Deal Readiness.

A deal is largely won or lost before the room. Sophisticated buyers can tell quickly whether a company is ready - whether the story maps to reality, whether the management team can run the diligence gauntlet, and whether there is still runway to fix what surfaces.

Prepared, the process compounds in your favor. Unprepared, the conversation shuts down early, options narrow, and the price drops. Readiness is not a data room; it is the trajectory of preparation that precedes the event.