CEO: Behind the Scenes What buyers really look for when acquiring a business
Mar 25, 2026
Scott Bushkie, founder and CEO of Cornerstone Business Services with 25+ years in M&A advising owners on selling on their terms. He discusses why unsolicited offers can mislead, how competition and multiple bidders drive value, the key buyer signals that create value, common value leaks in sales processes, and why years of preparation and a specialist deal team matter.
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Buyer Panicked When Seller Hired A Broker
- Scott recounted a seller who moved an offer from $5M to $10M via earnouts, then ran Cornerstone's process and closed at $14M with $12M cash.
- The buyer immediately asked how to prevent the seller running Cornerstone's process because they feared losing the deal.
Get A Real Market Analysis Before You Respond
- Do get a valuation or RMA before responding to offers because 60%+ of owners never have one.
- An RMA reveals market value, cash-at-close expectations and whether you should run a competitive process.
Seller Expectations Often Kill Deals
- Seller expectations are the top reason deals fail because owners set unrealistic price or inflexible terms.
- Most deals close with 75–90% cash at close; buyers also want earnouts to retain seller alignment.
