Marketing for Deal Flow: MiddleM Creative Founder Joanne Verkuilen on “Deal Sourcery” Podcast
MiddleM Creative founder Joanne Verkuilen recently joined Matt Rooney and Dan Herr on the Deal Sourcery podcast to discuss the evolving role of marketing in private equity and investment banking. The conversation explored how strategic marketing approaches can help middle-market firms increase their deal flow, enhance their brand positioning, and break through the noise in an increasingly competitive landscape.
The Evolution of Marketing in Private Equity
Joanne highlighted how the private equity landscape has transformed over the past decade. Ten years ago, marketing wasn't on the radar for most PE firms, but the industry's proliferation has changed the game. With private equity AUM growing at a 15.5% CAGR over the last decade (compared to just 2.5% growth for private businesses), competition has intensified dramatically.
"Ten years ago, first of all, you wouldn't have the number of firms that exist today," Joanne noted during the discussion. "I don't think marketing was really even on the radar, neither was BD for all intents and purposes."
Today, as deal flow has become a key pain point for firms trying to deploy capital efficiently, marketing has evolved into a strategic necessity. Investment bankers initially led the marketing charge, with PE firms now quickly following suit as they recognize its critical role in supporting both business development and brand awareness.
The Three C's of Brand Strategy
At the core of MiddleM's approach is what Joanne calls the "three C's" of brand strategy:
- Clarity - Being precise about who you are, what you do, and what makes you different
- Consistency - Maintaining a coherent message across all channels and touchpoints
- Confidence - Confidently communicating your differentiation and value proposition
"When we talk about brand strategy, it's also how you're presenting yourself, how you're verbalizing what you're saying, how you're hitting on those points that you know that founder cares about deeply," Joanne explained.
The Marketing-BD Connection
One of the most compelling insights from the conversation was how marketing and business development must work in lockstep. While many firms have invested in BD professionals, only about 8% of private equity firms currently have dedicated business development professionals. This statistic would alarm most PE firms if they saw similar numbers in their portfolio companies.
Marketing sits at the top of the BD funnel, creating awareness and consideration among prospects. Without effective marketing, BD functions can't reach their full potential. As Joanne put it, "We help our clients enable better deal flow" - a mission statement unique to MiddleM Creative.
Addressing the "80% Problem"
Perhaps the most striking statistic shared during the podcast is that private equity firms see less than 20% of all relevant deals in their market each year. This represents a massive opportunity for firms that can effectively position themselves to see more deals that align with their investment thesis.
Strategic marketing helps bridge this gap through:
- Consistent messaging about investment criteria
- Sector-focused thought leadership
- Strategic PR around platform acquisitions and add-ons
- Maintaining relationship touchpoints between meetings
The Human Element: Marketing to Founders
When marketing to business owners and founders, Joanne emphasized the crucial importance of understanding their mindsets. Through MiddleM's extensive brand research, they've gained valuable insights into why founders choose specific PE partners.
Key factors include:
- Demonstrating deep sector expertise
- Communicating a genuine partnership approach (not heavy-handed)
- Understanding founders' dreams and ambitions for their companies
- Showing authentic concern for employees during transitions
"If you can really convince and get excited with your prospect that you really know their industry and you can really add value and help them grow their business, that is probably number one usually that we hear in terms of criteria," Joanne shared.
Marketing Services That Drive Results
The podcast highlighted several marketing tactics that have proven particularly effective:
- Strategic PR: Leveraging transaction announcements to seed future opportunities
- Thought leadership: Creating sector-focused content that demonstrates expertise
- LinkedIn engagement: Utilizing the platform where deal professionals research
- Video content: Creating authentic, short-form videos that humanize the firm
- Email strategies: Being deliberate and thoughtful about digital outreach
The mix should be tailored to each firm's strategy, culture, and sourcing approach. There's no one-size-fits-all solution, but there is significant opportunity for firms willing to invest in marketing as a strategic function.
The Future of PE Marketing
Looking ahead, Joanne sees marketing in private equity continuing to evolve toward more humanization, values-based messaging, and authentic storytelling. As the industry matures, firms that can effectively communicate their unique value proposition and build genuine connections will have a significant advantage.
"I think private equity needs to become more humanized," Joanne concluded. "It needs to get out of the realm of confusing financial maneuvering... bringing it down to a human level and showing real examples of how private equity's investment is really helping."
The Next Step to Transforming Your Deal Flow
Listen to the full conversation between Joanne and the Deal Sourcery hosts to uncover even more insights on marketing strategies that drive better deal flow.
Want to discuss how these strategies could work for your firm? Contact our team today for a complimentary consultation on your marketing approach and learn how we can help you see more relevant deals, enhance your brand positioning, and break through the noise in today's competitive market.