Welcome to week 1 of Tupelo’s 8-week blog and video series on AI for Business Brokering! This week kicks us off into the first step of business brokering, finding companies to sell. At Tupelo, we work with hundreds of business brokers, equipping them with the tools they need to elevate their practice, enhancing both efficiency and effectiveness.
AI for Business Brokering: Week 1 - Lead Sourcing The Art of the Find
Finding companies willing to sell is a numbers game. The more businesses you connect with, the more opportunities you'll uncover. But traditional methods of lead generation are time-consuming and often yield inconsistent results. Relying solely on referrals is like hoping for a lucky strike; it might happen, but it's hardly a strategic approach.
Technology offers a more efficient and predictable path to discovering high-quality deal opportunities.
Goal: The goal of this blog is to showcase lead generation tools that business broker and M&A advisors can use to find new opportunities.
Eight tools that you can use to source new listings and find companies for sale:
1. Tupelo
Tupelo lead sourcing video
Tupelo is an SMB-focused lead sourcing AI agent specifically designed for business brokers and M&A advisors. It promises to offer the largest database of SMBs with relevant contact information for key decision-makers.
Pricing:
TBD
Key features:
- SMB-focused database
- Easy-to-use search parameters
- Targeted for business brokers and M&A advisors
Considerations:
- New to the market, yet to be fully tested
2. Clay.com
Clay lead sourcing video
Clay.com is an AI-powered lead sourcing and data enrichment tool. It helps identify decision-makers, generate contact information, and deploy outreach sequences.
Pricing:
Free - $800+ per month
Key features:
- AI-powered lead generation
- Data enrichment capabilities
- Excel-like interface
Considerations:
- Shared data across users
- Learning curve for optimal use
- Not SMB-focused
3. ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo is a leader in the lead sourcing space, boasting a company database of over 100 million entries. It collects data from various public and proprietary sources.
Pricing:
Starting at $15,000+
Key features:
- Extensive company database
- Detailed contact information
- Sales automation tools
Considerations:
- High cost
- Data shared across users
- Not specifically tailored for SMBs
4. Oppwiser
Oppwiser lead sourcing video
Oppwiser uses AI to help find companies similar to your existing clients or ideal targets. It provides email addresses and phone numbers of key decision-makers.
Pricing:
$0-$100
Key features:
- AI-powered company matching
- Contact information for decision-makers
- Affordable pricing options
Considerations:
- Data not exclusive to users
- Not SMB-specific
- Owner contact information may be limited
5. Leadsourcing.co
Leadsourcing.co lead sourcing video
Leadsourcing.co offers AI-powered lead generation, automating prospecting and meeting booking through LinkedIn and email outreach.
Pricing:
Free - $100s
Key features:
- Automated lead generation
- LinkedIn and email outreach
- Proprietary search engine
Considerations:
- Heavy reliance on LinkedIn
- May miss SMB owners not active on LinkedIn
6. Meetz.ai
Meetz.ai lead sourcing video
Meetz.ai is an AI-powered platform allowing searches by various parameters like location, SIC code, and role. It offers 250 million prospect data points and AI-powered email campaigns.
Pricing:
Free - $199 per month
Key features:
- Extensive search parameters
- Real-time verified contact information
- AI-powered email campaigns
Considerations:
- Limited quantity of SMBs sourced
7. Artemis
Artemis focuses on finding professional email addresses and can handle outreach via email and LinkedIn automatically.
Pricing:
$69
Key features:
- Email address discovery
- Automated outreach on multiple platforms
Considerations:
- Heavily reliant on LinkedIn
8. Apollo
Apollo.io lead sourcing video
Apollo.io offers a vast database of 275 million contacts and 73 million companies. It provides a comprehensive suite of services, including email drip campaigns and multi-channel marketing sequencing.
Pricing:
Starting at $15 per month
Key features:
- Extensive contact database
- Email campaign tools
- Multi-channel marketing capabilities
Considerations:
- Data is not exclusive
- Complex interface with a learning curve
- Not specifically focused on SMBs
By leveraging these tools, business brokers can significantly enhance their lead generation efforts, ultimately leading to increased deal flow and business growth. Each tool offers unique features and considerations, so it's important to evaluate which one aligns best with your specific needs and target market.