Seller Questions
June 26, 2022
by a searcher from Iowa State University of Science and Technology in Chicago, IL, USA
What are the best question to ask the seller about his/her company? Besides why him/her wants to sell there company, What are good thought provoking questions to reveal solid information about him/her company.
from Harvard University in Dallas, TX, USA
The first questions answer is that every company sells at some point. Even transferring between generations is effectively a sale. Death and divorce tend to be 2 triggers that force (everything else has less urgency and is voluntary)
The second one is what you're really asking. And 99% of what you want to know is why NOW (Not the Why, the Why now). So what's the difference between this month and this month in 5 years time.
As someone who sold. And someone who bought a few companies, it varies as to what you want to reveal. But the more human you can make the discussion, the more you'll likely learn. Remember the seller won't precisely know. You're asking for a well thought through answer to how they feel. They may not fully know. The process creates a momentum they may find liberating or terrifying. They may have something they feel is embarrassing that they don't want to reveal. The most thought provoking questions are all around the timing. The why now.
from The University of Chicago in Chicago, IL, USA