Tap The Power of Partnership With an Exit Planning Professional

by Dave Swartzendruber

The importance of the professional and personal relationships that financial planners and wealth advisors have built with their clients is a critical one and one we look to support. Still, there may come a time when your clients require guidance on business valuations, buying markets, and transitions, and it’s then that you’ll need to partner with a trusted M&A advisory firm to meet their needs. 

Even if your business owner clients aren’t looking to immediately transition, the time to forge a partnership with an M&A firm is now. M&A has become the new normal in the wealth management industry with larger wealth advisory firms growing their ranks with in-house exit planners. Your clients are looking for a wealth advisor with M&A capabilities whether you realize it or not. They need to understand markets and their business value to achieve the financial planning goals they’ve set with you.

Here are a few questions we hear most often from potential financial advisor partners:

When is the right time to introduce an exit planning professional or an M&A firm to your business customer?

It’s never too early to introduce the right exit planning professional or M&A firm to a business owner. It’s especially important when a business owner’s retirement is contingent on the sale of their business and when the assets portfolio is predominantly illiquid.

How do you know who is the right fit for your client?

A team of well-rounded professionals that can address your client’s limited succession options -- especially when liquidity options can’t be met -- is your best solution.


What does a partnership look like?

A good partnership takes a long-term view of the relationship with you and your clients. At Quest, we often find that our most productive relationships evolve out of early, exploratory discussions with prospective clients that allow both parties to get better acquainted professionally and personally.

As we build our relationship as partners, we welcome and look for opportunities to provide insight, feedback, and assistance to you and your clients in collaborative and mutually beneficial ways, including:

• M&A market updates
  
• Relevant industry and buyer activity
  
• Valuation and pricing metrics
  
• Alternative transaction structures and considerations
  
• International, cross-border opportunities
  
• Types of buyers and potential partners for liquidity
  

Such discussions are an important part of our ongoing client development activities. 

We recognize the important role you play in ensuring your clients’ success. Our mergers and acquisitions professionals can complement your expertise to deliver outstanding results. If you have a client considering a sale or a recapitalization, or simply want to kick-start the conversation about an eventual transition of business ownership, we can help you and your client evaluate options and navigate the transaction process with confidence. 




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