Experience, Knowledge, and Professional Standards

• What is the intermediary's education and experience?
• What type of companies has the intermediary and his or her firm worked with?
• What size and type of transactions have this intermediary and his or her firm completed?
• What has the intermediary's track record been on other transactions?
• Can the intermediary and the firm provide references?
• Is the intermediary licensed? If so, which licenses and in what states?
• Have there been any regulatory complaints or administrative actions taken against the intermediary or other members of the intermediary's firm?
• Are the intermediary and/or the firm members of any industry group which requires its members to a follow a code of professional conduct?

Firm Quality

• How many intermediaries does the firm employ?
• How long have these intermediaries been with the firm?
• What are the backgrounds of key members in the firm?
• Do members hold any special designations?
• How is intermediary recruiting done?
• How many members of the firm will be working on your project?
• How will information be communicated with personnel working on your merger?

Capabilities and Services

• What types of investors does the firm track in its database? Do they fit with the type of investors that would be interested in your proposal?
• How much and what sort of information does the firm keep on potential investors?
• How often is the investor database updated?
• Does the firm participate in industry networks?
• Is the firm's investor base limited by industry, size, or geography, and are the limitations in keeping with your needs?
• Will the firm provide you with sample offering prospectuses and memoranda?
• Can the intermediary provide guidance on terms, pricing, and how to structure the deal?
• Can and will the intermediary be involved throughout the entire negotiation, and to what extent?

Negotiation and Confidentiality

• Get a sense of the intermediary's listening skills and ability to ask appropriate questions.
• Does the intermediary seem genuinely interested?
• Does the intermediary seem able to adapt to change and think on his or her feet?
• Does the intermediary seem to take an open and creative approach to solving problems, or does his or her approach seem more rigid?
• What approaches does the intermediary prefer in arranging a deal? Are you comfortable with that style?
• Does the firm require potential investors to sign a confidentiality agreement? What are the key provisions?
• How does the firm guard against releasing sensitive or confidential information?
• Does the intermediary seem to take confidentiality seriously?