When the Deal Isn’t Ready, We Help You Hold Onto It

How Investment Bankers Can Turn Premature Sellers into Future Success Stories

In M&A, not every deal is ready when it first hits your desk.

Maybe the founder is compelling, the business has potential, and the story is there—but the numbers are a mess. Or maybe the first round of buyer conversations revealed operational cracks, shaky revenue quality, or earnings that don’t hold up under scrutiny.

It’s not a bad deal. It’s just not ready.

The real challenge? Keeping the mandate alive until it is.

At High Point Advisory Group, we specialize in helping investment bankers hold onto those deals—so they don’t lose the client, the opportunity, or their shot at bringing it to market successfully later.

Here’s how.

Most “Broken” Deals Aren’t Dead. They’re Just Premature.

We see it all the time: a motivated seller approaches a banker, excited to go to market. But once you get under the hood, the business clearly needs time.

• Financials are on cash basis—or worse, Excel.
• EBITDA is overstated, poorly adjusted, or undefined.
• The owner has no real controller or finance team.
• Key value drivers aren’t tracked, let alone presented.
• A buyer could get there—but not in this state.

It’s tempting to walk away. But here’s the thing: these deals can absolutely become high-quality mandates. They just need help getting there.

When you bring us in, we help bridge that gap.

We Turn a “Not Yet” into a “Let’s Go”

High Point acts as an extension of your team—one that can get hands-on with the client and do the work required to make the deal viable.

Think of us as your interim finance team and deal-readiness partner. We help:

• Rebuild the financial foundation.
  We step in with accounting and controller services, clean up the books, shift to accrual, and prepare buyer-ready financials.
• Professionalize the operation.
  Whether it’s implementing basic systems or creating structure around reporting, budgets, and KPIs, we elevate the company to a more investable state.
• Clarify and enhance the story.
  We help owners isolate real EBITDA, identify value levers, and support your positioning of the business to future buyers.
• Coach the seller through the process.
  Some founders need more than technical cleanup—they need a CFO partner to guide decision-making, improve visibility, and build confidence in the next chapter.

The result? When they return to market, they’re stronger, more credible, and ready to sell—with you still in the driver’s seat.

Why This Matters for Bankers

Deals like this tend to fall into a dangerous middle zone: not ready enough to sell, but too close to ignore.

Walk away, and another advisor may eventually pick it up once it’s cleaned up. Stay involved without help, and you risk getting buried in financial work that’s outside your scope.

Our role gives you a third option: hold the relationship, delegate the execution, and return to market with a better story.

• You keep the mandate.
• The seller sees progress.
• The buyer pool gets a stronger opportunity.
• And your firm becomes the hero who brought it all together.

That’s long-term value creation—for everyone involved.

Why This Also Matters for Private Equity Groups

If you’re sourcing founder-led deals directly, building a thesis-driven platform, or looking to salvage a great opportunity that isn’t quite ready, we can help you hold the line.

High Point helps PE firms:

• Rescue off-market deals that need time and cleanup before re-engaging
• Pre-wire founders for a future platform or tuck-in
• Stabilize businesses pre-LOI to improve IC-ready clarity
• Build trust with sellers early—without overcommitting your own team

When you come back to the table, the numbers are clean, the owner is prepared, and your edge in the deal is still intact.

Build a Pipeline of Better-Prepared Sellers

Even when the timing isn’t right, staying close to founders pays off. When you partner with High Point, you gain a way to stay relevant and valuable—even during the off-season.

You’re no longer stuck saying:

“Come back when your books are clean.”

Instead, you can say:

“We’ve got a team who can help you get there. Let’s work together now, and we’ll be ready when the time is right.”

That level of support builds trust—and trust leads to mandates.

Related Reading

• The Banker’s Best Kept Secret – Why investment bankers trust High Point behind the scenes
• What’s Killing Your Exit Valuation? – The 3 most common financial issues we fix before a sale
• Exit Planning Starts 12–24 Months Before You Sell – A guide for advisors working with early-stage sellers

Let’s Keep More Deals Alive
If you’re working on a deal that needs more time—or one that stalled but deserves a second chance—we’re here to help.

📩 Reach out at info@highpointadvisorygroup.com

High Point Advisory Group
Accounting. Diligence. Strategy. Execution.