How do we tailor one message for very different audiences?
A founder had one minute to pitch partners who each care about something different. I kept the story and the ask fixed and changed only the angle.
- Audience segmentation
- Message architecture
- Spokesperson coaching
Pro bono engagement. Black Women Stitch, through Catchafire, April 2025, for the h+h americas trade show.
Sort the audiences before writing
The show had more than 200 exhibitors and the founder had three days. Three tiers decided where her time went.
Tier 1Direct fit. Go here first.
- Sewing machine companies
- Fabric and textile makers
- Notions and tools
Tier 2Strong potential.
- Brands with DEI commitments
- Brands that support creators
- Media and publishing
Tier 3If the chance comes up.
- Independent designers
- Retailers
Decide what never changes
Every version opens the same way and ends the same way, so the speaker always knows where she is.
Who she is and what she built: an award-winning podcast and a global community.
What this partner gets.
A short follow-up meeting. Not a deal on the show floor.
Success, defined before the showNames, contact details and commitments to meet.
Why the ask is smallThe goal on the floor is the next conversation. A verbal agreement is a bonus.
Change only the middle
Six one-minute variations. Pick a partner to see what changes.
The founder, the award-winning podcast and a global community.
An engaged, diverse audience that traditional marketing often misses.
An authentic user’s endorsement, and a podcast people listen to while they’re at their machines.
A passionate, underserved audience, and endorsements that carry weight because they’re rare.
A way to act on stated values by partnering with a community rooted in social justice.
A platform that archives the stories and supports the work of Black women makers.
Content collaboration and cross-promotion with an award-winning show.
A short follow-up call next week.
Prepare for the second minute
A script covers the part the speaker controls. The playbook also covers delivery and what partners ask next.
Questions to expect
- Who is your audience?
- What are the podcast’s numbers?
- What kinds of partnership are you looking for?
- What does sponsorship cost?
- How do you balance the mission with funding?
The rule for every answer
- Answer briefly. Have the key numbers ready.
- Defer the detail. Pricing and terms belong in the follow-up.
- Steer back to the meeting. Every answer ends with the same ask.
“He highlighted how the same request could—and should—be framed differently depending on the brand we’re speaking to.”Lisa W., Founder, in her Catchafire review
The challenge
A founder attending her first trade show of this size wanted partners and sponsors. One pitch couldn’t serve every booth.
What I built
A partnership playbook: a profile of the founder’s voice, a tiered target map, key messages, six pitch variations, delivery guidance and a plan for the weeks before the show.
Where it applies
It’s the same work as taking one change message to office staff, field crews and a call center: fixed facts, and a different way in for each audience.