Gatekeeper
"Hey — is [Name] there?"
If she transfers, you're in. Never volunteer more than this.
"Who's calling?" / any hesitation
"It's Ryan Kirchberger for [Name], please."
"Where are you calling from?"
"BlackRain, over in Vernon."
"What is this in reference to?"
"It's regarding enterprise value. Is he at his desk, or is he better after four?"
"Can you be more specific?"
"Sure. We advise owners on enterprise value — what the company is worth, and how to raise that number. I've got one question for him. I'll hold."
"Is he expecting your call?"
"No — first time I've caught him. Is he at his desk?"
"We don't take solicitations."
"I'm not selling anything over the phone. Tell him it's regarding enterprise value. If he's not interested he'll say so, and I'll leave it there."
"He's on another call."
"No problem — I'll hold."
"Let me see if he's available."
"Appreciate it. I'll hold."
"He's in a meeting." / "He's out on a job."
"Course he is. When's he usually back at his desk?"
"He's not available."
"No problem. Sorry — who am I speaking with?"

— she answers —

"Thanks, [Her Name]. When's the best time to catch him?"
"Send me an email and I'll pass it along."
"I'll do that — what's the best address for him?"

— get it —

"And [Her Name], is he better mornings or afternoons?"
She won't budge
"Understood. I'll try him back — thanks, [Her Name]."
"Please" on first contact only. Get her name on the second exchange. Never ask for time. Never say he's expecting you. Down at the end of every line.
1 · The Open
"Hey, it's Ryan Kirchberger? …calling from BlackRain? …over in Vernon? — How you doing today?"
Then one line, whatever comes back
"I'm good, how are you?"
"Good, thank you. Now, [Name] —"
Dead silence / "What do you want."
"Fair enough, [Name] —"
"Who?"
"Ryan Kirchberger, BlackRain, over in Vernon. [Name] —"
Then the same body, every time
"The reason for the call is very simple. We handle exit strategy and maximize valuation for owners here in Connecticut. I wanted to see whether you've already got a formal succession plan in place, or whether you're still entirely focused on scaling the ship?"
Brush-offs — say it, then straight into the body. Never ask for time.
"I'm busy."
"I'm sure you are. That's why I called instead of stopping by."
"Not interested."
"Of course you're not. I haven't told you anything yet."
"How'd you get my number?"
"It's on your website. I'm local."
"Send me an email." (exception — ends on the fork, don't run the body)
"I'll do that. What's the best address?"

— get it —

"And so I send you the right one — are you still scaling, or are you at the point where you think about what it's worth?"
If he deflects a second time
"Understood. It'll be in your inbox within the hour — it's one page, not a brochure. I'll follow up next week."
2 · Ask — then just listen
Reflect what he said — pick one. Fallback: "Got it."
still scaling / not selling
"Good — that's most guys your size."
already has a plan / an advisor
"Good, you're ahead of most."
exit's on his mind, nothing formal
"Right, so it's in your head but nothing on paper yet."
"I'm not selling my business."
"Good — most of the guys we work with aren't. That's the point. The number's worth knowing long before you need it, because by the time you need it, it's too late to change it."
"Why do you ask?"
"Fair question. It changes what's worth doing."
Then, every time
"Just to see if this is even a good fit for you, do you mind if I ask a couple of quick questions?"
"Perfect."
"Where's the work actually coming from — is that repeat and referral, or are you buying it?"
"What still lands on your desk that shouldn't?" → "How much of your week does that eat?"
"How big's the team, and what's the top line running these days?"
He said exit / succession
"You mentioned an exit at some point. What's the timeline look like in your head?"

then → "What's it throwing off after you pay yourself?"
He said still scaling
"What's the ceiling right now — what's actually stopping it from being twice the size?"
His answers are the pitch. Don't pitch before he gives them.
He fails the screen — take the exit, don't present
"Listen, honestly, [Name] — based on what you're telling me, this isn't really a great fit for you. I think you're better off [where]. Appreciate the time."
3 · The Pitch
"Based on what you just told me, [Name], this is actually a perfect fit for you. Here's why:
Everybody starts the same place. An assessment. I go through the whole business and you get a blueprint back — every system worth building, what each one costs and what it returns, where the business itself needs work, and what the path to a buyer looks like when you want one. It's yours to keep either way. $999, credited against anything we do after.
And I'll tell you exactly what I'm certain of, [Name]. I'm certain this is the right next step for you, and I'm certain it's worth more than I'm charging for it. Here's why I can say that to a man I just met. You've spent your life building this thing. It's the biggest asset you own. And the one number that decides whether all that work actually paid off — nobody has ever put it in front of you. Meanwhile margin doesn't disappear, it leaks, from the same few places in every company your size, and none of it ever shows on a P&L. It shows up in the valuation. And the way it usually goes, the first man to ever put that number in front of you is a buyer — and he is not on your side when he says it.
And it costs you almost nothing to find out. Ten-minute questionnaire, one call with me — that's your whole involvement. About a week later the blueprint's in your hands.
And the ground's moving, [Name]. The companies that get rebuilt around this over the next few years are going to be worth a different number than the ones that don't."
4 · The Close
"Believe me, you're going to be very, very impressed. Sound good?
If you give me a shot here, I'm going to make sure you're taken care of. Sound fair enough?"
Silence. The next voice is his.
5 · On the yes — book it now
"Perfect. Let me get you on the calendar while I've got you — what's the best email?"
— get it, send the link, stay on the line —
"You'll see times for next week. Grab whichever one works. The questionnaire comes with it, and the $999 is taken at booking so the slot's held."
"Got it? Good. I'll see you [day] at [time], [Name]."
Then the referral — ask it every single time
"And [Name] — who else around here should I be talking to? Somebody your size, somebody who'd want to know their number."
A verbal Wednesday is not a booking. Don't hang up without a date, a time, and the fee taken.
6 · If he stalls — the loop
A · Deflect
"I hear you. Let me ask you an honest question — does the idea make sense to you? Do you like the idea?"
B · Re-sell the blueprint
"Right. So take the money out of it for a second. What you end up with is the whole business on paper — what's leaking, what's worth building, and what the company's worth today against what it's worth built. Once you've got that you're not guessing anymore. And it doesn't expire."
C · Re-sell yourself
"And you haven't worked with me before. So here's where I stand: everything I find gets measured and shown on paper with the math attached. If the number's small, the blueprint says the number's small. I'd rather hand you a thin one than a bill you resent."
D · Re-close
"So let's do this. I'll run it — and if it does half of what I'm telling you, the only thing you'll be annoyed about is not doing it sooner. Sound fair enough?"
then straight back to the calendar
He says —
"I need to think about it."
"Of course. What is it you'd be thinking about — whether it's worth the money, or whether now's the time?"
"$999 is a lot for a report."
"It would be, if it were a report. It's a blueprint you own, it credits in full against the work, and it's the cheapest thing you'll ever spend to find out what your biggest asset is actually worth."
"I've got to talk to my wife / my partner."
"Makes sense, I'd want to as well. Let's get a time on the calendar now and you move it if she says otherwise. Nothing's lost."
"We already have someone doing our AI."
"Good. Then this either confirms they're pointed at the right things or it doesn't, and either answer is worth $999 to you."
"Call me in six months."
"I will. One thing though — six months of a leak you haven't measured costs more than the assessment does. Let's find the number now, and if the timing's still wrong you sit on the blueprint until it's right."
Hard no
"No problem at all, [Name]. I'll send you the one-pager anyway so you've got it — costs you nothing to have. If it's ever useful, you've got my number."
7 · Voicemail — touch 2 and later. Never the first attempt.
"[Name], Ryan Kirchberger, BlackRain — over in Vernon. Calling about enterprise value: what the company's worth, and how to raise that number before you ever need it. I'll try you again. If it's easier, I'm at 860-803-2795. Again, 860-803-2795."
Under 15 seconds. Number twice, slowly. No pitch — curiosity is the only reason to call back.
8 · In the pocket — answers, not pitch
Only when he asks or pushes. They land harder as answers than as pitch.
"Why should I use you?" / "Who are you?"
"I'm not looking to do a hundred of these. I want a small number of companies around here that I work with for a long time — where I'm the guy you call when it's time to sell. I'd rather know your business for ten years than sell you something once."
"I get a lot of these AI calls."
"You do, and most of it's slop. They're selling one thing, so everything looks like a nail. This is the map — once you've got it, every one of those calls gets a lot shorter."
He's leaning in on the exit
"A company that runs on its owner sells at a discount. Every buyer applies it. Getting it out of your head isn't a convenience, it's a multiple."
"What do I actually get?"
"It's not a PDF. It's a private site built for you, and it's yours whether you build it with me, hand it to somebody else, or sit on it."