrics to client data and team information, ensure you have everything at your fingertips. Your M&A advisor can lend a hand in ensuring you’re well-prepared to answer the buyer’s inquiries and follow up after the call to close the loop on anything that you were unable to answer.
  5. Curiosity Fuels Success: Similar to a job interview, the buyer will likely set aside 10-15 minutes at the end of the call for your questions. So, before the call, brainstorm the information you’ll need to make an informed and assured decision for your business. Your thoughtful queries will demonstrate your dedication to facilitating a successful M&A transaction.
  6. Active Listening: During the call, actively listen to the buyer’s needs and concerns. Show genuine interest and empathy, and ask open-ended questions to encourage them to share more information. Remember, this is more than an M&A transaction you’re trying to close, it’s a relationship you’re fostering. By staying engaged, you’ll be able to customize your pitch and recommendations to precisely match their unique requirements.
  7. Overcome Objections: Equip yourself to gracefully handle objections or points of concern. Rather than brushing them off, embrace objections as stepping stones to provide thoughtful responses that ease concerns. Utilize persuasive techniques, such as presenting compelling evidence or sharing glowing client testimonials. These approaches will instill confidence in a buyer’s decision to proceed in an M&A transaction with you.
  8. Reflection: Take time after the call to summarize your thoughts while they are fresh in your mind! Be sure to note the aspects of the conversation that you enjoyed and anything that gave you pause or concern. Share these takeaways with other key players, such as your M&A advisor, and be sure to get their feedback on the conversation as well.

Most importantly, remember to keep an open mind during any conversation with a potential buyer! Sometimes the conversation can take a turn that surprises you and lead to an incredible future partnership.