What should you say when an owner asks what their data is worth?
Say that nobody can name a number yet, explain what drives value, and offer a way to find out. A confident "it depends, and here is on what" builds more trust than a guess. Owners ask the question because they want to know whether a conversation is worth their time, so answer that real question.
This page gives partners a short script with no figures, the five value drivers to name, replies to common follow-ups and a list of things never to say. It is written for anyone introducing companies, from operating partners and advisors to MSPs and consultants.
When to use this script
Use it whenever an owner, CEO or CFO asks one of these, in any form:
- "What is our data worth?"
- "How much could we get?"
- "Is this a real number or a gimmick?"
- "What did other companies get?"
Do not use it to estimate a number, to compare with another company or to anticipate your own reward. If you do not know something, say so and move on.
The core script
Use it as written the first time, then adapt the words to your own voice.
The five value drivers to name
| Driver | Plain-language explanation | A question to ask the owner |
|---|---|---|
| History depth | Longer histories show how work and decisions changed over time | How far back do your main systems go, and are older systems archived? |
| Breadth across systems | Connected systems show complete workflows, not fragments; strong companies often have 10-15+ systems | Which systems do you use for email, chat, CRM, finance, support, engineering and operations? |
| Rights clarity | Buyers need records the company created and can license | Do your client contracts and employee notices allow this? |
| Exclusivity | Deals are typically exclusive for AI training for an agreed term | Would you consider an exclusive license for a defined term? |
| Buyer demand | Interest depends on what buyers are looking for at the time, which no partner controls | Are the records still exportable today, so a buyer could actually review them? |
None of these is a formula. Price is the outcome of the company's records, rights and the market at the time.
How to answer common follow-ups
"Can you at least give me a range?"
"A friend got a big number."
"Will it increase what a buyer pays for the business?"
See does licensing company data increase business valuation for the full answer, and the existing explainer on how much company data is worth for the owner-facing version.
"Is this taxed?"
Point to how S corp and LLC owners are taxed on data licensing proceeds and let the owner's own adviser decide.
"I'm in the middle of selling the business."
The page on licensing data after signing an LOI covers this.
"What if we don't like the price?"
For the levers owners use, share how to negotiate an AI data licensing deal.
Follow-up timing
| When | What to send | Keep it short because |
|---|---|---|
| Same day | A one-line thank you and the fit-checker link | The owner may forget the topic |
| Within a few days | Offer to help list systems at metadata level | It turns a question into a task |
| About two weeks later | A single check-in, no pressure | Most owners need time to think |
| After that | Stop unless they reply | Persistence beyond that hurts trust |
The company fit checker gives a preliminary, non-binding screen, with no contact details required. The data inventory builder helps the owner list systems and record types without describing any confidential record.
What never to say or include
- Any dollar amount, range or "typical" payout, for the company or for yourself.
- Any promise of a deal, a date or a result. Nothing is guaranteed.
- Descriptions of or samples from the company's records. Partners never export, upload or describe confidential records.
- Comparisons with named companies or named buyers.
- "Easy money," "free money" or similar language. Do not claim the process takes little effort.
- Any suggestion that the owner must act now. There is no deadline, and no reason to create one.
What about my own reward?
If the owner asks what you get, be direct. Partners earn 25% of the eligible platform fees SourceX actually collects from the referred company's licensing deals, capped at $100,000 per referred company. The reward is payable only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee; it is a share of SourceX's fee and is never deducted from what the company receives. No reward is guaranteed. Licensed professionals should check their own rules on referral fees and disclosure. The rewards page and program terms have the details.
When this script is the wrong tool
Skip it if the company is under 50 full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), has no accessible records, mainly holds data that belongs to its clients or consumers, or has already licensed the same data for AI training. In those cases the honest answer is "probably not a fit," and a quick fit check will confirm it.
Next step
Send the owner the company fit checker, and read the pros and cons of licensing company data to AI developers so you can answer follow-ups. When the owner agrees to a screen, register as a partner and make the introduction, or share your referral link so the owner can apply at sourcex.si/apply. How it works shows the steps.