In short
Direct approach means I contact the owners myself, personally and discreetly. Not as a mass mailing, but with reference to what the company actually does. The contact turns into a conversation, and that conversation I hand over to you.
- Every approach is written for the single company.
- Your name only comes up once you release it.
- The owner decides whether and when to talk.
- You get a conversation, not a response rate.
When it fits
When the approach is the bottleneck
01
The list is there, the approach is not
You already have the companies together but nobody who approaches them properly.
02
Nothing comes back in-house
The outreach runs internally and stays unanswered. You want to try it differently.
03
Your name should not circulate
You do not want to appear as the sender before something concrete is on the table.
04
One company you want
There is a firm you want and you are missing the way in.
How it runs
From contact to meeting
- 01
Release
We go through the list. Only what you released gets approached.
- 02
Sender
It is settled whether I write in your name or in mine.
- 03
Approach
The owner is contacted personally, with reference to his company.
- 04
Feedback
You know who replied, who declined and why.
- 05
Conversation
The contact has turned into a meeting, which I run together with you.
The one decision upfront
Whose name the letter carries.
Openly in the fund's name
- The owner knows immediately who he is talking to. That opens doors with those who expect a buyer.
- Your name is out in the market, including with those who do not reply.
- A no is a no to you, not to an anonymous enquiry.
Discreetly in my name
- Your interest in a sector stays out of the market for as long as you want.
- The first filter runs without your name. Anyone replying only because of the fund drops out beforehand.
- The owner learns later who is behind it. Some like that, some do not.
What you receive
The approach in five parts
Every message names something this particular company does. The owner can tell straight away whether someone did the work or whether he is on a list.
In the first contact I describe the buyer in general terms. Your name comes up once you release it.
I speak to the owner myself and listen, rather than working through a questionnaire.
You also learn who declined and why. A clean no is information, not a failure.
Where there is interest I set up the meeting with you and stay in it for as long as it helps.
Fit check
Does the approach suit your setup?
It fits when
- You already know which companies you want.
- You do not want to appear as the sender yourself.
- How the owner is spoken to matters to you.
- You prefer a clean no to a polite maybe.
Probably not when
- You do not know yet whom to approach. Then we start with the market map.
- You want new companies continuously. Then the search mandate fits.
Common questions
What buyers ask me about the approach
Do you appear in my name?
However you prefer, both work. In my name you stay invisible longer. In your name the enquiry carries more weight, but your interest becomes known in the market.
What does the owner learn in the first contact?
That a buyer with a clear profile is searching and why his company fits it. Your name he learns once you release it and a conversation is being set up.
How often do you follow up?
Once, after a few weeks, in the same thread. After that I leave it. Following up three times burns the contact for later.
What happens with a rejection?
You get it with the reason, as far as one was given. I still leave the door open, because a no today can be a yes in two years.
Who does the approaching
Nick Herbig, personally
I hold the conversations myself. Whoever calls me speaks to the person who wrote to them. That is the whole difference to an approach that comes from somewhere.
More about me