E25: The Art & Science of Sourcing Deals

SummaryIn this episode, host Christian Hassold chats with Ayelet Shipley, the head of corporate development and deal management for Speed M&A by Jones-Spross. Ayelet shares her unique journey from aspiring therapist to corporate development leader, emphasizing the importance of sales skills and psychological insights in the M&A process. The conversation delves into sourcing opportunities, qualifying conversations, and understanding client expectations, drawing the connections between the similarities of enterprise sales and M&A deal origination.In this conversation, Ayelet and Christian delve into the intricacies of the acquisition process, focusing on understanding seller motivations, evaluating business fit, and navigating decision-making dynamics. They discuss the importance of asking specific and open-ended questions to understand the intent and motivations of potential sellers and how to identify points of alignment or misalignment. They also discuss the importance of rapport building and the sell-side bankers' valuable role in the process.TakeawaysAyelet transitioned from a potential career in therapy to corporate development after realizing her skills could be applied in business.Understanding acquisition candidate pain points is crucial in the discovery processThe process of sourcing opportunities requires a strategic approach to identify potential targets. Understanding seller motivations is crucial for alignment.Setting clear expectations about deal structures is importantQualifying questions help determine if a deal is worth pursuing furtherAyelet emphasizes the importance of her background in psychology and sales as foundational for making her successful in this work.Ayelet emphasizes the importance of psychological insights in sales conversations.Transparency throughout the process fosters better outcomes.Chapters00:00 Introduction00:55 Ayelet's Background in Psychology and Sales07:15 Goals of Call 111:26 Deciding to Advance Past Call One13:54 Setting Valuation Expectations 15:30 Goals of Call 218:48 Matching Verbal Claims to Financials21:55 Advancing Further and Disqualifiers24:48 Scoring to Qualify Deals25:05 Keeping Evaluation Criteria Simple28:48 Identifying Decision-Makers 31:10 Distinguishing Uncommitted Sellers33:36 Working with Sellside Bankers39:33 ConclusionConnect with Christian & In/organic PodcastChristian's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hassold/In/organic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inorganic-podcastIn/organic on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InorganicPodcast/featuredConnect with E24 guest, Ayelet Shipley on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-shipley-b16330149/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.