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M&A pipeline tracker builder

Converts unstructured deal inputs — meeting notes, CIM summaries, banker emails, intro calls — into standardized M&A pipeline entries with 20+ normalized fields, a deal stage assignment, next-action flags, and a scoring…

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Purpose

Turn messy, source-dependent deal information into clean, standardized pipeline entries that slot directly into a corporate development tracker — with consistent field formatting, an assigned deal stage, a fit score, and clearly flagged next actions. Eliminates the manual re-keying and inconsistent record-keeping that makes deal pipelines untrustworthy.

When to Use

Invoke this skill when the user asks to:

  • Add a new acquisition target or deal to the pipeline
  • Convert meeting notes, an intro call, or a CIM summary into a structured deal record
  • Standardize or clean up an existing pipeline entry with missing or inconsistent fields
  • Extract deal fields (revenue, EBITDA, ask, sector) from a banker email or teaser
  • Assign or update a deal's stage and next action
  • Batch-process several raw deal notes into consistent pipeline rows

Inputs Required

Before starting, collect:

  • Raw deal input: The unstructured source — meeting notes, CIM/teaser summary, email text, or call recap
  • Source type: Where the input came from (inbound banker, proprietary outreach, referral, event, etc.)
  • Pipeline field set: The tracker's existing column headers, if the user wants output mapped to their schema
  • Stage taxonomy: The user's stage names, if custom (defaults provided below)
  • Deal owner: Who on the team owns this target
  • Strategic thesis: What the acquirer is trying to accomplish (bolt-on, geographic expansion, capability, roll-up), used for the fit score

If a field set or stage taxonomy isn't provided, use the standard schema and stages below. Never fabricate financials — flag anything not present in the input as "Not disclosed."

Instructions

Step 1: Extract and Normalize Core Fields

Parse the raw input and populate the standard 20-field schema. Normalize formats consistently:

Identification

  • Target name: Company legal or trade name
  • Website / domain: If available
  • Sector / sub-sector: Map to a clean category, not the input's phrasing
  • Geography (HQ): City, State/Country

Financials (label "Not disclosed" if absent — never estimate silently)

  • Revenue (LTM): Normalize to $M with currency noted
  • EBITDA (LTM): Normalize to $M; note if adjusted
  • EBITDA margin: Calculate if both revenue and EBITDA are present; otherwise "N/A"
  • Growth rate: YoY revenue growth if stated
  • Asking price / valuation expectation: Include multiple basis if given (e.g., "~8x EBITDA")

Deal Context

  • Deal type: Acquisition / Majority / Minority / Merger / Asset purchase
  • Source type: From input
  • Referring party / banker: Name and firm if present
  • Process type: Proprietary / Limited auction / Broad auction / Unknown

Relationship & Status

  • Deal owner: From input
  • First contact date: From input or note as unknown
  • Last touch date: Most recent interaction referenced
  • Key contacts at target: Name + title

Assessment

  • Strategic rationale: One sentence tying the target to the acquirer's thesis
  • Known risks / flags: Concentration, customer churn, key-person dependency, litigation, etc.
  • Notes: Anything material that doesn't fit a field

Step 2: Assign Deal Stage

Map the deal to a stage using signals in the input. Default taxonomy:

  1. Sourced — Identified; no contact yet
  2. Initial Contact — Outreach made or inbound received; no substantive discussion
  3. Qualifying — Exploratory call held; gathering basic info
  4. NDA / Info Exchange — NDA signed or CIM/teaser received
  5. Evaluation — Actively reviewing financials; building initial view
  6. IOI / LOI — Indication or letter of intent stage
  7. Diligence — Confirmatory diligence underway
  8. Negotiation / Close — Definitive agreement in progress
  9. Passed / Dead — Declined or fell through (capture reason)

Choose the stage based on the furthest milestone evidenced in the input, not the most optimistic interpretation.

Step 3: Score Strategic Fit (1–5)

Rate against the stated thesis using a transparent rubric:

  • 5 — Core fit: Directly advances the primary thesis; few obvious risks
  • 4 — Strong fit: Advances thesis with minor gaps or integration friction
  • 3 — Adjacent: Related but not central; requires a rationale to prioritize
  • 2 — Opportunistic: Off-thesis but potentially attractive on economics
  • 1 — Poor fit: Little strategic logic; likely a pass

State the one factor most driving the score.

Step 4: Flag Next Action and Owner

Based on stage and input, specify:

  • Next action: A concrete verb-led step (e.g., "Send NDA," "Schedule management call," "Request 3-year P&L")
  • Owner: Who does it
  • Target date: If a timeline is referenced or reasonably inferable; otherwise "TBD"
  • Priority: High / Medium / Low, aligned to fit score and stage

Step 5: Output the Pipeline Entry

Render the entry in a clean, tracker-ready format. If a custom field set was provided, map to those exact column names and note any fields with no available data. For batch inputs, produce one entry per target.

Output Format

  • Structure: One structured table per deal (Field | Value), followed by a short assessment block (Stage rationale, Fit score + driver, Next action)
  • Length: 250–400 words per deal entry
  • Format: Two-column field table + brief structured notes; a summary table if multiple deals are processed
  • Sections: Field Table → Stage Assignment → Fit Score → Next Action Block
  • Tone: Corporate development analyst — precise, neutral, no promotional language; financials handled conservatively

Quality Checklist

Before delivering output, verify:

  • [ ] All 20 standard fields are present, each with a value or an explicit "Not disclosed"/"Unknown"
  • [ ] No financials are estimated or invented — every number traces to the input
  • [ ] EBITDA margin is calculated only when both revenue and EBITDA are present
  • [ ] Deal stage matches the furthest milestone actually evidenced, not the most favorable read
  • [ ] Fit score includes the single driving factor, not just a number
  • [ ] Next action is a concrete, owner-assigned step — not a vague status

Notes

  • When financials appear in ranges or ranges-with-basis (e.g., "$10–12M revenue, high-single-digit EBITDA margins"), preserve the range rather than picking a point value.
  • For inbound banker deals, always capture process type — proprietary vs. broad auction changes prioritization significantly.
  • If the input conflicts with itself (e.g., two different revenue figures), surface both and flag the discrepancy in Notes rather than choosing one.
  • For batch processing, keep field normalization identical across all entries so the pipeline stays sortable and comparable.

How to use this skill

This file is a Claude Code skill in Anthropic's standard format — markdown with YAML frontmatter at the top.

Installing in Claude Code:

  • ~/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md — auto-loads in every session anywhere on your machine (recommended for skills you'll use across multiple projects)
  • <your-project>/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md — auto-loads only when working in that project (recommended for project-specific skills)

Restart Claude Code or open a new session to register.

Using in Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Gemini, or other AI tools:

  1. Drag this file into a new chat, or copy and paste its contents
  2. Send your task or request as your next message — the AI will apply the skill where it fits

For Claude Code skill details: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/skills