Inbound interest
A buyer approached you. Now what?
One interested party is not a market. Before you respond, it helps to know what a competitive process would have produced.
What this looks like
How we help from here
Read the offer properly
Headline price is rarely the whole story. Earnouts, escrows, working-capital pegs and rollover equity can move real proceeds by double digits.
Understand the motive
An unsolicited approach usually means the buyer sees something they can get quietly. Knowing what they see is leverage.
Test it, or don’t
Sometimes the offer is genuinely good and speed matters. Sometimes a short, discreet process finds two more buyers. We’ll tell you which situation you’re in.
Keep the relationship intact
Bringing in an advisor doesn’t blow up the conversation. It usually makes the buyer take you more seriously.
Proof
Owners who were where you are.
Precision sheet-metal fabricator, Western NY
Sold to a strategic acquirer
8 competing offers
OutcomeSix-location dental group, Upstate NY
Recapitalized with a DSO platform
Owner retained 25%
OutcomeFamily-owned industrial contractor
Management buyout
Second-generation transfer
OutcomeSpecialty food manufacturer
Sold to a private-equity platform
Above initial range
OutcomeFAQs
Questions we get at this stage.
Should I sign the LOI they sent?
Not before someone independent reads it. An LOI sets exclusivity and anchors the terms you will spend the next four months negotiating inside of.
Will they walk away if I bring in an advisor?
Serious buyers do not. It signals you are taking the transaction seriously, and it usually speeds diligence up rather than slowing it down.
How fast can you look at it?
A first read within a few days. Send us the letter and the last three years of financials.
Let’s talk about your options.
One conversation, confidential and no obligation. You’ll leave it knowing more than you do now.
Confidential, no obligation, and no fee unless we close.