In brief
The Sentinel insights library covers buy-side deal origination in practice: buy-boxes, qualified-call definitions, origination fees, off-market sourcing and pipeline benchmarks — written for acquirers, free to read.
Key takeaways
- Start with 'What is buy-side deal origination' if you are new to retained sourcing.
- The fee guide explains retainers, success fees and qualified-call floors with real structures.
- The pipeline benchmark piece shows how many owner conversations produce one close.
- No email walls — every insight is fully readable.
More from the desk
11 articlesDeal origination fees in 2026: the complete pricing guide.
The three fee models with industry ranges, the $6M worked example, and the questions that make any quote explain itself.
8 min read·Read → Pipeline benchmarksAcquisition pipeline benchmarks: what “good” looks like at day 30, 60, 90.
Funnel definitions stage by stage, the day-90 scorecard table, and the red flags that predict a stall.
7 min read·Read → Sector playbookDSO acquisition strategy: how PE-backed platforms source add-ons.
Why listings fail DSOs, the dental buy box, owner-outreach economics, and the allocation rule that wins the LOI.
7 min read·Read → Category guideBuy-side advisor vs. broker vs. sourcing platform: who does what.
Who each one represents, how each is paid, and when each is the right call for an acquirer.
7 min read·Read → DefinitionsWhat is a buy box? Definition, examples, and a template.
The six criteria, worked sector examples, and a one-page template to copy — no email gate.
7 min read·Read → Sourcing mathOff-market deal flow: how proprietary sourcing actually works.
The auction tax quantified, the cadence math from 1,000 reaches a day, and how to audit a “proprietary” claim.
8 min read·Read → Sourcing strategyOff-market vs. brokered: why the best acquisitions are never listed.
The auction tax is real. What changes when the first conversation starts before any competition does.
5 min read·Read → Pipeline frameworkHow serious consolidators build a pipeline that doesn’t stall.
A five-part framework for consolidators who need more than two good relationships and a hot streak.
7 min read·Read → Buyer’s guideThe most important sentence in your sourcing contract is the definition of “qualified.”
One sentence in a sourcing contract decides whether your calendar fills with signal or noise.
4 min read·Read → Engagement playbookWhat the first 90 days should look like — week by week.
The honest week-by-week cadence of a properly run first quarter — and the four numbers to demand at day 90.
5 min read·Read → Outreach craftWe reach a thousand owners a day. Here’s what they actually answer.
After reaching a million-plus owners, the pattern in what gets answered is unambiguous.
5 min read·Read →