Welcome back to the Mid Market Insider!
Today, I’m breaking down how buyers form their first impression within minutes, and how small, seemingly harmless mistakes early on can quietly kill a deal before it ever really begins.
Thinking About Selling Your Business?
I’ve spent nearly 20 years buying, growing, and evaluating companies.
If you’re considering a sale or just want to understand more about my role and what we do, feel free to grab 30min on my calendar below:
As a wise man once said:
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
And that’s very true when it comes to talking with potential buyers of your business. Because take it from someone who’s been buying businesses through my PE firm for over a decade:
Buyers form an opinion about you and your business in the first 30 minutes of meeting you, if not the first 5 or 10
That can be a good opinion. Or it can be a bad opinion.
But either way, their opinion of you will affect how hard they negotiate, how skeptical they are in diligence, and whether they push forward for a deal – or walk away entirely.
And the scary part?
Most business owners don’t even realize when they’re sabotaging their chances of a deal.
You might think you’re “playing it cool”, while actually pushing a buyer away and making them never want to do business with you.
So that´s why I made a YouTube video where I break down the 4 biggest mistakes business owners make when first approached by a buyer - and how the top 10% handle these moments successfully.
You will discover:
How telling “polished half-truths” destroys buyer trust (even when you think you’re being careful)
Why pretending you’re “not really interested” actually hurts your chances of an exit
The costly mistake owners make when they downplay how involved they really are in their business
None of these mistakes feel big in the moment.
They feel like smart positioning. Playing it safe.
But together, they quietly signal risk – which buyers hate. Which is why so many deals die long before owners understand what went wrong.
That’s all for today’s newsletter! Thanks for reading!
📅 Next Week:
In next week’s edition, I’ll break down one of the most important decisions you’ll make when selling your business: how to choose the right M&A advisor.
And why going with the one who promises the highest price can quietly cost you far more than you expect.
Keep building,
Nick
In Case You Missed It: Must-Watch Video
The 4 Biggest Mistakes Business Owners Make When Approached by a Buyer
Click the link below and check it out:
