I use several methods for lead generation to find companies for sale… and to find motivated buyers.

Here is one of the best ideas to help you with lead gen in finding a business for sale. But better yet, why spend your time when you can spend mine?  Connect with my office and let us help you with your next acquisition.

Direct mail drop letters.

Many people are intereested in online marketing, even for buying and selling companies. Online marketing is great and has it’s place, but it shouldn’t be thde only route that a person takes. One of the best ways to reach people is still direct mail. There are lots of reasons, but the end result is that it works.

So how do I use direct mail to generate a list of companies that people are interested in buying or selling?

Your ideal acquisition profile or ideal buyer profile

It really starts with identifying the right peron you want to work with.  

If you are selling a company, you need to identify the ideal buyer.  This will include things like finding the right strategic buyer who would be highly motivated to acquire from you.  Every seller wants to make the most they can from the sale of their company.

If you are buying a company, you need to identify the right acquisition.  This means finding the right motivated seller and the right company where you can add the most value.  Every buyer wants to pay the least they have to to purchase a company.

Once you’ve identified your idea buyer seller profile you can move forward to the next phase… outreach.

The mailing list

After your ideal profile you need a mailing list.  It begins with a mailing list.  Good old direct mail.  If you don’t know where to find one… I can help.  Not all mailing lists are the same. Get a mailing list of apropriate size companies that fit your deal criteria. Get the list from losta of sources. I use several sources.

Copywriting

Create a drop letter offering your position as either an investor a possible buyer, or a seller.  Based on my years of experience I have created several templates.  I have used a similar pitch for 10+ years and it works.

Is it honest for me to say “I’m representing a buyer who may be interested in your company.”  Absolutely in my case because I work with many active buyers.  I have about 6 right now and we are in active acquisitions.  

Is it honest for me to represent myself as an investor?  Absolutely.  Because I am honestly looking to acquire companies.

You have to always be honest.

Split testing

Do a split test. Take a copywriting course for the love of good marketing.  I’m going to be a bit harsh here… but you need to hear this.  If you aren’t split testing you should ask other people to do it for you.  Split testing is VERY simple and can easily double your results. 

Again, we use severl tried and true letter styles that get good response.  We’ve tweaked these letters to get best response, and we are always working to improve them.

And there are several simple ways of testing respondants to find out what letter they received.

Just split test.

Multiple touch points

Send out 100+ letters a week. (split tested of course)

Follow up every letter with a phone call the following week.  I hope you got phone numbers when you got your mailing list.

Ask for the owner. Do NOT say anything along the lines of “I want to buy your company” to the staff.  That’s a great way to get hung up on or told off by the owner.  A great way to burn bridges.

If you don’t have the owners name, use my “how to get past the gatekeeper strategy” I’ve talked about before. It works.  If you don’t know that strategy, call me up and let me do it for you.

Start a relationship.

Follow up with direct mail and email every 6 months, and a phone call annually.

Results

Statistically 100 letters gets you 2 leads weekly with a standard 2% response rate.  That might not sound like a lot BUT…

From those high quality leads you statistically get 5-10% of them who are highly motivated. So that’s likely 2 intereested parties every week to have conversations with and at least 1 very seriously motivated seller every month.

Not 1 *meh* lead.

Several solid opportunities to change your life forever…

Every. Single. Month.

12+ chances at a life changing miracle every year.

That’s a lot of phone calls and mailers!

Why yes it is.  It takes a lot of time to find the right deals.  So might as well let me do it for you.