Preparing with Get Trajectory vs. Going Straight to an Investment Banker
A banker sells the company you have. Preparation decides which company the banker gets to sell.
Key Takeaway (The Direct Answer)
Going straight to an investment banker without operational preparation exposes companies to buyer due diligence renegotiations, valuation discounts, or broken deals—a substantial portion of mid-market transactions suffer price re-trades, renegotiations, or fail in diligence. Preparing with Get Trajectory first systematically fixes the 9 core valuation levers (founder dependency, QoE financial normalization, customer concentration) 9 to 24 months before market. This ensures that when an investment banker runs your auction, the company commands peak multiples and closes on the original LOI terms.
Side-by-Side Comparison
How the two paths differ from first conversation to close:
| Dimension | Preparing with Get Trajectory First | Going Straight to an M&A Banker |
|---|---|---|
| Core Mandate | Build operational value & eliminate diligence risks | Create marketing materials (CIM) and run buyer auction |
| Diligence Preparedness | Pre-audits financials, normalizes add-backs, tests founder independence | Takes financials 'as-is' from founder and leaves auditing to the buyer's accountants |
| Risk of Deal Re-trade | Low—deal-breakers are resolved before buyers inspect the business | High—buyers routinely re-trade or discount the valuation during 90-day QoE audit |
| Valuation Multiple Impact | Protects the exit multiple by eliminating diligence valuation discounts through operational de-risking | Accepts current multiple and relies solely on bidding tension |
| Fee Model | Predictable monthly retainer with 0% transaction success fee | Retainer plus standard percentage success fee upon closing |
| The Recommended Sequence | Step 1 (9–24 months before market) to prepare operations and books | Step 2 (last 6 months) to run the competitive sale process |
1. Why Mid-Market Deals Commonly Break Down in Due Diligence
Surprise audit findings. When the buyer's Quality of Earnings team finds revenue, margin, or expense issues the seller never surfaced, the price gets re-opened.
Founder bottlenecks. If key customers, sales, or decisions still run through the founder, buyers price in the risk of the business stalling after close.
Unverified add-backs. Adjustments to EBITDA without documentation are the first numbers a buyer strikes, and every dollar removed is multiplied by the deal multiple.
2. How Get Trajectory De-Risks the Transaction
Working capital peg planning. We model a defensible working capital target from your monthly history so it can't be used to quietly lower the purchase price at close.
Clean data rooms. Contracts, financials, and corporate records are organized before diligence starts, so buyers move fast and find no surprises.
Leadership autonomy. Our exited-founder Guides help shift decisions and relationships to the team, proving the business runs without the founder.
3. Balanced Framework: When You Can Safely Go Straight to a Banker
- • Audited financials: your books are already audited or QoE-ready.
- • Seasoned executive bench: an experienced leadership team runs the business without the founder.
- • Urgent liquidity timeline: you need to sell within about 6 months and accept the price risk.
4. The 2-Step Playbook: Prepare with Trajectory, then Market with a Banker
Step 1: Prepare (9–24 months before market)
Fix the valuation levers buyers score: financial normalization, founder independence, customer concentration, and a clean data room.
Step 2: Market (last 6 months)
Your investment banker runs a competitive sale process for a company that is ready to hold its price through diligence.
Prepare Before You Go to Market
Our 9–24 month program fixes what buyers will find, so your banker can sell a company that's ready.
Explore the Exit Readiness Program