Which Buyers Lose Deals & Which Win M&A Deals & Why with Ryan Condie

Online business acquisitions aren’t won by the highest bidder - and they’re definitely not lost for the reasons most buyers think. In this episode of the BOB Podcast, Jaryd Krause sits down with Ryan Condik - serial entrepreneur, M&A advisor at Quiet Light, and founder of Let’s Buy a Business - to unpack what actually determines who wins (and who loses) in competitive acquisition processes. Most buyers assume it all comes down to price. Just offer more and you win, right? Not exactly. In real-world M&A, things like certainty, speed, positioning, and creativity often matter more than a bigger number. Ryan shares behind-the-scenes stories from competitive deals, including why some buyers lost over small term differences, how one buyer won simply by building a genuine relationship with the seller, and why “certainty of close” can be far more powerful than offering an extra 10%. You’ll learn: Why sellers often choose lower offers - and what they’re really evaluatingHow certainty, speed, and clean deal structures give buyers a serious edgeWhy trust and relationships can outweigh valuationThe common buyer mistakes that quietly kill dealsHow creative structuring (including equity rollovers) can change the outcomeWhy knowing your value-add before submitting an LOI shifts the entire negotiation Whether you’re buying your first online business or competing for premium assets in a crowded market, this episode breaks down what separates serious acquirers from hopeful bidders. In M&A, price gets attention - but certainty wins deals. 🎧 Hit play to learn how to position yourself as the buyer sellers actually want to choose. Episode Highlights 02:53 Why Chasing Billions Is a Trap (And What Actually Builds Freedom) 12:42 The “Seasons of Life” Framework for Smarter Entrepreneurship 18:02 The Two-Way Door Rule: How Elite Entrepreneurs Make Fast, Confident Decisions 20:17 Why Most Aspiring Entrepreneurs Fail Before They Even Start 24:34 The #1 Mistake Buyers Make When Acquiring a Business 26:24 Why Most Buyers Lose Deals (And Don’t Even Know Why) 28:46 The $400 Move That Won a Multi-Million Dollar Deal 30:45 How Relationships Beat Higher Offers in Competitive M&A 32:04 The 10% Lower Offer That Still Won the Deal 35:45 SBA Buyers vs. Serious Buyers: What Sellers Actually Want 37:38 When Paying MORE Is the Smartest Financial Decision 40:01 How to Know When You’ve Found “The One” (And Go All In) 43:00 AI, Adaptation & Why Average Operators Will Get Left Behind Key Takeaways ➥ Traditional SEO is still the foundation—AI and GEO optimization enhance it rather than replace it. ➥ Strong brand presence and mentions across multiple platforms are now more important than backlinks for AI visibility. ➥ Being associated with reputable brands or industry leaders boosts authority and trust in AI-driven results. ➥ Content hubs and semantically related pages improve AI discoverability more than focusing on keywords alone. ➥ Social media, forums, and niche communities (Reddit, Medium, Facebook Groups) contribute to AI recognition. ➥ Balance is key: optimize for AI while maintaining usability and experience for human visitors. ➥ AI content generators can efficiently create research-backed, brand-aligned, and contextually rich content. About Ryan Condie Ryan Condie is a serial entrepreneur, M&A advisor and founder behind Let’s Buy a Business. He has built, bought, and sold multiple digital ventures including RentLingo via a successful acquisition. He now helps founders master deals, due diligence and exits. Ryan also serves as an advisor at Quiet Light Brokerage, where he guides buyers and sellers through evaluations, negotiations and growth opportunities that maximize exit value. His experience blends real-world deal execution with deep strategic insight. Connect with Ryan Condie ➥ https://ryancondie.com/ ➥ https://www.letsbuyabusiness.com/ Other podcasts with Ryan; https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ep-149-why-buy-a-profitable-online-business-instead-of-staring-one-with-ryan-condie-part-1/ https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ep-150-title-how-to-get-started-buying-profitable-online-business-with-ryan-condie-part-2/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRv7UHDUjYA Resource Links ➥ Connect with Jaryd here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause➥ Buying Online Businesses Website - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com ➥ Download the Due Diligence Framework - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/➥ Sell your business to us here - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/sell-your-business/ ➥ Google Ads Service - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ads-services/ Buy & Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use) 🔥 ➥ Empire Flippers - https://bit.ly/3RtyMkE ➥ Flippa - https://bit.ly/3wGa8r5 ➥ Motion Invest - https://bit.ly/3YmJAmO➥ Investors Club - https://bit.ly/3ZpgioR *This post may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small ...