Every business that goes to market gets graded by buyers. They just never share the grade with the seller. The Deal Grade Framework gives you the grading system buyers use — so you know exactly where your business stands before a buyer does.
The Deal Grade Framework is a five-tier system developed inside the Exit Ratio 360™ to help business owners understand how buyers evaluate, categorize, and price a business before making an acquisition offer. Every deal falls into one of five grades — Titan, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, or Dead Deal — and each grade corresponds to a specific market value range.
The Five Deal Grades
The grade a business receives determines how much leverage the seller has, how many buyers compete for the deal, and ultimately how much money lands at the closing table. Grades are not assigned randomly — they are the direct result of preparation, documentation, and scoring across the nine Exit Ratio 360™ frameworks.
| Grade | Name | Market Value | Buyer Position | Seller Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | Titan | 110% – 125% | Competing to win | Controls everything |
| A | Alpha | 100% – 110% | Interested and qualified | Strong leverage |
| B | Bravo | 80% – 95% | Conditional interest | Some leverage |
| C | Charlie | 70% – 80% | Skeptical, pricing risk | Minimal leverage |
| D | Dead Deal | 50% or less | Asset buyer only | No leverage |
The Titan — A+ Deal — 110% to 125% of Market Value
The Titan is above market. Multiple buyers compete for this business. The seller controls the timeline, the terms, and the structure. This only happens when the business has been prepared intentionally — documented systems, clean financials, no concentration risk, a management team that survives the founder, and a full Green score across the Exit Ratio 360™ frameworks. Buyers pay a premium because they have certainty. Certainty has a price. That price is above market. Learn more: The Titan Thesis →
The Alpha — A Deal — 100% to 110% of Market Value
The Alpha is a well-run business at full market value. Clean financials, solid operations, legitimate buyer interest. No significant red flags but no documented proof of exceptional preparation either. The seller gets full value — not exceptional, but full. Most owners who have been thoughtful about operations but have not specifically prepared for exit land here.
The Bravo — B Deal — 80% to 95% of Market Value
The Bravo has real value but buyers see risk and price it in. Earnouts, seller notes, extended reps and warranties. The seller walks away with a good outcome but leaves 15 to 20 points on the table. Bravo is the most common outcome for owners who started thinking about exit 12 to 18 months before going to market. Good is not great when great was achievable with more time.
The Charlie — C Deal — 70% to 80% of Market Value
The Charlie is discounted. The owner thinks the business is worth more than buyers are willing to pay. The gap between expectation and offer is where the cost of no preparation lives. Charlie sellers often sit on the market too long, reject the first offer, and eventually accept something close to what they were initially offered anyway — except now they have lost time, energy, and leverage they will never recover.
The Dead Deal — D Deal — 50% or Less
The Dead Deal is not a grade — it is a diagnosis. At 50% the buyer is paying asset value plus a small operational premium. Most Dead Deals never close. The ones that do close at prices the seller never anticipated. Seven specific, diagnosable problems create Dead Deals — and every one of them could have been fixed with enough lead time. Learn more: Dead Deal Diagnosis →
How Exit Ratio 360™ Determines Your Grade
The Deal Grade Framework is the output. The Exit Ratio 360™ is the input. Your score across nine frameworks determines which grade your business receives when it goes to market. Every framework you improve moves your grade up. A Charlie can become a Bravo in 18 months. A Bravo can become an Alpha in 24 months. A Titan takes deliberate preparation — which is why the Titan Thesis starts 5 years out.
The nine frameworks: LAUNCH | SCORE | SELL | SCALE | DRIVER | EXIT | BENCH | LEAD Model | THREATS
Related Pages
Titan Thesis — How to build a Titan-grade business starting 5 years out
Grade Thesis — The full breakdown of every deal grade with scoring detail
Dead Deal — The 7 deal killers that create D-grade outcomes and how to fix them
© 2026 Scott Sylvan Bell. All rights reserved. Exit Ratio 360™ is a trademark of Aries711 LLC.