How to Play the Boomer Exit Wave

Practical marketing strategies, backed by insights from our proprietary database of over 80,000 business owners, to help you refine your message, target the right audience, and build a more successful advisory practice.

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How to Play the Boomer Exit Wave

Pete Christman, one of the founders of The Exit Planning Institute (EPI) referred to the Boomer generation as “the 10 trillion-dollar opportunity for advisors”. He was referring to the wave of Boomers selling their businesses and the opportunity for advisors, which flows when the largest generation in history sells their companies.

However, for some advisors, the Boomer generation has been a disappointment. The wave of transitions feels more like a mirage, always just slightly out of reach.

To those who master marketing to this generation of founders, there is a rich reward, but the Boomer market shows some distinct characteristics and idiosyncrasies, which is why today’s edition of Advisor Marketing News is dedicated to marketing to the Boomer segment.

📅 We're hosting a webinar on April 24th at noon ET to explore strategies for marketing to Boomer business owners. It will be hosted by John Warrillow, author of the bestselling books Built to Sell, The Automatic Customer, and The Art of Selling Your Business. He’ll share insights on what’s holding Boomer owners back, what they’re looking for in an advisor, and how to help them structure their business for a stronger exit.

Save Your Spot

Sizing Up the Boomer Opportunity

In the U.S., an estimated 466,000 businesses generating between $1 million and $10 million in annual revenue are owned by Baby Boomers, based on NAICS data. More than 80,000 owners have completed the Value Builder Report, giving us a proprietary window into their mindset.

As the chart below illustrates, on average, Boomers tell us they plan to exit within the next five years. For advisors focused on business transitions, that creates a clear opportunity: Boomers are more likely to engage with someone who can explain what drives the value of their company—and what they need to focus on now to maximize their exit.

There’s a common assumption that Boomers plan to hand their businesses down to their children—which might suggest fewer opportunities for advisors positioning themselves as exit experts. But the data tells a different story. As the chart below reveals, most Boomers—especially older ones—plan to sell to a third party, which means they’ll need help from advisors to prepare their business for a successful exit.

In fact, Boomers in their 70s are getting serious attention from buyers—one in five received a written offer in the last year, nearly double the rate of Millennials and younger Boomers.

The Pain Point That Opens the Door to Boomers

As the great marketing professor Theodore Levitt said, "people don't buy a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole." In other words, great marketing is about offering a solution to what ails your prospect, and when it comes to Boomers, one of their biggest challenges is getting their company to run without them.

One of the most common issues we see in the data—something we call the Hub & Spoke problem—is when the owner is at the center of everything: making decisions, solving problems, and holding the key customer relationships. Acquirers see that as risky.

Fixing this—by shifting responsibility to a team or process—is one of the best ways to increase the value of their business before they exit. Even something as simple as recording standard operating procedures with a tool like VidGuide™ can make the business easier to transition and more attractive to acquirers.

In the chart below, taken from our proprietary data from over 80,000 owners who completed the Value Builder Report, between one-third and one-half of Boomers say their business relies too heavily on them.

This makes their businesses less attractive to acquirers, who see the risk of losing essential leadership and key relationships when the owner exits. Without a plan to shift responsibilities, these owners risk limiting their pool of acquirers and receiving lower offers than they expect.

What Actually Gets Boomers to Engage

Recognizing the problem is one thing—starting a real conversation with a Boomer owner about it is another. To break through, your marketing approach needs to speak to what truly matters to them.

First, Boomers define wealth differently. As the graphic below illustrates, Boomers are less likely to be pursuing a number and more motivated by the prospect of financial freedom. From the 80,000+ owners who answered this question in the Value Builder Report, more than half of Boomers say wealth means having the freedom to do what they want, when they want. Meanwhile, Millennials are nearly twice as likely as Boomers to define wealth as having $10 million in investable assets. That contrast matters. If you talk about independence, Boomers are more likely to lean in. Curious how your clients define wealth? Learn how to integrate the Value Builder Report into your practice.

It’s one thing to know what Boomers want, it’s another thing to prove you have the expertise to help them get it. That’s where your industry expertise comes in. As you’ll see in the chart below, Boomers overwhelmingly prefer advisors with a proven track record in their industry—they want to work with someone who understands their business and the challenges they face. If you can demonstrate that expertise in your marketing pitch, they’re more likely to trust your guidance.

The Best Places to Find Boomers

While digital channels like Instagram and LinkedIn are a natural way to reach younger entrepreneurs, they’re less effective with Boomers. The data shows that Boomers are far less likely to use these platforms in their own businesses, making them harder to reach through digital strategies.

At Value Builder, we use an owner’s digital footprint as a proxy for how receptive they’ll be to digital outreach. As the chart below shows, one-third (33%) of Boomers in their 70s report having no opted-in contacts at all—nearly double the rate of Millennials (18%).

Altogether, Boomers are 56% more likely than Millennials to report having no one opt in to receive communication from them, pointing to their stronger reliance on referrals, personal networks, and face-to-face conversations when making decisions. So, if you want to reach Boomers, it pays to show up where they already are.

Consider the following when planning your outreach:

🤝 Attend Industry Events
Meeting Boomer owners face-to-face goes a long way. It builds trust, shows you’re serious, and gives you a real chance to start a conversation. Trade shows and conferences give owners rare time away from day-to-day operations—when they’re more open to thinking about what’s next. Simply being in the room helps position you as someone worth talking to.

📇 Keep Your Centers of Influence (COIs) in Shape
Boomers tend to rely on long-standing relationships when making big decisions. Their accountant, lawyer, or financial advisor is often the first call when they start thinking about selling. Stay close to these COIs—keep them informed about who you serve, how you help, and how to introduce you when the time is right. A warm referral still opens the most doors.

For advisors, Boomers are an ideal client—they’re ready to sell and need guidance to get the best outcome. Focus your marketing on freedom, lean into the networks they already trust, and make it easy for them to see the value in starting a conversation.

🖥️ Learn More at Our Webinar

Join John Warrillow, author of the bestselling books Built to Sell, The Automatic Customer, and The Art of Selling Your Business, on April 24th at noon ET as he breaks down exclusive insights from the Value Builder Analytics team on Boomer business owners. Discover what’s holding them back, what they need from an advisor, and how to help them build a more sellable business.

Save Your Spot

🛠️ New Product Update: Introducing Black Box. This powerful new tool helps you show the impact of improving a business’s Value Builder Score, with a detailed, question-by-question breakdown to identify key focus areas for your clients. Black Box is now available for all Value Builder advisors to use. Not a Value Builder advisor? Visit our website and request a demo.

📘 Free eBook: The 8 Key Drivers of Company Value. Help your clients focus on what really moves the needle. This short guide breaks down the eight factors that have the biggest impact on company value—based on insights from over 80,000 business owners.

🎥 Missed Our Last Webinar? John Warrillow shared practical strategies for attracting healthcare clinic owners and positioning their practices for a more valuable exit. If you couldn’t join us live, you can still catch the recording.

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This Issue's Contributors

Jason Reilly, Vice President of Marketing; Michael Sarkis, Director of Advisor Marketing; Deanne Kong Ting, Director of Customer Success; and Jen Chou, Senior Graphic Designer.