Off-market deal flow on demand: owner conversations for live mandates in week one
For an M&A advisory, deal flow is everything - and the best targets are off-market companies whose owners aren't talking to anyone yet. Palmstone Capital uses Argorant to identify acquisition targets for live mandates and reach their owners and managing directors directly, turning what used to be months of network-dependent sourcing into a week-one outreach motion.
The challenge
The strongest targets for a mandate are off-market - no banner, no process, no broker. Finding their owners is pure research.
Sourcing through personal networks alone caps how many mandates the firm can serve at once.
Owner-level contact data for private companies is exactly what generic databases are worst at.
“Our clients don't pay us for lists, they pay us for conversations with owners nobody else is talking to. This is the fastest route to those conversations we've found.”
Managing Partner, Palmstone Capital
What they did with Argorant
- Built target long-lists per mandate in Argorant - industry, size band and geography matched to the client's acquisition thesis.
- Pulled owners and managing directors with verified contact details for every shortlisted company.
- Ran discreet, personalized outreach so every mandate had genuine off-market conversations running within days.
The results
- 413 appointments generated in three weeks - running Argorant data together with the managed pilot service.
- Owner conversations for new mandates start in the first week, not after a quarter of research.
- The firm can credibly pitch broader sourcing coverage when competing for new mandates.
In their words
“Our clients don't pay us for lists, they pay us for conversations with owners nobody else is talking to. This is the fastest route to those conversations we've found.”
Managing Partner, Palmstone Capital
Same verified data, same targeting - pointed at your market. No call required.