A Very Sound Sale

Illustration by Dan Page

In this article: A deal story that highlights what really drives successful sales: trust, timing, and value alignment.

Answer in 1 sentence: The best sales aren’t pushed — they’re made easier by clarity and fit.

You’ll learn:

• What makes a sale feel “clean” for both sides

• Why trust often beats persuasion

• How alignment reduces friction and regret

• A practical lens to assess “good deals”

Key concepts: sales, trust, alignment, value, timing

Who it’s for: owners selling complex services or high-consideration offers.

Blood, sweat and tears

It’s a privilege to support brilliant, passionate entrepreneurs, coaching, advising and mentoring them through the multitude of challenges of running your own business.

For many, there comes a time when they’re ready to move on and enjoy their retirement.

At that point the focus is usually twofold: achieving the highest possible value for the business, and finding the most appropriate new home for their ‘baby’.

A just reward for the blood, sweat and tears they’ve devoted to their company over what’s usually many years, sometimes decades.

A nest egg to provide a comfortable, more relaxed future.

But selling a business is a rare event in most founders’ business journey. One that can be daunting, emotional, and fraught with risk.

How they navigate the process can make a dramatic difference to the outcome for all concerned.

Out of the blue

I got a call from Dave Haydon. When I was involved in professional audio manufacturing, he'd been a highly-valued  member of the team. We hadn’t spoken for over 20 years, but we’d always enjoyed an excellent working relationship.

He and his business partner, Robin Whittaker, had co-founded TiMax and run it successfully for 25 years. Now, he said, they were both ready to retire. I'd known Robin back then too; his technical prowess was formidable.

Dave asked if I could help them prepare their business ready for sale, and ideally support them all the way through to completion.

Knowing how much impact an experienced Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) adviser can have on a business exit,  I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

Actually, I felt honoured to be asked.

TiMax

To their immense credit, Dave and Robin had built TiMax into a pioneering, internationally acclaimed, multi award-winning world leader in spatial audio for live performance, entertainment and events. You’ll have experienced and enjoyed their products without knowing they were theirs.

Their strategy has always been to keep fixed costs low, so they made it a policy to work with the best freelancers in their field instead of building an in-house team.

It worked. They successfully built up a flourishing, multi-million-pound business.

On your marks

Dave and Robin had a clear goal in mind. They were ready to enjoy their retirement while still fit and healthy, and they wanted the sale to be completed within 18 months.

We got to work.

I led them through my process, and we agreed deadlines for each stage and key milestones.

They were both fully committed; they dedicated time away from the day-to-day running of the business to get everything done.

Get set

We identified and researched six potential buyers. There was a clear front runner, and we focused our attention there, while keeping the others warm.

We also created ‘Plan B’: TiMax had two distinct but related revenue streams. We were prepared to split the business into two separate companies and sell them separately, if that created better value.

Go

Equipped with a strong equity storyboard*, a credible valuation, and a buyer’s mindset, Dave and Robin confidently presented their business to the front runner.

The presentation and subsequent discussions went well. I helped them negotiate the structure and financial terms and the Heads of Agreement, the supported them through the exclusivity period, and the detailed Due Diligence process - the buyer was a PLC.

I also introduced them to appropriate legal and accounting resources to them. It’s my strict policy never to accept finder’s fees.

We did it 

The final stage of selling a business at this level is intense. Short-notice meetings requiring existing schedules to be shuffled. Late night finishes. Hours spent poring over the minutiae with the lawyers and accountants.

To minimise the chances of last-minute hitches (want to see my scars?!) Dave and Robin worked hard to clean up and polish every aspect of their business ahead of the negotiations and Due Diligence.

When everyone was happy and the mountain of paperwork was finally signed, the adrenaline and euphoria were off the scale.

Completion came 11 months after that first call. The champagne flowed!!

What made the difference

Dave and Robin achieved a much higher figure than they thought possible when they first called me. And it wasn't a pie in the sky number; it was robust and fully backed up.

The equity storyboard* was the eye-opener. It let them convey TiMax’s real value from a buyer’s perspective, and it gave the buyer confidence that the business would not only keep running successfully, but also grow substantially after acquisition. 

It wasn’t only a financial win. The new owners committed to invest in and develop the business Dave and Robin had worked so hard to build - a key outcome for both sides.

Professionally speaking, I never feel more satisfaction and pride than when celebrating these pivotal, life-changing moments with clients.

I’d like to leave the last words to Dave and Robin:

“Engaging you as our M&A advisor was pivotal to selling our business to a great company for a sizeable initial consideration and a short earn-out period. The game-changer was how you showed us the best way to develop our pitch deck and insisted we do the work. This way we understood it, believed it, and so we confidently presented our business to the Board of our target buyer, and they used the deck to sell the acquisition to their investors. It worked!”

Dave Haydon

“How did we attract a buyer for our niche business run by two retirement-seeking Directors? We gave you a call a year ago, followed your advice and sold to our target company in 11 months. Every aspect of our business sale exceeded my expectations. It has a great new home, and we achieved an excellent value with a short earn out, completed within our timescale. This is all down to your M&A experience, process and coaching, and your motivation to make it happen for us."

Robin Whittaker

If you’re starting to think about your own exit, let's have a conversation. Get in touch - I'd love to help you realise your business's true value.

P.S. If you'd like the wider picture on exit strategy, it's all here, including a video called The Art of the Exit. Fair warning: it runs for over an hour. Make a cup of coffee first. Possibly two.

*What’s an equity storyboard?

An equity storyboard is a visual and narrative representation of the historical and, most importantly, the potential future financial performance of a business, focusing on shareholder value. It includes charts, graphs, and other visual aids to illustrate key financial metrics over time.

Combining the analytical aspects of financial data with the persuasive elements of believable storytelling, an equity storyboard captivates the imagination and makes a convincing case for investment or acquisition.