"The best owners ignore mass outreach."
How we handle it: we never run mass lists or blasts. A signal and scoring filter narrows thousands of businesses to a short list, and only about 50 to 60 owners a month get a one-to-one phone conversation.
For business brokers and M&A firms
Meet sellers who are already vetted and willing to talk.
We find home-improvement and trade owners who match your buy box, vet them over up to three calls, and book only the committed ones. You pay per qualified appointment.
Watch how it works
- Not a list. A vetted conversation
- Pay per qualified appointment
- No lock-in period
Our track record with home-improvement and trade businesses
$10M+Revenue generated for clients
48 hrsTime to your first result
$50kAverage monthly revenue added
95%Appointment show rate
Why brokers say no to most lead services
You want a referral-quality conversation, not a list.
These are the objections we hear from brokers, and how the system answers each one.
"I don't want my name on a cold call."
How we handle it: your name and firm are not used on first calls. You are introduced at intake, after the owner has qualified and agreed to the next step.
"Most appointments waste my time."
How we handle it: you lock the criteria up front, owners are screened on fit, sellability and readiness, and each one commits to a conversation with you before it is booked.
The system
Six stages, from your buy box to a briefed meeting.
Stages 1 to 3 are the Plan. Stages 4 to 6 are the Execution. The weekly report and review is how we Scale. Open any stage to see exactly what we do, the criteria we use and where the data comes from.
Targeting and buy box
What we lock down with you before we source a single prospect
We start with your buy box: more than 20 criteria, confirmed with you in a structured intake before any sourcing begins.
| Trade vertical | HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, pest control and other home-improvement trades |
|---|---|
| Geography | Metro radius or state footprint, single market or multi-state rollup |
| Revenue band | Typically $1M to $10M in annual revenue |
| EBITDA band | $1M to $5M sweet spot, screened separately below and above $2M |
| Business model | Residential versus commercial mix, recurring service versus one-off project work |
| Deal structure appetite | Cash-heavy or earnout-tolerant, openness to seller financing or rollover equity |
| Ownership structure | Owner-operator or GM-run, crew tenure and depth |
| Exclusions | Franchise-encumbered, active litigation, lapsed licensing, single-customer concentration |
Recurring-revenue trades are prioritized over one-off project work. A typical state holds thousands of home-improvement businesses before any filter is applied.
Sourcing and signals
Where we look, and the 35+ signals we score before anyone picks up the phone
| Signal category | Signals | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tenure and ownership | 6 | 15+ years, same owner throughout |
| Reputation | 5 | 4.3+ rating, flat or growing reviews |
| Staffing | 6 | GM hire, no new crew hiring |
| Marketing posture | 5 | Marketing gone quiet, no growth push |
| Succession cues | 5 | No succession plan visible, owner not the public face |
| Compliance and risk | 4 | License current, no BBB flags |
| Revenue quality | 4 | Recurring service contracts advertised |
Where the data comes from
- Google Business Profile
- State licensing boards
- Secretary of State and UCC filings
- Job boards
- Company website and web archive
- BBB and complaint boards
- Equipment marketplaces
Filtered out automatically: collapsing reviews, lapsed licenses, active liens and storm-only revenue spikes. Each signal is weighted and summed into a composite fit score, and owners above the threshold move on to scoring.
Scoring engine
Fit, Sellable, Ready: three gates before a human gets involved
Fit
- Matches your criteria exactly: trade, geography, EBITDA range, business model
- Recurring versus project revenue mix
- Lead-source mix and trade-specific risk
- All 20+ inputs confirmed before sourcing begins
Sellable
- Runs without the owner day to day, with a GM in place
- Earnings normalized with add-backs, used as a screen only
- Working capital and near-term capex needs
Ready
- A reason for selling and a timeline inside six months
- Willing to sign a Letter of Intent with you, a concrete sign of seriousness
- Open to a deal-structure conversation
Funnel math: roughly 150 to 250 signal-qualified owners enter this stage each month. After Fit, Sellable and Ready review, 50 to 60 are selected for live outreach. Financial figures are used only to screen internally, never quoted to the owner as a valuation.
Outreach
One-to-one phone conversations, never a mass list
Only the 50 to 60 owners a month who clear every public-signal filter get a call. It is a direct, one-to-one phone conversation, not mass calling and not a blast.
- First calls confirm tenure, whether a GM or operations lead could run the business day to day, the revenue mix, and openness to a future transition.
- Most owners need one to three calls before it is clear whether the business is sellable. We never rush this into a single call.
- Your name and firm are not used on the first call. You are introduced later, at intake, once the owner has qualified.
Qualification calls
The three-call structure behind every booked appointment
1. Rapport
Confirm identity, build trust and confirm interest.
2. Qualify
Confirm the Sellable and Ready criteria: revenue mix, whether a manager could run it without the owner, and any timeline for stepping back.
3. Qualify and introduce
Confirm willingness to sign a Letter of Intent (or a listing agreement, depending on your process), introduce you by name at intake and schedule the meeting.
What disqualifies an owner on a call
- No real timeline for stepping back
- Unwilling to discuss financials at all
- A business tied entirely to the owner, with no path to transition
Seller brief
One page, delivered the day before every confirmed call
Every appointment arrives with a one-page brief that combines public signals with what we learned on the calls. Your name and firm appear in the process for the first time on this document. See the example below.
What lands in your inbox
A one-page brief on every seller, before the call.
Illustrative example. Every brief captures 20 data points: ten from public signals and ten from our conversations.
From public signals
- Years in business
- 18
- Google rating
- 4.6 (210 reviews)
- Recent hire
- Operations manager
- Marketing activity
- Steady, no growth push
- License and compliance
- Active, no violations
- Team size
- 14, stable headcount
- Website traffic trend
- Steady
- Service area
- 3-county radius, stable
- Complaint history
- No BBB or licensing flags
- Equipment listings
- None for sale online
From our conversations
- Recurring vs project revenue
- 55% recurring
- Lead sources
- 60% referral, 40% paid
- Runs without the owner
- Yes, GM in place
- Reason for selling
- Ready to retire
- Timeline
- Within 6 months
- EBITDA range (screen only)
- $650K to $750K
- Crew tenure
- Most crew 5+ years
- Deal structure openness
- Open to seller financing
- Family involvement
- None in the business
- Post-sale involvement
- Willing to stay 6 to 12 months
Four terms, used precisely
We deliver appointments. You close listings and deals.
Lead
A business that matches your buy box.
Appointment
A vetted seller who has agreed to speak with you. This is what we deliver.
Listing
A seller who signs with you.
Deal
A closed transaction. Your close rate decides how appointments become listings and deals.
What you get
Pay per qualified appointment, with the criteria set up front.
You set the criteria
Your buy box defines "qualified". An appointment that does not meet it is replaced.
One firm per area
We work with one broker or firm in a given area, so you are not competing for the same sellers.
Weekly visibility
A weekly report, a brief before every meeting, and a regular review of appointment quality with you.
Start small
Begin with a pilot batch of appointments and ramp up once you have seen the quality.
No lock-in
There is no lock-in period. If it is not working for you, you can stop.
Pay for appointments
You pay per qualified appointment, not for lists, activity or hours.
Before you book
Questions brokers ask us.
Will owners hear my name before they have qualified?
No. Your name and firm are not used on first calls. You are introduced at intake, once the owner has qualified and agreed to the next step.
How do you avoid wasted appointments?
You lock the criteria with us first. Owners are screened on fit, sellability and readiness, and each one commits to a conversation with you before it is booked. An appointment that does not meet the agreed criteria is replaced.
How do you handle the owner's numbers?
We confirm the owner's financial range on the calls and use it as a screen, not a valuation. We do not audit financials. Your own diligence still applies, and the commitment step helps make sure the owner is serious.
How many appointments should I expect?
It depends on your buy box and your market. We agree a realistic target with you in the planning step, based on how many businesses match your criteria.
What does it cost?
You pay per qualified appointment. We share the rate on a call, based on your criteria and market.
Can I start small?
Yes. We can begin with a pilot batch, then ramp up once you have seen the appointment quality.
Is there a contract or lock-in?
No lock-in period. If it is not working for you, you can stop.
Which sectors do you cover?
Home-improvement and trade businesses, including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing and pest control, typically with $1M to $5M EBITDA. If your buy box sits outside the trades, ask us on the call.
Do you work with other brokers in my area?
We work with one broker or firm in a given area.
Growth strategy call
Tell us your buy box. We'll show you the pipeline.
A working session, not a pitch. We map your criteria, check how many businesses match in your market, and agree what a qualified appointment means for you.
- We confirm your buy box and exclusions
- We show how the system would run in your market
- We agree the criteria, the pilot and the next step
Pay per qualified appointment, no lock-in. You only pay for appointments that meet your criteria.
Schedule a time
Pick a day that works for you
- Pick a day
- Choose a time
- Get the invite by email
Who's behind UniTrick
Built and led by Madhav Mangal.
Madhav is the founder of UniTrick. He builds client acquisition systems for B2B companies and high-ticket service businesses. Connect with him directly, or book a call and he will look at your buy box and your market with you.
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