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title: Acquisition Criteria & Proprietary Deal Flow | Buy-Side Masterclass Moment
description: "Great deals don’t come from luck—they come from criteria and discipline. In this Buy-Side Masterclass Moment, Paul Giannamore explains why you need a clear acquisition criteria list before you ever start sourcing deals, and why relying on bankers or brokers puts you at a disadvantage . **You’ll learn:** \U0001F539 Why financials are the foundation of any acquisition \U0001F539 How to avoid wasting time untangling bad books \U0001F539 The importance of a formal acquisition criteria list \U0001F539 Screening by size, cash flow, customers, and culture \U0001F539 How industry type changes your target universe \U0001F539 “Hunter vs. Fisher”: active vs. passive sourcing \U0001F539 Why proprietary pipelines beat banker-led processes \U0001F539 How to build relationships directly with sellers This session drives home the private equity playbook: the best buyers don’t wait for deals to come to them—they create their own deal flow. **Connect with Paul Giannamore** LinkedIn ▸ https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore Instagram ▸ https://www.instagram.com/pgiannamore \U0001F4CC Subscribe to receive Buy-Side M&A materials when they become available: https://the-potomac-company.kit.com/271b2e3f88 \U0001F4CC **Watch the Full Buy-Side Masterclass Series:** https://youtu.be/RLr8PdCZ6U0 \U0001F4CC **Subscribe for Weekly M&A Insights:** https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIwu1ye9EHnYHSml9tu_4Q?sub_confirmation=1 \U0001F310 More resources ▸ https://www.potomaccompany.com/ \U0001F3AC *Directed, produced & filmed by Dylan Seals, Verbell Ltd.* # TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Financials: Why Books Matter Most 01:00 – Acquisition Criteria: The Screening Box 02:00 – Defining Gaps: Customers, Geography, Technology 03:00 – Sourcing Targets: Industry Differences 04:30 – The Problem with Waiting on Bankers 06:00 – The PE Playbook: Build Your Own Pipeline 07:30 – Proprietary Deal Flow vs. Competitive Auctions 09:00 – Direct Outreach: Building Seller Relationships 11:00 – Why Personal Contact Beats Cold Emails 12:00 – Staying Top of Mind with Potential Sellers #mergersandacquisitions #buysideadvisor #dealstrategy #acquisitioncriteria #proprietarydeals #middlemarket #businesssale #MAMasterclass #paulgiannamore #potomactv #exitstrategy #privateequity #businessvaluation"
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# Acquisition Criteria & Proprietary Deal Flow | Buy-Side Masterclass Moment

Great deals don’t come from luck—they come from criteria and discipline. In this Buy-Side Masterclass Moment, Paul Giannamore explains why you need a clear acquisition criteria list before you ever start sourcing deals, and why relying on bankers or brokers puts you at a disadvantage . \*\*You’ll learn:\*\* 🔹 Why financials are the foundation of any acquisition 🔹 How to avoid wasting time untangling bad books 🔹 The importance of a formal acquisition criteria list 🔹 Screening by size, cash flow, customers, and culture 🔹 How industry type changes your target universe 🔹 “Hunter vs. Fisher”: active vs. passive sourcing 🔹 Why proprietary pipelines beat banker-led processes 🔹 How to build relationships directly with sellers This session drives home the private equity playbook: the best buyers don’t wait for deals to come to them—they create their own deal flow. \*\*Connect with Paul Giannamore\*\* LinkedIn ▸ https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore Instagram ▸ https://www.instagram.com/pgiannamore 📌 Subscribe to receive Buy-Side M\&A materials when they become available: https://the-potomac-company.kit.com/271b2e3f88 📌 \*\*Watch the Full Buy-Side Masterclass Series:\*\* https://youtu.be/RLr8PdCZ6U0 📌 \*\*Subscribe for Weekly M\&A Insights:\*\* https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIwu1ye9EHnYHSml9tu_4Q?sub_confirmation=1 🌐 More resources ▸ https://www.potomaccompany.com/ 🎬 \*Directed, produced & filmed by Dylan Seals, Verbell Ltd.\* # TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Financials: Why Books Matter Most 01:00 – Acquisition Criteria: The Screening Box 02:00 – Defining Gaps: Customers, Geography, Technology 03:00 – Sourcing Targets: Industry Differences 04:30 – The Problem with Waiting on Bankers 06:00 – The PE Playbook: Build Your Own Pipeline 07:30 – Proprietary Deal Flow vs. Competitive Auctions 09:00 – Direct Outreach: Building Seller Relationships 11:00 – Why Personal Contact Beats Cold Emails 12:00 – Staying Top of Mind with Potential Sellers #mergersandacquisitions #buysideadvisor #dealstrategy #acquisitioncriteria #proprietarydeals #middlemarket #businesssale #MAMasterclass #paulgiannamore #potomactv #exitstrategy #privateequity #businessvaluation

Canonical: https://liquidgold.cc/channel/potomactv/explore/video/acquisition-criteria-proprietary-deal-flow-buy-side-782ac57ef5c9 · Channel: [POTOMAC M\&A](https://liquidgold.cc/channel/potomactv.md)

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