Angelo Z

Seller notes get a bad reputation in SMB deals.   Buyers hesitate to ask for them. Sellers hesitate to offer them. And deals that could close fall apart.   So where does the stigma come from?   𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 “𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻” 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗱. Fake dealmakers push 100% seller financing. Sellers hear it and think: “Why should I take all the risk while the buyer puts in nothing?” That mindset has soured many sellers on notes altogether.   𝟮. 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀. Plenty of lawyers, brokers, and consultants preach: The only money a seller can count on is what’s paid at closing. The message: seller notes are risky and unreliable.   Both views miss the point.   A well-structured seller note: • Aligns incentives, keeping the seller invested post-closing. • Bridges valuation gaps without stalling the deal. • Protects sellers with clear remedies if payments aren’t made.   Yes, it isn’t cash on the table. But they can give sellers more leverage than sitting behind the bank. And in a strong company, with a capable buyer and good terms, the odds of default are far lower than the myths suggest.   Seller notes aren’t “dirty.” They’re one of the most practical tools to align interests and get deals done.   Good dealmakers don’t run from them. They use them to close gaps, manage risk, and finish the deal.   𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳? #SellerFinancing #MergersAndAcquistions #SMB #BusinessBuying  

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 Most deals don’t fail at closing. They fail way earlier because you chased the wrong prospect. 👉That’s why qualification is everything. I call it the 5-Step Deal Qualification Cycle: 1️⃣ Verify Pain 2️⃣ Confirm Budget 3️⃣ Map Decision Process 4️⃣ Assess Fit 5️⃣ Evaluate Competition If you master these, your close rate skyrockets. Stop chasing “maybe.” Start closing “must-have.” ➡️ Swipe the carousel for the full breakdown. ❓What’s the first question you ask when qualifying a deal? 👥 Follow me for more sales strategies that help you win smarter, not harder.

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64 Comments

Cold calls are dead. And no, that’s not clickbait, it’s the reality of how the best companies are growing today. The days of chasing voicemails, canned scripts, and “just following up” emails are over. The new era of sales isn’t about volume, it’s about connection. Social selling isn’t just posting a video on LinkedIn, it’s about building trust at scale. It’s about showing up consistently with insight, personality, and authenticity. Skyler Birk-Stachon and I we break down how top performing teams are shifting from hard pitches to human conversations, using content to: • ATTRACT • EDUCATE • CONVERT the right people before the first call even happens. Your prospects don’t want to be sold. They want to be understood. Stop dialing. Start connecting. Because in 2025, relationships are the new revenue.

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Most sellers drag discovery out. Top sellers qualify fast and set clear next steps.  7 Prompts to Speed Up Discovery Calls  Build rapport → Act as a conversation coach. Suggest 3 authentic rapport questions for a first call with [prospect info], making sure they feel natural and not forced.  Diagnose pain points → From the ICP description below, generate 5 probing questions that uncover urgent business pain points and tie directly to the buyer’s role.  Prioritize buyer goals → Based on [prospect role], draft 3 questions that bring out their top business priorities and connect them to measurable outcomes.  Handle budget early → Give me 3 natural, trust-building ways to explore budget or financial constraints without sounding pushy or transactional.  Surface hidden objections → Suggest 4 conversational questions that reveal unspoken resistance or hesitation so I can address concerns before they block progress.  Map decision makers → From this org chart, provide 3 questions that identify influencers and decision makers, clarifying who truly drives final approval.  Close call strong → Draft a 60-word recap script that confirms pain points, aligns next steps, and leaves the prospect confident in continuing the process.  Sell smarter, not harder.  

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Sales leaders often focus on metrics like quota attainment and deal close rates, but one of the most overlooked metrics is how much time your reps spend on non-selling activities. This hidden time drain could be the very thing preventing your team from reaching its full potential. If you find new ways to give your team more time to focus on selling, the difference can be dramatic. Imagine if each rep could reclaim just one hour per day from administrative tasks. What would that do for their productivity? For a team of ten reps, that’s 50 hours per week spent on building relationships, following up with prospects, and closing deals instead of getting buried in busywork. Learn more → https://lnkd.in/gQB3FQ73 #salesfirst #investinpeople #sellhappy #blog #quota

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🧨 Want to close more deals? Get the owner on the call. MSP owners aren’t just leaders — they’re often the best sales closers in the business. Why? Because they bring what no SDR or AE can: 💥 Credibility that can’t be faked 🧠 Deep operational insight 🤝 Real authority to make decisions 🔥 Passion that’s impossible to script This article breaks down 7 reasons why owner-led selling wins more deals — and how to lean into it without burning out. 👉 Read it here: https://lnkd.in/eGBsXf67 #msp #salesstrategy #ownerledsales #mspgrowthhacks

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Trust with PEO buyers doesn’t just happen—it’s built.     Thought leadership is one of the best ways to stand out, whether it’s blogs, articles, or quick posts that answer the real questions prospects are asking. The right content not only boosts your visibility, it gives your sales team tools they can use to start conversations and build credibility.    Check out this PEO Insider article, written by Samantha Reynolds from Helpside, for a breakdown on how thought leadership can help you win more trust… and more business! https://lnkd.in/euRhNSkf

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