Shoot the Moon with Revenue Rocket

Deal Urgency in Q4: How to Close (or not close) Before Year-End

Episode Summary

Q4 often turns into a deal sprint as buyers try to deploy capital and sellers weigh tax timing and clean year end cutovers. The team lays out a realistic path: most deals need ~90 days post-LOI. We offer a framework for deciding whether to close by Dec 31 or slip to January when tax, culture, or renegotiation dynamics make more sense.

Episode Notes

Show Notes

• Why Q4 creates natural urgency: capital deployment, tax timing, clean year-end cutover, and internal fund deadlines.
• Realistic timelines: ~90 days from LOI to close (60 if exceptionally well-planned and resourced).
• How to avoid year-end derailers: risk-based diligence, weekly cadence, the “it takes a village” resourcing mindset.
• Practical prep checklist: books buttoned up, pre-diligence, a single project plan with stage gates, industry-savvy QofE team, and agile communication (not waterfall ticket-ping-pong).
• Holiday calendar tactics: set stage-gate deadlines with buffer before Thanksgiving and other outages.
• When to push to January: tax strategy, team fatigue, culture/relationship health, and any material renegotiation that resets the clock.
• Pro tip: use Q4 to prepare even if you won’t close—calibrate valuation, market timing, and build the 2026 plan with advisors.

Thinking about closing in Q4, or setting up a smart January start? Revenue Rocket has led hundreds of IT services deals. If you want a realistic path to close, a risk-based diligence plan, or a sanity check on timelines, let’s talk.