Pitch Call Cheat Sheet — Kathy Berardi PR

Prospect Name

Company

Date

Attendees

Decision-Maker Present?

Yes No

Pricing Tier

Proposal HTML Page

Phase 1 Frame the Session 5 min

Confirm who's on the call and their role — including if decision-maker is present

Set the agenda: "We'll check the problem I heard, walk through the plan I've built, and decide if it makes sense to move forward"

Calibrate: "Since we last spoke, has anything changed or is there anything specific you'd like me to address?"

Phase 2 Problem Playback — Their Words, Not Yours 10 min

List 3–5 core problems using their exact language from discovery. These are the first things on your proposal page.

Playback Talk Track

"Before I walk through the plan — let me check I've understood your situation correctly. [Read P1–P3]. Does that feel accurate? Is there anything I've missed or anything that's changed?"

Their Response / Any Corrections

Phase 3 PR Snapshot & Impact 10 min

Walk through their current visibility gaps — what your research revealed

Competitor/peer comparison: who is visible in their space, and why that matters

Cost of invisibility — credibility with investors/customers, talent attraction, competitive positioning

Impact Talk Track

"What this usually costs companies at your stage is less about the money — it's about missed credibility. When investors are doing diligence, when enterprise buyers are shortlisting, when the next hire is deciding — they search. If they can't find anything substantial, the gap is real."

Key Insight / Timely Angle to Highlight

Phase 4 Tailored Solution — 90-Day Plan 15 min

Walk through the three-prong approach: Thought Leadership + Regional/Market Coverage + Vertical Trade Media

Present SME suggestions and topic territories

Show the story driver calendar — timely hooks you've identified

Confirm media targets feel right for their audience

Walk through programme deliverables — monthly cadence, what they get

Solution Mapping (fill in before call)

Problem	PR Solution	Expected Outcome
P1:
P2:
P3:

Their Reaction to the Plan

Phase 5 Proof + Value → Price 8 min

Proof / Case Study Selected for This Prospect

Value Anchoring Points

Pricing Reference

International

$2,500/mo

2–3 articles / Q&As · 2–3 interviews or mentions · Full scope

US Standard

$3–3.5k/mo

3–4 articles / Q&As · 3–4 interviews, podcasts, mentions · Full scope

US Full-Scope

$4,000/mo

4+ articles / Q&As · 4+ placements · Multiple SMEs · Analyst outreach

Pricing Talk Track

"Before I give you the number — a full-service agency in the US would charge $10,000–$15,000/month for comparable scope. My model is different: you get direct access to the person doing the work, not a team relay. For your scope, I'd be at [tier]/month — 90-day commitment, monthly milestones, cancel anytime."

Their Reaction to Pricing

Objection Quick Reference

Objection	Probe First	Resolve With
Too expensive	"Is it total cost, cash flow, or ROI concern?"	Agency rate comparison ($10–15k vs your $2.5–4k). Fractional billing. Cancel anytime removes risk.
Not right time	"What's coming up that makes timing tricky?"	Flexible start date. "PR takes 1–2 months to gain momentum — starting now means results align with your event." Lock in the start date even if it's 6 weeks out.
Need team sign-off	"Who specifically — what's their main concern?"	"Let me join that conversation directly — 20 minutes saves you having to relay everything."
Not sure it'll work	"What would you need to see to feel confident?"	Relevant coverage samples matched to their vertical. Cancel-anytime means low risk. 90-day KPIs are contractual.
Guarantee coverage	"Which outlets or formats matter most?"	Earned media can't be guaranteed — explain the difference. KPIs are secured placements, not just pitches sent. Show existing coverage hit rate.

Phase 6 Decision Conversation & Close 5–10 min — BAMFAM

Core Close Questions (ask one, then stop talking)

"Based on everything we've covered — does this feel like the right next step?"

"What's the one thing that would stop this moving forward?"

"Is there anything missing that you'd need to see to make a decision?"

"What needs to happen internally for this to be a yes?"

Close Scenarios

If they're ready →

"That's great. I have availability to start [month]. Shall I send the acceptance details and we can book a kick-off?"

If they need to discuss →

"Totally understandable — let's schedule a follow-up where I can answer their questions directly. Does next [day] work?"

If they need more time →

"No problem. Shall we put a check-in in the diary for [date] — even just 15 minutes? That way you've got space, and I have time protected."

Decision Outcome

Yes — send acceptance & book kick-off Not yet — follow-up booked No — gather reason

Next Step & Date

Decision Notes

Post-Pitch Debrief — Complete Within 30 Minutes

Score each criterion honestly. This is how you get to 9/10 consistently.

Criteria	1	2	3	4	5
Problem playback landed ("that's exactly it")	1	2	3	4	5
Impact / cost of brand invisibility was clear	1	2	3	4	5
Solution felt tailored — "this was built for us"	1	2	3	4	5
Value anchored clearly before price was mentioned	1	2	3	4	5
Proof selected was relevant to their specific vertical	1	2	3	4	5
Decision conversation happened (named next step secured)	1	2	3	4	5
Next step booked live before call ended	1	2	3	4	5

Scoring guide: 32–35 = Excellent — replicate this exactly. 24–31 = Good — review the gaps. Under 24 = Revisit the playbook before the next pitch call.

Follow-Up Actions — Complete Same Day

Kathy Berardi PR × Growth Experts — Pitch Call Cheat Sheet, April 2026