Less than crisp messaging can hurt your company valuation
COVID, or Corona-geddon as we refer to it, is causing many private company owners to rethink how long they want to hold on to their business. Prior to COVID, many of these owners would have said they don’t see selling for many years. But as we continue to navigate this pandemic, it’s definitely making more owners consider whether they have the energy and passion to keep going.
For those wondering if they should sell, there are many factors to take into consideration. Among the most important is messaging. Messaging related to why you are selling.
You would be amazed the number of times the owner of a private business is not crisp in explaining this and it raises red flags for the potential acquirer. Red flags to an acquirer mean risk and when acquirers smell risk in a possible acquisition, they either back away or they lower the offer valuation to reflect the risk they might be taking on.
Your reason for selling must be crisp and make sense to them to avoid making the potential acquirer wonder what is truly going on inside your company that now is the time you want to exit. Are you selling because you know you’ve reached a performance peak or because meaningful investments are needed or your organization will soon have changes happening related to your key talent, etc, etc. Your reason for wanting to exit must make it clear it’s not about the future potential for the business but about something specific in your life, such as it’s time to enjoy your family more. The potential acquirer will want to clearly understand and believe your reason for wanting to sell and that it has nothing to do with the continued opportunities for the business. They need to have confidence that your company has a bright future and they also need to feel confident that your company can continue on successfully without your involvement.
There is much to consider when you begin wondering if it’s time to sell your business. Start by asking yourself the reason why. Talk with your trusted advisors or even call us for a phone chat to get you on the right foot in this regard. Starting off on the right foot with a possible sale by getting your messaging crisp and effective will help to better position you for a potential euphoric exit event.