For private equity, search funds & boards
Find the revenue leak before — and after — you buy.
For private equity, search funds and operating partners: a mystery-shop diagnostic of how a business actually handles its enquiries, with the evidence attached — across a portfolio, or on a target before you acquire.
Owner-authorised · human-led · evidence attached
The problem, in your words
- The information memorandum says the leads are strong. Nobody has tested what happens when one arrives.
- Revenue varies across the portfolio, and I can’t tell whether it’s demand or how enquiries are handled.
- Management tells us follow-up is fine. I’d like evidence.
- After completion I want a baseline to measure the plan against.
Illustrative — not customer quotes
What we check
The enquiry, from the outside
- 01
Every enquiry channel the business offers: enquiry form, email enquiry, live chat, WhatsApp and phone call
- 02
Every reply is scored on the same nine criteria: speed, whether it was answered at all, accuracy, personalisation, qualifying questions, follow-up, next step, tone and red flags.
- 03
Whether quotes match the prices the business publishes
- 04
Red flags: enquiries answered from personal addresses or numbers, offers to do the work off the books
- 05
The business’s review profiles, and how it answers them
What you receive
Evidence to act on
- IncludedA scored audit of each businessThe SalesWitness Audit: two mystery audits, 15 days apart, on every channel including the phone call — with the screenshots, transcripts and timings.
- IncludedThe same scorecard at every companyNine criteria, per channel, so results from different businesses line up.
- IncludedA baseline to re-audit againstAfter completion, SalesWitness Watch repeats the audit every month to show whether the fix is working.
- On requestA diligence write-upThe findings and evidence summarised for an investment decision.
- On requestA portfolio benchmarkEvery company ranked on the same scorecard.
“On request” means we compile it by hand for your engagement from the same audit evidence — it is not a self-serve feature in the portal.
Legitimate by design
Written authorisation, always
As with every audit, we need written authorisation from the owner of the business being audited. Before an acquisition, arrange that through the diligence access you agree with the seller — we never mystery-shop a business without it.
How pricing works
Quoted per engagement
It depends on how many businesses, locations and channels, and on your timetable — the full SalesWitness Audit takes about three weeks from the first enquiry. For a single business you can start with the SalesWitness Audit at $299.
Can you run diligence before an acquisition?
Yes, with the written authorisation of the target’s owner, which you arrange through the diligence process. We run the same audit we run for any business — realistic enquiries on every channel, scored on nine criteria, with the evidence attached. The full SalesWitness Audit takes about three weeks, so tell us your timetable.
Can you cover a whole portfolio?
Yes. Each company is audited on the same nine criteria, so the results line up. A portfolio benchmark ranking the companies is compiled on request.
Does the target’s team know?
The owner who authorises the audit knows; the people answering enquiries are not told. That is what keeps the enquiries realistic.
What does it cost?
Engagements are quoted — talk to us. For a single business, the SalesWitness Audit is $299.
Test the pipeline, not the pitch deck.
Tell us about the deal or the portfolio, and the timetable you’re working to.