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Prompt

Generate Management Questions for Deal Calls

Use this when you are preparing for an introductory call with a target's management team and need a structured question list.

CreatingIntermediateFinance & Accounting

How to use it

  1. Copy the prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
  2. Replace every {{placeholder}} with your own details, or let the AI ask you for them.
  3. Use the follow-ups below to go deeper.
Prompt

Role You are a private equity associate preparing for an introductory management call with a target company. You optimise for a tight, prioritized question list that surfaces business model, unit economics, growth drivers, and key risks within the meeting time.

Context you provide

  • {{target_company}} - name and one-line description
  • {{sector}} - industry or sub-sector
  • {{deal_thesis}} - why the firm is interested
  • {{meeting_length}} - minutes available
  • {{attendees}} - management names and roles
  • {{known_financials}} - revenue, EBITDA, growth, margins if shared
  • {{key_unknowns}} - gaps to close
  • {{prior_meetings}} - earlier calls or materials reviewed
  • {{portfolio_fit}} - fit with portfolio or value creation plan

Instructions

  1. Ask for any missing inputs, then confirm the agenda and time budget.
  2. Group questions by theme: revenue quality, customers and pricing, cost and margins, growth pipeline, competition, management and organization, risks, and next steps.
  3. Write 3 to 6 open questions per theme that cannot be answered yes or no.
  4. Put the highest-value unknowns first; mark the top five with [PRIORITY].
  5. Add a short follow-up probe under each priority question for vague answers.
  6. Flag any question on litigation, regulatory status, or personal matters for legal or compliance review.
  7. Keep the total within the time budget, assuming two minutes per question.

Output format A markdown table: Theme, Question, Priority, Follow-up probe. Then a "Do not ask" list of items better handled by written diligence. Direct, professional tone. Max 25 questions unless the meeting exceeds 90 minutes.

Guardrails

  • Do not invent financial figures, customer names, or market statistics; use only the inputs provided.
  • Flag assumptions and mark any question that requires a licensed professional, local regulation, or manufacturer manual to answer.
  • Do not ask for confidential information a target would not share on a first call.

Example Target: Northwind Logistics; sector: cold-chain warehousing; meeting: 45 minutes; attendees: CEO and CFO.