🎙️How to Stand Out with Brokers (And Win Competitive Deals) | Deep Dive with Alejandra Barrera

Hello SMB Deal Hunters!

You've probably done this…

You found a business listing you liked. You sent the NDA. Maybe you even fired off a quick note about your background.

Then... nothing.

A week later, the deal’s under LOI. No call back, no response to your request.

Here's what you didn't see:

That listing probably got 65 inquiries in the first few days. Of those, 10 of them came in prepared to move quickly with an offer.

The rest never got a serious look. Not because they weren't qualified but because they didn’t understand how to get the broker’s attention.

This week, I sat down with a broker who's going to show you exactly what happens on the other side of a business acquisition.

Alejandra has been doing this for years. She started in Miami, brokered and sold her first business in 4 months, got recruited into Deloitte's M&A practice, and recently joined our team as an M&A advisor inside the Pro program.

She's seen hundreds of deals and worked with countless buyers. Most of them make the same mistakes.

Here are some of the highlights from the deep dive:

🔥 What the first 48 hours look like from the broker’s perspective when a hot listing goes up

🔥 The three documents Alejandra needs before she'll present you to a seller. (Most buyers only send one)

🔥 War stories on deals that fell apart (and what you can learn from them)

And she pulls back the curtain on why brokers often don’t return calls, why ‘cash buyers only’ listings are usually not serious, and how you can stand out from the crowd when competing for a popular business.

Here's her must-watch breakdown...

She also shared some things I've never heard a broker admit out loud:

❓ Why brokers get a bad rep (and why she's probably one of them)

❓ What happens when attorneys who don't understand M&A get involved.

❓ The real reason owners turn down private equity offers (It's not about the money)

And moments like this...

👉 Dive into the full conversation with Alejandra

And for our audio-only listeners, jump in and listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

Alumni Spotlight

For those who missed it, we also did an SMB Deal Hunter Pro alumni interview breaking down Ronnie's acquisition of a $3.5M premium flooring company cash-flowing $1M/year.

He closed in 8 months. But not before spending 6 months trying to do it alone.

Ronnie had 25 years of experience buying senior living facilities with PE money. He had managed 450+ employees and had done countless turnarounds.

He figured buying a small business on his own would be easy. It wasn't.

He spent six months, reviewed 70+ businesses, and closed on zero deals.

After that, he joined the Pro program.

The result?

🔥 $3.5M premium flooring company in Charleston, SC

🔥 3.29x multiple with 100% SBA financing

🔥 Closed in 8 months

But the real story starts 30 days post-close, when his COO told him he was leaving. What happened next is one of the best parts of this interview.

If you want to watch the full alumni interview, click below:

And here’s what he had to say when we asked him about his experience:

So, if you want me and my team to work with you to find, finance, and acquire a million-dollar cash-flowing business in the next 6-12 months, you might be interested in the Pro program.

👉️ Learn more and book a call

COMMUNITY PERKS

• Ready to buy and operate a $1M+ business? Get expert help at every step.

• Want to invest passively in SMB acquisitions? Get access to investment opportunities.

• Get a personal introduction to my preferred SBA 7(a) lender, non-SBA lenders, Quality of Earnings providers, or legal counsel

• Raising capital for your deal? I’ll connect you with investors from the SMB Deal Hunter Community.

• Interested in selling your business? I’ll help you connect with buyers from the SMB Deal Hunter Community.

THAT’S A WRAP

Want me to interview you for my podcast? Hit reply.

See you next week with some new deals!

-Helen Guo
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Disclaimer

This publication is a newsletter only and the information provided herein is the opinion of our editors and writers only. Any transaction or opportunity of any kind is provided for information only; SMB Deal Hunter does not verify nor confirm information. SMB Deal Hunter is not making any offer to readers to participate in any transaction or opportunity described herein.