DealStar Acquisition SearchTM
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Industry SnapShotTM Market Mapping
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DealStarTM: Your Path to Successful Acquisitions

DealStar Highlights

Using your company’s acquisition criteria, DealStar’s acquisition search process conducts exhaustive market research, identifies targets, creates custom and personalized marketing materials for owners, performs personalized outreach, introduces you directly to interested targeted company Owners, and facilitates deals to closing. DealStar typically avoids auctions and their competitive pricing. Our methodology is unique, professional, and politely persistent, making the Compelling Inquiry that positions your company as a unique and special Buyer. You are not just another Buyer with a pile of cash but an organization that sellers can work with to achieve their personal and corporate goals while protecting their corporate legacy for their employees, customers, suppliers, and community.

You will be seen by an Owner as a Buyer they must speak with if they are considering selling.

What follows are brief descriptions of selected components of the DealStar Acquisition Search Process. You will note the common-sense approach used and the attention to detail of each of its components. Before choosing a buyside firm, we encourage you to compare our materials side by side with those of our competitors to see firsthand which will best represent you to business owners.

Schedule a brief call with us to explore the full DealStar package or arrange a presentation.

Selected Numbered DealStar Components

1. Making the Compelling Inquiry

Valufinder’s “Making the Compelling Inquiry” brochure explains the competitive aspects of today’s M&A market and how Valufinder’s DealStar Process successfully addresses each of these challenges in order to give you a competitive advantage over your competition. We clearly explain how using Valufinder’s DealStar Acquisition Search Process will help us successfully find, introduce you to, and close on targeted acquisitions that meet your specific criteria.

3. Industry Review

The “Industry Review” is a questionnaire that helps a Buyer determine and prioritize the acquisition criteria they want a target to possess. The Buyer, Valufinder’s Senior Vice President of Research, and the DealStar Acquisition Search Team Captain work through this questionnaire together to achieve a clear understanding of the target’s desired characteristics. We then develop a search strategy and identify the various databases, trade directories and search engines to leverage in order to capture the universe of target companies that meet the Buyer’s criteria. This research process results in finding a well-qualified group of targets for the Buyer to consider.

4. Sample List Summary & Sample List

The Sample List Summary outlines the search strategy we developed and used that is based on your acquisition criteria. This strategy is developed from our decades of experience and the unique characteristics of your targeted sector. Within 2-3 weeks of receiving your criteria, we email the Sample List along with 20-50 sample targets with descriptions and their websites for your review and evaluation. The Sample List Summary includes:

  • Acquisition criteria used, keywords, NAICS Codes, target comparables, and more to filter initial raw data.
  • Data sources used, including industry databases, Artificial Intelligence databases, trade associations and directories, and Valufinder’s proprietary database of 100,000+ companies. Of course, we use the latest data aggregators, filters, and scrubbers to create a robust and relevant target list for our Client to review.
  • After your review, we then have a subsequent conference call between you and our research team to go over the Sample List and discuss your feedback. This is the time when you can revise your criteria and/or re-prioritize their order of importance
6. Resumes, Experience, and Sector Teams

Our team of seasoned M&A professionals has facilitated in their careers 650+ transactions worth more than $14+ billion. We have extensive experience facilitating transactions across many industries, ensuring knowledgeable and experienced team members are assigned to your search. Depending on your industry criteria, and the size of your search, an appropriate and highly qualified team is assembled to best execute a successful search.

7. Marketing Mailer

We create a custom-tailored marketing presentation/brochure illustrating the Buyer’s story, acquisition rationale, potential synergies with the target, and your willingness to protect an Owner’s corporate legacy. This material, along with an accompanying letter of introduction, is sent both by mail and email to the owner.

8. Prospecting Manual

The “Prospecting Manual” is prepared for each retained search, containing all the necessary information to ensure a favorable outcome during initial conversations. This manual includes:

  • Various scripts and sample emails for conversations with Owners and their staff.
  • Corporate info, acquisition rationale, and Q&A.
  • Mailing brochures, industry information, relevant datapoints, and pre-approved NDA.
9. Calling Introduction and Facilitation

One week after mailing your marketing materials, our M&A professionals begin a polite and persistent calling/emailing campaign. When speaking with an Owner we explain who you are, your goals, and answer their questions. If they meet your criteria but are not ready to sell, we hang around the hoop until they are. When an Owner is ready to learn more about the options and benefits of a transaction, we give them the requested information and answer their questions. When the Owner is ready to have an initial call we arrange an introductory conference call between you, the Owner, and ourselves. However, prior to this Introductory call we gather information about the company, the Owner’s motivations, concerns, and goals and share them with you prior to the call in order to have a conversation that is productive for all parties.

13. Prospect Status Report (“PSR”)

The Prospect Status Report (“PSR”) is a bi-weekly CRM generated report that is emailed to you and your team, keeping everyone informed about the developing progress of each target on the Approved List. We then have a conference call to go over the report in order to answer questions, determine the next steps by whom and by when. The PSR and bi-weekly review process ensures no deals fall through the cracks.