If a serious buyer ever sat down with you to talk about your business, do you know what they’d actually be looking for?
Most owners assume it’s about the numbers. It isn’t. At least not at first.
The first thing a buyer does
Before a buyer asks a single question about profit margins or turnover, they’re doing something else entirely. They’re building rapport.
A good buyer wants you to feel comfortable and relaxed — willing to talk openly. So the first part of any meeting is usually a conversation about the business itself. Its history. How it started. Where you see it going.
That’s not small talk. That’s information gathering. And a good buyer is listening very carefully.
Then come the questions
Once you’re relaxed, the questions get more specific. A buyer will want to go through the figures with you — not just what they show, but what they don’t show.
They’ll ask about your customers. How many you have. How long they’ve been with you. Whether any one of them makes up a large part of your revenue.
They’ll ask about your staff. Who are the key people? What would happen if one of them left?
And they’ll ask about you. How involved are you day to day? What would the business look like without you in it?
What they’re really looking for
Behind every question is the same underlying concern: risk.
A buyer is trying to understand what could go wrong after they take over. If the business falls apart the moment you leave — that’s a problem. If one customer accounts for half your revenue — that’s a problem. If the accounts don’t tell a clear story — that’s a problem.
Every red flag they find either reduces what they’re willing to pay, or ends the conversation entirely.
How to prepare
The good news is that if you know what a buyer is looking for, you can prepare for it. Know your numbers. Be honest about the challenges. Have answers ready for the obvious questions.
A buyer who feels you’re being open and straightforward is far more likely to make an offer — and far more likely to follow through on it.
The sellers who struggle are the ones who are defensive, vague, or clearly unprepared. The ones who do well are the ones who walked in ready.
At Hazel Property Group, our first conversations with business owners are always straightforward. No pressure, no agenda — just an honest conversation about your business and whether there might be a fit.
If you’re curious about what that looks like, get in touch via the link below.
www.hazelpropertygroup.co.uk
