How Do You Vet a Business Owner Who’s Showing Interest?

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April 22, 2025

by a searcher in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

When a business owner replies to your outreach and shows interest, what’s your next move? Do you hop on a call right away? Check their website? Ask for financials first? Look for red flags? The early signals can be tricky. Some sellers sound great at first, but things fall apart fast. Others are rough around the edges but turn out to be solid deals. So I’m curious, what’s your process for vetting a business owner once they show interest? Any lessons or red flags you’ve learned to watch for?
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Reply by a searcher
from London Business School in South Africa
I would prioritise a phone call, and enter the call with some 'walk away' hypotheses to drive the agenda and fail fast. They would be specific to the deal, but will almost certainly include some financial ones.
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Reply by a searcher
from California State University, Northridge in Austin, TX, USA
Assuming you are not overwhelmed with deals in your pipeline, a phone conversation is the best tool for assessing whether there is a fit.
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