Appealing to the Seller through Project Titles and Descriptions

When a sell-side member looks at a list of potential transaction partners, they each have their own criteria when it comes to deciding who is a qualified buyer / desirable transaction partner for a given deal. More often than not, they will rely heavily on project headlines and descriptions to decide who to share the teaser with.

No one sources 100% of the deals they’re recommended for, but marketing yourself through your projects will give you a better shot at sourcing quality deals. If you invest in your projects now, you’ll reap the benefits down the line.

The following will only be helpful if you set up several targeted projects – best practice is to have one for every industry you’re interested in (plus any add-ons). Our Buyside Project Industry Selection Guides may be helpful here.

Project Headlines

Headlines are the first thing a sell-side member sees – be clear, concise, and descriptive about your thesis/mandate. Start your headline with something that highlights your intent.

Some good examples:

  • Branded Consumer Goods E-Commerce Opportunities
  • Business Services Investments
  • Packaging and Labeling Opportunities
  • Telehealth Add-On Investments

Project Descriptions

Your qualitative project description is your elevator pitch and your chance to explain exactly why a banker who does not know you or your firm should send you a teaser for a deal in that industry.

Here’s the structure we’ve seen be the most successful:

  1. Why you’re interested in the sector (2-3 Sentences)
  2. Your investing or operating experience in the sector – be specific (2-3 Sentences)
  3. Background information on your firm and its partners (1-2 Sentences)

This is what a project summary page with a great description might look like when complete:

What makes this description great? In short, it:

  • Describes their mandate and not just their firm
  • Highlights why they are looking for this opportunity
  • Is specific to the industry they are sourcing in and outlines why they are experts in their niche and a good potential partner

Here’s one more example:

And finally, here’s an example of what NOT to do:

Other things to avoid:

  • Exclamation points – we’re so glad you’re excited (we are too) but they tend to come off as spam-y!!!!!
  • Focusing on your criteria – your project’s quantitative inputs should do that

Other Ways to Improve your Brand

  1. Upload a profile photo – it adds a human element and gives sell-side members confidence that you’re active and invested in the network → Click here to do that
  2. Be responsive – sell-side members see your responsiveness rating when they’re deciding if they’ll send you a teaser. Unresponsive members source far fewer deals → Read more about Responsiveness
  3. Complete your Company Profile – after reviewing your headline / description, this is where sell-side members are likely to go if they’re still not sure if they should send you a teaser. At a minimum, make sure your logo, description, and tombstones are up to date → Click here to do that