Why Unicorn Closes are Great Ep 389

In this podcast episode, the host Alex walks listeners through effective sales techniques, emphasizing the importance of tone and the use of strategic questioning to close deals. He introduces the "unicorn close" and the "one to ten close," which involve humor and hypotheticals to engage potential clients and address objections. Alex underscores that selling is not about trickery but helping clients see the reality of how a product or service can genuinely benefit them. He also stresses the importance of persistence in sales, suggesting that a 'no' is often not a final rejection but an invitation to further discussion and understanding. Alex concludes by reminding listeners that successful sales require making the conversation entirely about the client's needs and desires.

• The objective is to identify and address a specific issue.
• Re-engagement is essential after the issue has been resolved.

"The goal with the obstacle overcome period of time is to isolate and resolve the issue."

This quote outlines the primary aim of the obstacle overcome period, which is to focus on troubleshooting and fixing a problem.

• The conversation revolves around customer acquisition, revenue enhancement per customer, and retention strategies.
• The discussion includes sharing experiences of failures and lessons learned in business.

"About how to get more customers, how to make more per customer, and how to keep them longer, and the many failures and lessons we have learned along the way."

This quote summarizes the podcast's focus on strategies for business growth and customer management, as well as the importance of learning from past mistakes.

• A close is a line of reasoning that reveals the truth to the customer.
• Selling is about presenting reality clearly, without relying on "hacks".
• The "close" aims to move past customer hesitation or stalling.

"Fundamentally, a close is simply having a line of reasoning that you've already said before that just sheds light on the truth."

This quote defines a "close" in sales as a repeated line of reasoning that helps the customer see the truth of the situation, aiding them in making a decision.

• The Unicorn Close includes humor to relieve tension.
• It's important to de-escalate the customer's fight or flight response during sales conversations.
• The One to Ten Close is another technique used in sales.

"And so this is called the unicorn close into the one to ten close."

This quote introduces two sales techniques, the Unicorn Close and the One to Ten Close, which are favored by the speaker for effectively closing sales.

• Controlling tonality helps manage the customer's perception.
• How something is said is often more important than the actual words.
• Tone includes cadence, pitch, and emphasis on certain words.

"Because how you say what you say matters far more than what you say."

This quote emphasizes the significance of tonality in communication, suggesting that the delivery of a message is more influential than the content itself in sales interactions.

• Cadence refers to the speed of speech.
• Tone can be modulated by varying pitch.
• Emphasis is about pausing on specific words to change the meaning of a sentence.

"So if I said so, there's two aspects to tone, right? You've got the cadence, like how quickly you say what you say, you have the tone in terms of whether you go up or down, right. So how quickly you say it, whether you go up or down in the tone of voice you're using, and then the emphasis, which is the pauses on what word."

This quote breaks down the components of tone in speech, highlighting the importance of speed, pitch, and emphasis in effectively delivering a message in sales.

• Tone can significantly alter the meaning of a sentence, even if the words do not change.
• Emphasis on different words in a sentence can convey different messages.
• In a sales context, adjusting tone and emphasis can influence the customer's perception and understanding.

"Notice the difference in what each of those sentences mean based on the emphasis right now, from a tone standpoint."

This quote illustrates the importance of tone and emphasis in communication by highlighting how the meaning of a sentence can change with different emphases.

"The way that she says my name indicates the meaning behind the statement."

This quote provides an example of how tone can indicate the underlying meaning or emotion behind a person's words.

• Slowing down one's speech cadence during a sales pitch can prevent the customer from feeling rushed.
• Emphasizing words that are important to the customer can make the conversation more effective.
• Keeping the customer as the focal point of the conversation is crucial in sales communication.

"So your cadence slows to make sure they're understanding the words that you're saying right now."

This quote emphasizes the strategy of slowing down speech to ensure clear communication and comprehension in sales.

"Them being the focus of your conversation."

The speaker underscores the importance of making the customer the center of attention during a sales dialogue.

• The unicorn close is a sales technique that involves asking the customer to imagine a perfect scenario.
• It is designed to get the customer to agree to a hypothetical ideal situation.
• If the customer says no, it indicates a fundamental issue with the sale that was previously made.
• The technique helps isolate the customer's objections by comparing the current offering to the 'perfect' one.

"The unicorn close I like a lot because it gives me this opportunity to give the joke."

This quote introduces the unicorn close as a favored sales technique that incorporates humor.

"And the nice thing about this is that you actually get them to say yes to a hypothetical, okay."

The speaker explains how the unicorn close gets the customer to agree to an idealized version of the product or service.

"And that will allow you to isolate the issue and then fix it real quick."

This quote explains that the unicorn close helps to identify the customer's specific objections so that they can be addressed promptly.

• The podcast's growth relies solely on word of mouth, without the use of advertisements or sponsorships.
• The speaker requests the audience to continue sharing the podcast as they have discovered it.

"The only way this grows is through word of mouth."

This quote emphasizes the podcast's reliance on organic growth through the audience's recommendations.

"My only ask is that you continue to pay it forward to whoever showed you or however you found out about it."

The speaker is asking the audience to share the podcast with others in the same way it was shared with them, highlighting the importance of word-of-mouth promotion.

• The speaker discusses the importance of promoting their podcast and how it can generate good karma for entrepreneurs.
• Promotion can be in the form of a review or a post, and it is highly valued by the speaker.
• The speaker implies that promoting the podcast is a way to support the entrepreneurial community.

So if it was a review, if it was a post, if you do that, it would mean the world to me. And you'll throw some good karma out there for another entrepreneur.

The quote emphasizes the speaker's appreciation for podcast promotion and the positive impact it has on other entrepreneurs.

• The speaker introduces a scale from one to ten to gauge a person's willingness to move forward with a proposal.
• The scale serves as a humorous yet effective tool to measure commitment and maintain a light-hearted atmosphere.

On a scale from one to 1010, being like, Alex, let's rock and roll.

The quote is an example of how the speaker gauges interest and readiness to proceed with an idea or proposal.

• The speaker uses humor to make light of potential negative feedback and to keep the conversation positive.
• This approach is intended to defuse tension and maintain a friendly interaction.

I want to scale from one to ten. See another opportunity for a joke that we can make to keep the likeness of the situation high.

The quote demonstrates the speaker's strategy of using humor to create a comfortable environment during sales or negotiations.

• The speaker describes a sales technique called the "unicorn close," which involves asking what would make the person rate their commitment as a ten.
• This technique helps identify what is holding someone back from being fully committed.

What would make you a ten?

The quote is a direct question aimed at uncovering the final objections or requirements a person has before fully committing.

• The speaker suggests asking why the person isn't rating their commitment as a lower number to encourage them to defend their interest in the program.
• This tactic is used to get the person to articulate the positive aspects of the program and reinforce their own reasons for considering it.

Why aren't you a two?

The quote is a strategic question used to prompt the person to justify their interest and potentially convince themselves of the program's value.

• The goal of overcoming obstacles in sales is to identify the issue, resolve it, and then ask for the sale again.
• It's normal to ask multiple times for the sale, and this persistence is a key part of the sales process.
• The speaker emphasizes that sales truly begin when someone says no, as this is the point where you can address concerns and misunderstandings.

That's really fundamentally all obstacle overcomes are. It's like you are trying to isolate the issue and then overcome it, and then circle back and ask again.

The quote outlines the fundamental process of overcoming objections in sales, which involves addressing and resolving issues before reattempting to close the sale.

• The speaker clarifies that "no" is not a permanent rejection but a temporary state that indicates a lack of understanding.
• The role of the salesperson is to help the potential customer understand enough to change their "no" to a "yes."
• The speaker stresses the importance of being comfortable beyond the initial "no" and viewing it as an opportunity for education and persuasion.

And the no is not no forever. It's no for right now. Because I just don't understand enough.

The quote reflects the speaker's perspective on rejection, suggesting that "no" is an invitation to provide more information and help the customer make an informed decision.

• Closing sales requires presenting a clear choice between signing up and not signing up.
• Not signing up guarantees failure to meet goals, while signing up increases the likelihood of success.
• The decision should be framed as obvious, with the better option being to sign up to improve success chances.

up with you versus not signing up with you should be a very clear argument to make. Like, you cannot sign up and you're guaranteed to not hit your goal because it's taking you this long to get to this point. You haven't hit it. Or option two is you do sign up and the likelihood that you hit your goal is significantly higher.

This quote emphasizes the stark contrast between the two options in the closing process, highlighting the negative consequences of not signing up and the positive outcomes of signing up.

• When a potential client is unsure, it's important to maintain a sense of curiosity.
• Instead of telling someone they are wrong, guiding them to a conclusion with questions is more effective.
• The goal is to make the potential client feel that the idea to sign up is theirs.

And a key point here is that we want to make this childlike curiosity. So if someone is not sure, it's like, that's interesting. Why would think this and this not. Here's why you're wrong, and I'm going to make an argument to prove to you, because if you prove them wrong, you both lose. It has to be their idea.

The quote explains the importance of fostering a curious approach rather than a confrontational one when dealing with objections or uncertainty from a potential client.

• Rapport is crucial throughout the sales process, especially during the closing phase.
• Salespeople often lose rapport when they feel personally attacked.
• Successful sales are not about the salesperson; they require focusing on the client's needs and perspectives.

And this is where a lot of people lose. Rapport is in the close because they feel personally affronted.

This quote highlights the common mistake of taking objections personally, which can damage the rapport built with the client.

• Sales should be approached as a selfless job, focusing entirely on the client.
• Talking about the company's greatness is less effective than discussing benefits in terms of the client's interests.
• Making the conversation about the client increases their engagement and likelihood to close.

And it's not about you. And that's the thing. Like, sales is not about you at all. If anything, it's the most selfless job in the world because you have to.

The quote stresses that the essence of sales is selflessness and the importance of making the sales process about the client, not the salesperson.

• Sales strategies include specific questions to help overcome objections.
• Questions such as "What would make this perfect?" or "Why don't you believe in this even less?" help clients articulate their concerns or recognize the product's value.
• Humor can be an effective tool to lighten the mood and keep the sales process enjoyable.

And so those are two of my favorite. I have a ton of closes that we use for how to overcome. Like, I need to think about it. But those are two of my favorites because it just gives you such easy ammunition.

This quote introduces favorite closing strategies that address common objections and the use of humor to maintain a positive atmosphere during the sales process.