How This Business Owner DOUBLED His Valuation In Just A few Months.
“Every business owner needs to have an exit strategy. Will it be a trade sales, a public listing, or passing the business on to the next generation? Working with the end in mind is a great way to partner up with the right sales adviser.”
Peter Strohkorb
Below is the true story of the owner of a mid-market specialist IT services business in Australia, and the surprisingly high valuation he got for his business.
Background
Ian Ward, a passionate and highly skilled IT technologist, was the owner of a specialist IT services firm in Sydney, Australia. For years, Ian had focused on delivering top-notch technical solutions to his clients, but when it came to growing his business, sales wasn’t exactly his strong suit.
Most of his new business came from upselling new services to existing clients and from the occasional word-of-mouth recommendation.
Despite his ambitions to break into the burgeoning cyber security services market, Ian found himself at a crossroads. He knew there was more potential for his company, but he wasn’t sure how to tap into it. One day, he attended one of my modern selling workshops. While Ian liked what he saw and could envision a better future for his business, something held him back.
He wasn’t convinced that an external sales advisor could truly understand his business as well as he did.
When We First Met…
Though Ian recognized the power of a structured sales approach, his reluctance to invest in external help was strong. He had worked hard to build his business, and every dollar counted. After all, no one knew his customers, his services, or his industry as well as Ian did. Could anyone really provide the sales advice he needed? He was skeptical. What could a sales system, built by someone else, possibly teach him about his own business? For weeks, Ian pondered the decision. The fear of spending his hard-earned money on what he viewed as an uncertain investment weighed heavily on him.
Eventually, Ian’s ambition to break into the hot cyber security market — and the realisation that his current approach wasn’t delivering the results he wanted — led him to take the leap. He decided to work with me to implement my Buyer-Focused Selling System. It was a leap of faith, but Ian knew that if he didn’t evolve his approach, his business would stagnate.
Together, we embarked on the journey of transformation.
What We Did Together…
When I began working with Ian, it became clear that his business lacked a strong differentiator. There was no compelling value proposition to set him apart from his competitors. His sales process was reactive rather than proactive, and he had no clear strategy for entering the lucrative cyber security services market.
We began with a deep dive into his business, uncovering the core issues that were holding him back.
Over the next several months, we worked systematically through my Buyer-Focused Selling System, focusing on building Ian’s capabilities in each of the 10 Buyer-Focused Selling Competencies.
As we progressed, Ian faced several internal challenges. His mindset as a "techie" initially clashed with the structured, buyer-focused sales process we were building. He was used to solving technical problems, but the idea of thinking like a salesperson was foreign to him. He had to learn to step outside of his comfort zone and embrace new concepts, such as crafting a compelling Brand Promise and developing a Unique Value Proposition that would resonate with buyers.
At times, Ian’s self-doubt re-surfaced. Could he really sell in the cyber security space, a market he knew was ripe with opportunity but fiercely competitive? These were his tests — his trials. But as he applied the lessons and insights from our work together, Ian began to see a shift.
Slowly but surely, his business started to take on a new life.
The real challenge came when Ian was forced to confront his competitors head-on. Cyber security was a competitive market, and for the first time, Ian needed to fend off his competitors, using the subtle yet effective strategies we had implemented. He learned how to position his offering in a way that highlighted the risk of choosing other providers. We developed a clear Sales Proposal Process and worked hard to create a great buying experience for his customers.
It wasn’t easy, but Ian pushed through his discomfort. He began to understand that engaging potential buyers was about much more than offering a good technical solution. It was about building trust, understanding buyer needs, and clearly showing how his services could deliver meaningful outcomes for his customers.
What Changed…
Several months into implementing the Buyer-Focused Selling System, Ian’s business was not only thriving, but it had become a well-oiled sales machine. He had a clear understanding of who his Ideal Customers were, where to find them, and how to engage them effectively. His business was operating with certainty and predictability, and it was finally poised for growth in the highly competitive cyber security market.
Then, something remarkable happened.
Ian was approached by a buyer interested in purchasing his business. Thanks to the structured selling system we had implemented, Ian was able to demonstrate the future value of the business clearly and compellingly. The buyer saw the potential, and Ian was able to sell his business for TWICE the amount he had originally expected — a deal he never would have imagined just a year earlier.
With the successful sale of his business, Ian had not only secured a future he hadn’t thought possible, but he had done so on his terms. The journey he had been so reluctant to embark on had transformed his business and his life. The Buyer-Focused Selling System didn’t just help him close new deals; it made his business more valuable and gave him the structure he needed to be able to sell the business.
Thus, Ian had come full circle. Once a techie with little sales knowledge, he had transformed into a savvy business owner with a scalable and repeatable system for sales success. He no longer viewed sales as a necessary evil but as a powerful tool that, when executed correctly, could drive growth and opportunity. His ability to enter the competitive cyber security space was a testament to his evolution.
Today, Ian is happily and comfortably retired, having sold his business for more than he ever thought possible. His journey wasn’t just about improving his sales process — it was about transforming his business into something greater than he had thought possible.
Ian’s story is a reminder that, with the right adviser and the right system, even the most reluctant heroes can achieve remarkable success.
His take away from the experience? That even as a technical expert, focusing on buyers’ needs, delivering value, and using a structured selling system can transform a business — and lead to unexpected rewards.