Every Digital Agency Is Incredibly Unique – That’s Why Our Approach To The M&A Process Is Too.
The M&A process is too frequently approached from a one-size-fits-most perspective. Such a narrow approach creates unnecessary friction, delays, and related problems, especially when the M&A sale process involves a digital agency.
Selling a digital agency isn’t about selling tangible assets. It’s about selling relationships. This makes it go far beyond a mere transaction. Sellers aren’t just interested in getting the most money possible from the exchange. Certainly, profits are essential. But they’re hardly the only worries on digital agency owners’ minds as they face the M&A process.
For instance, plenty of owners lose sleep over finding a buyer who will manage the company wisely, treat existing employees well, and maintain the brand legacy and company culture. And owners who intend to remain involved in the business in a short-term or long-term capacity tend to fret about fitting into a new ecosystem and culture.
These are just some of the dilemmas that can present stumbling blocks to getting digital agency sales through each of the M&A phases. They’re also the reason that Barney’s team members make a point to understand and empathize with sellers’ unique goals and worries deeply. After all, strategic, thoughtful, and deliberate matchmaking is critical when it comes to mergers and acquisitions transition events.
In other words, what digital agency M&A processes need are acquisition team members who see themselves in a concierge capacity.
The Benefits of Concierge Service Throughout the Digital Agency M&A Process
In the world of hospitality and tourism, concierges serve as expert guides. They learn to listen carefully and make recommendations based on the person or group they’re helping. The same general principle holds true of concierge service during mergers and acquisitions.
We ask probing questions upfront when we meet a potential digital agency seller or buyer. It’s our way of understanding the authentic values and objectives driving each party. From what we hear, we can move forward through the M&A phases with confidence. Make no mistake: This is a disruptive approach to the traditional M&A process. Yet it’s proven effective time and again.
To date, we’ve moved more than 300 deals across the finish line swiftly but surely. The reason? We view ourselves through the lens of wearing concierge hats and treating each M&A experience as distinctive. Yes, all M&A advisors share common characteristics. However, they shouldn’t be molded with the same cookie cutter.
So what does Merge do that’s so different from a typical M&A business brokerage?
1. We strive to educate seller and buyer clients.
Like all concierges, we know our “city,” which happens to be the digital agency mergers and acquisitions space. As a result, we strive to pass along our expert knowledge to all stakeholders.
Take our M&A process timeline, for example. We’ve constructed a framework that’s flexible enough to accommodate the nuances of each M&A and defined enough to produce repeatable results. When we walk digital agency sellers and buyers through our M&A sale process, they gain a greater vision of what to expect. This helps reduce stress and avoid misunderstandings.
2. We are always here as a resource to founders.
When you go to a five-star hotel, you can expect to connect with a concierge practically round-the-clock. The same holds for Merge’s team. We’re an available resource 24/7 to answer questions in a relatable, compassionate, friendly way. We don’t just send sellers and buyers to a website with canned answers. We break down their concerns bit by bit and answer them in a language they understand.
Being able to speak the digital agency language is a huge boost. More often than not, sellers and also buyers are fresh and new to digital agency M&As. Talking with them using their ecosystem’s terminology makes a positive impact.
3. Kindness is integrated into everything we do.
As mentioned before, selling and buying a digital agency can evoke a rollercoaster of emotions. We anticipate this, which is why we put a great deal of emphasis on being kind through our actions and words. Kindness is perhaps one of our greatest differentiators, as well as being one that we’re proud to provide.
We’ve found that when you’re sincerely empathetic, you become better problem-solvers, too. Since the start of Merge, we’ve embarked on a practice of continuous improvement. It’s helped us become the best in our field, just like the founders of the digital agencies we represent are the best in their industries.
All business relationships are precious resources, including the relationships formed during M&A transitions. No matter why you’re considering M&A for your digital agency, make sure you’re getting the concierge treatment from your closest partners. It’s what you, your team, and your firm deserve.
