# Audience question library — TEMPLATE

> The contract-summary skill loads this file before filtering the
> extracted clause list. Each audience has a different set of questions
> they ask of a contract; the summary should answer those questions
> and only those questions. Replace the placeholder questions below
> with the ones your team actually asks — the defaults are a starting
> point, not your firm's voice.

## Exec audience

The exec is approving sign-off. They want the gist plus anything that would embarrass them in a board meeting six months from now.

Standard questions:

1. What does this commit us to do, in one sentence?
2. What does it commit them to do, in one sentence?
3. What is the total contract value over the initial term?
4. What is the longest we can be locked in (initial term + worst-case renewals)?
5. Can either side walk away for convenience? With what notice?
6. Is there anything unusual that a reasonable peer would push back on? (Uncapped liability, MFN clause, exclusivity, IP transfer, change-of-control restriction.)
7. Are there obligations on us that require operational changes (audit rights, security controls, named personnel) that the business has not yet planned for?

Watch-outs to surface for exec:

- Auto-renewals with short notice windows (>12 month renewal, <90 day notice — high regret risk)
- Change-of-control restrictions (relevant to any future M&A conversation)
- Exclusivity, non-solicit, or non-compete obligations
- Personal guarantees or executive sign-off requirements
- Any clause that names an individual (key-person dependency)

## Ops audience

The ops audience is responsible for executing the contract day-to-day: delivering against SLAs, tracking deliverables, managing the relationship.

Standard questions:

1. What are we obligated to deliver, by when?
2. What service levels apply, and what are the consequences of missing them?
3. What deliverables, reports, or notices do we owe them on a recurring basis?
4. What deliverables, reports, or notices do they owe us?
5. Who is the named contact / point of escalation on each side?
6. What change-control process governs scope changes?
7. What are the operational triggers for renewal notice (date, responsible party, system of record)?

Watch-outs to surface for ops:

- Service-level commitments without a clear measurement methodology
- Reporting cadences that are not yet wired into the team's calendar
- Notice obligations that require formal written delivery (vs email)
- Audit cooperation obligations (who handles, on what timeline)
- Data return / destruction obligations on termination

## Finance audience

The finance audience is modeling cash flow, recognizing revenue or expense, and forecasting renewal economics.

Standard questions:

1. What is the total contract value, by year of the initial term?
2. What is the payment cadence and net terms?
3. Is the price fixed, escalating, or usage-variable? If escalating, on what basis (CPI, fixed %, market)?
4. Are there minimum commitments or take-or-pay provisions?
5. Who pays which taxes (sales, VAT, withholding)?
6. What are the consequences of late payment (interest rate, suspension, termination)?
7. What is the renewal pricing structure, and when does notice need to be given to avoid an unfavorable renewal?

Watch-outs to surface for finance:

- CPI escalators without a cap (open-ended budget exposure)
- Auto-renewal with locked-in price increases
- Currency exposure (counterparty in different currency, no FX clause)
- Withholding tax obligations the AP team has not modeled
- Termination liability (early-termination fees, payment for remaining term)

## Last edited

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