ou've heard it said that when you communicate with sellers, you should go easy on the finance language.

Constantly referring to multiples & EBITDA makes you sound like an academic stock investor, not a human with the skills to lead their people and protect their legacy.

So listen for how today's guest Matt Barnes was very human, very personal with his seller.

Matt explained to his seller about how buying the business was a project of his family, how they wanted to become part of the fabric of the community, how they intended to own the business for the long term.

This seems to have resonated.

Matt's LOI was ultimately chosen over 14 competing offers, and even when the deal died, Matt was able to bring it back to life, again using a personal touch.

Also listen for Matt's approach to proprietary outreach: door knocking.

‍Matt showed up to businesses in person, asked to speak with the owner about buying the business, and had a high hit rate doing so.

I was fascinated by this, and we get into the weeds of exactly what he said to owners (and their gatekeepers).

Listen for the fire story, and how Matt turned a bad accident into the ultimate due diligence stress test.

Finally, listen for the role of conviction in his search, particularly around his decision to buy a business in the first place.

A lot of people are intrigued by buying a business, but in Matt's experience it takes another level of commitment to actually get a deal done.

OK, please enjoy this conversation with Matt Barnes, owner of Professional Touch Laundry Service.