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The Team Sport of Selling a Business
- Brianna Johnson
- Feb 20
- 3 min read
With the Olympic spirit capturing global attention, there’s a powerful reminder that success rarely happens alone. Behind every athlete is a team, coaches, strategists, trainers, and supporters all working toward a shared goal.The same is true in mergers and acquisitions.
While many owners initially view a sale as a financial transaction between buyer and seller, the reality is far more collaborative. The strongest outcomes often come from coordinated advisory teams that understand their roles and work together from the start.
Here’s a look at who’s involved in a successful deal, and what it means to be a true team player in today’s M&A environment.
The Head Coach: The M&A Advisor
In many ways, the intermediary or investment banker acts as the head coach of the transaction. Their role is to:
Position the business for market
Manage buyer outreach and confidentiality
Coordinate timelines and expectations
Keep momentum moving through diligence and closing
According to Deloitte’s M&A research, structured deal processes and experienced intermediaries significantly improve execution and reduce transaction risk, especially in the middle market.
The Strategists: CPAs and Financial Advisors
Financial professionals help translate performance into a story buyers understand.
They often support:
Quality of earnings preparation
Tax planning and structuring
Financial normalization and forecasting
In today’s market, buyers are placing more emphasis on clean financial reporting and long-term sustainability, meaning early collaboration with CPAs and wealth advisors is becoming
It is increasingly important. Research from the Exit Planning Institute shows that businesses with coordinated financial and exit planning strategies tend to achieve stronger outcomes and smoother transitions.
The Rules Experts: Attorneys
Just as Olympic athletes compete within strict rules, M&A deals require strong legal guidance.
Attorneys help structure:
Letters of intent
Purchase agreements
Representations and warranties
Risk allocation and compliance
Their role isn’t just protection it’s helping the team maintain clarity and momentum during complex negotiations. When legal advisors engage early, deals often progress more efficiently because expectations are aligned from the beginning.
The Performance Coaches: CEPAs and Exit Planning Advisors
Certified Exit Planning Advisors (CEPAs) and value-acceleration professionals focus on the long game.
They help owners:
Clarify personal and financial goals
Identify value gaps before going to market
Align leadership teams with future strategy
As more owners begin succession planning earlier, collaborative advisory teams are becoming the norm rather than the exception.
The Owner: The Athlete at the Center
Every Olympic team is built around the athlete and in M&A, the owner plays the same role.
Successful transactions often come down to how willing the owner is to:
Communicate openly with advisors
Prepare emotionally and operationally
Stay engaged throughout the process
Deals rarely fail because of a single technical issue they stall when alignment breaks down within the team.
What It Means to Be a Team Player in a Deal
The strongest transactions don’t happen because one advisor dominates the process, they happen when each professional understands their lane and supports the broader strategy.
Being a team player in M&A often looks like:
✔️ Sharing information early instead of guarding silos
✔️ Respecting each advisor’s expertise
✔️ Keeping the owner’s long-term goals at the center
✔️ Communicating proactively during challenges
Much like the Olympics, success comes from coordination, trust, and preparation, not individual performance alone.
Selling a business isn’t a solo event. It’s a team sport.
From M&A advisors and CPAs to attorneys, CEPAs, and leadership teams, collaboration drives stronger exits and smoother transitions. And just like the athletes we’re watching compete on the world stage, the businesses that prepare early and surround themselves with the right team are often the ones that cross the finish line strongest.
We congratulate Team USA on their incredible dedication, resilience, and commitment to excellence. Their pursuit of progress and collaboration reflects the very mindset that drives strong outcomes in business and in life.
Deloitte — M&A Trends Report (deal execution and advisory coordination insights)
Exit Planning Institute — Value Acceleration Methodology & advisor collaboration research
PwC Deals Insights — Middle market transaction dynamics and advisory roles
McKinsey & Company — Research on cross-functional deal teams improving outcomes
Harvard Business Review — Articles on team decision-making in complex negotiations