Your Investment Banker: 5 Tips To Help You Get The Best Results
Do you know what you need to do to have your investment banker get you the best deal? Learn five proven strategies that help you succeed.
Do you know what you need to do to have your investment banker get you the best deal?
Your liquidity event is the largest and most important financial event of your life. You have one chance to get it right, and you better make it count.
Often, the obstacle that stands in the way between the “best deal” and “any deal” is the business owner.
Who am I, and how do I know?
I started my eLearning business right out of my MBA program with no money, experience, or team.
My new best friend was failure which happened every day. The truth is that I had no business being in business.
My grit and determination were the saving grace to welcome success.
When my business was successful, I received a 7-figure offer from an experienced buyer.
To everyone’s dismay, I said “no” to the 7-figure offer. Instead, I said “yes” to mastering the art and science of a liquidity event. Then, two years later, I said “yes” to a 9-figure offer.
Today, I pay it forward. I help business owners through the Deep Wealth Experience. At the heart of the Deep Wealth Experience is the 9-step roadmap.
The 9-step roadmap is what I created to welcome my 9-figure exit.
One of the steps in the 9-step roadmap focuses on investment bankers. Investment bankers excel in five crucial areas that can help you enjoy the best deal.
Do you know the five strategies you can deploy to help you get you the best deal?
Keep reading.
It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped — Tony Robbins
When it’s time to select an investment banker, you have two types to choose from.
Read “Everything You Need To Know Before You Hire An Investment Banker.”
The first type of investment banker is a transactional one who is a specialist.
Transactional investment bankers work with the same buyers from one deal to the next. The upside is that creating a list of buyers is quick and easy.
The downside is that transactional investment bankers are loyal to the buyer and not you. Yes, you’re a one-time transaction. In this case, it’s “seller beware.”
The second type of investment banker is an advocate. An advocate is a generalist and will not know your industry.
An advocate investment banker takes longer to assemble a list of buyers. But an advocate finds the same buyers as a transactional investment banker and more.
When it comes to investment bankers, your mission is to find an advocate.
That said, being an investment banker who is an advocate isn’t enough.
There are two fatal mistakes most business owners make. First, most business owners believe they know who will be the future buyer. Second, most business owners believe that it’s their responsibility to find the buyer.
Know that It’s unlikely you’ll know the future buyer, and it’s not your rule to find the buyer.
Words to the wise. Let your investment banker assemble a list of prospective buyers. You must also let your investment banker create an auction to identify the best buyer.
Do you know the one thing you must let an investment banker do to capture the best deal?
Keep reading.
Teamwork makes the dream work — John Maxwell
If you want your investment banker to get you the best deal, you must do one thing.
You must stay on the sidelines.
Read “How To Avoid Committing The Worst Mistakes When Preparing For A Liquidity Event.”
Think of an investment banker as a conductor of an orchestra. The musicians follow the lead of the conductor. The result is beautiful music.
An investment banker coordinates your advisors and parties in the liquidity event. Look to yourself as one of the parties. Your mission is to support your investment banker and advisors.
Here’s a rhetorical question for you.
How can you master something you’ve never done before?
The short answer is you can’t. You don’t know what you don’t know.
But the right investment banker does know.
In step six of the 9-step roadmap, you learn how to select a winning advisory team. Part of your selection is finding the best investment banker who has the best cultural fit.
You must have absolute trust with your investment banker. You’re both trusting and allowing your investment banker to move the deal forward.
All too often, business owners attempt to be the conductor of the orchestra. The result is that the investment banker is on the sideline, and the deal is in jeopardy.
Words to the wise. Stay on the sidelines and support your investment banker to get the best deal.
Do you know the one thing the right investment banker gives you that you can’t do on your own?
Keep reading.
Credibility is your currency and without it your bankrupt — Jeffrey Feldberg
Do you know what the currency is in the world of mergers and acquisitions?
Trust.
Read “Actually Useful Advice On How To Find The Best Buyer For Your Business.”
How do you earn the trust of your future buyer?
There are many things that you must do to earn the trust of your future buyer. Step three of the 9-step roadmap focuses on how to think like a buyer to increase enterprise value.
There is one thing you can do right out of the gates to earn the credibility and trust of your future buyer.
Hire the right investment banker.
When you hire the right investment banker, two things happen.
First, the reputation of the investment banker transfers to you. Think of the process as a halo effect. In the eyes of buyers, you are an extension of your investment banker.
A fatal mistake business owners make is to believe that they don’t need an investment banker. Many buyers hope you don’t have an investment banker.
Without an investment banker, you’ll make many mistakes. Each mistake lowers enterprise value. Forget about capturing the best deal, as you may have no deal.
The second thing an investment banker does for you is to show commitment to the deal. Showing up with an investment banker demonstrates that you’re serious.
Know that your future buyer will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on due diligence. Your future buyer will also spend countless hours on the deal itself.
Having the right investment banker increases the likelihood of success for your deal.
Do you know the one thing the right investment banker gives you that money can’t buy?
Keep reading.
Time is what we want most, but what we use worst — William Penn
When it comes to capturing the maximum value for your liquidity event, there are two things you must do.
First, master the art of preparation for a liquidity event. I said “no” to a 7-figure offer and “yes” to a 9-figure offer through the 9-step roadmap.
Your enterprise value is a reflection of the quality and depth of your preparation.
Second, with your preparation complete, find and hire the right investment banker.
Read “Want To Increase Your Enterprise Value? Have Your Business Run Without You.”
A liquidity event can take up to 9 months from start to finish. Some of the projections you create will happen during the liquidity event itself.
If you miss your numbers, you will either lose the deal or lower your enterprise value.
A fatal mistake business owners make in trying to handle the day-to-day of the liquidity event. Let your investment banker handle the day to day of the liquidity event.
The truth is you have neither the experience nor skill set to handle the day to day of the liquidity event. Your investment banker excels at getting deals done.
Focus on growing your business and supporting your investment banker. Remember, the skills that built your business are not the same ones to sell it.
Do you know the one last area that you must let an investment banker handle if you want to maximize success?
Keep reading.
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships — Michael Jordan
If you want the best deal instead, you must allow your investment banker to negotiate the deal.
Read “Do You Know The 7 Mistakes Every Buyer Wants You To Make When Selling Your Business?”
Step three of the 9-step roadmap focuses on your future buyer. Part of your preparation is to master the art of thinking like a buyer.
In your preparation, you’ll create a list of deal points and no-fly zones. You’re prepared to walk away from the deal table if your deal points and no-fly zones aren’t met.
While you may be a master negotiator, now is not the time to negotiate your deal.
You hired an investment banker based on a track record of success and cultural fit. Now is the time to have your investment bankers do what they do best.
Let the investment bankers lead the charge in negotiating the deal. There are two main reasons for you not to negotiate the deal.
First, your investment banker has the skill set and experience. Second, you have to work with the new owner after closing.
Let your investment banker be the “bad cop” and pressure the buyer to get the terms you want. You want to ensure you have the best possible working relationship with the buyer.
When you’re not involved in the negotiations, you achieve two things. You increase the likelihood of securing the best deal. At the same time, you protect your working relationship with the buyer.
When it comes to your liquidity event, you have one chance to get it right, and you better make it count.
Through the 9-step roadmap, you ensure you’re prepared for your liquidity event. Part of your preparation is knowing how to find and hire the best investment banker.
Securing the best deal has you step to the side so your investment banker can lead from start to finish.
Today, my passion is helping others do the same through the Deep Wealth Experience. At the heart of the Deep Wealth Experience is the 9-step roadmap of preparation.
When you’re prepared, you have the certainty that you’ll capture the maximum value. When you know, instead of believing, you do the right thing at the right time.
The 9-step roadmap of preparation protects you from being a statistic. Up to 90% of liquidity events fail. Of the “successful” deals, most business owners leave 50% to over 100% of the deal value with the buyer.
You now know five strategies you must do to help you
secure the best deal. While you’re at it, you’ll avoid the typical pitfalls most business owners experience.
Are you wondering what do you do and where do you start?
Start with the first strategy I revealed and stay with it until mastered. Once done, move on to the next strategy. Repeat the process for all five strategies.
Yes, you can do it. I know you can.
Here’s to you and your magnificent success!
Your Biggest Raving Fan,
Jeffrey Feldberg
