Why Isn’t My Business Listing Getting Any Activity?
Your business for sale listing isn’t getting any activity, and your frustration is building. You knew it wasn’t going to sell overnight, but you thought there would be more interest than this.
So, how can you not only attract more buyers, but qualified buyers who would generally be interested in your company? Let’s start off by examining your ad and then we’ll explore other options. Are there any changes that can be made to your listing that would make a difference? Here are a few ideas:
Re-examine your headline — Is your headline enticing enough? With the amount of listings the average buyer sees, yours should stand out and grab their attention. But be careful here. Attention-grabbing can also be done with taste, so choose your wording wisely. Don’t sound gimmicky. Also, avoid all caps. There’s no need to scream.
Don’t be too wordy — While your description should be thorough, it should also be concise. Get to the point, including only essential facts and information that would be relevant to a potential buyer. Highlight what makes your business special and unique without losing their attention to unnecessary details. Potential buyers should be interested enough to want to learn more about your business.
Improve your photos — You may not have thought so initially, but high-quality photos can be eye-catching enough to really get people’s attention. Think about changing angles, playing different lighting and even using photo editing filters and software. There’s nothing less appealing than looking at low-res, amateurish photos that are supposed to reflect your business.
If you’ve gone through our checklist and truly don’t think the problem is with your actual listing, there are other factors that could be the reason for the lack of interest and things you can do to help attract qualified buyers.
Double-check your price — You probably haven’t re-examined your asking price since you initially set it. Depending on how long it’s been listed, maybe it’s time to check back with the market to see what other similar businesses have either sold for or are being listed for recently. Maybe things in the market have changed and you could make a minor adjustment.
Utilize social media — It may be time to increase your listing’s exposure by sharing them on your social media accounts if you haven’t done so already.
Explore other avenues — Regardless of how many people see your business listing, it needs to be seen by the right people if it’s going to be sold. Maybe there is an industry-specific website or publication where it could be listed.
Ask yourself this, “Would I buy my own business as it’s presented?” If so, then you should be fine — it just may take a little more time until the right buyer comes along.