IONTRAINING
PART 2 — IN-CALL EXECUTION

THE UNICORN

Your mnemonic device for the complete sales call. Each letter represents a critical element that, when combined, creates a natural flow from discovery to close.

ARE UNICORN Sales Framework
U

USE POINTERS FOR OUTCOMES

Discover their specific needs

Before small talk is over, you should be asking what specific needs their company has that your product, service, or idea will fill. The Pointers (Part Three) are your primary tools for this.

KEY PRINCIPLES

  • 1
    Use softeners: "I'm curious about what specific needs..."
  • 2
    Select words familiar to their world — with doctors, talk about case acceptance, starts, production
  • 3
    Mirror their vocabulary exactly — if they say "starts," you say "starts," not "new patients"

"You will gain friends as well as customers as long as you keep your eye on their outcomes and your ears tuned to their vocabulary."

N

NUDGE THE SEE/HEAR/FEEL FANTASY

Paint their future success

When you discover your customer has a need you can fill, the see/hear/feel technique comes next. Walk your client right into their own fantasy and show them what the reality will be like.

KEY PRINCIPLES

  • 1
    SEE: "If you actually do agree with me about [solution], then you would see [visual result]..."
  • 2
    HEAR: "...and you would hear [what others will say]..."
  • 3
    FEEL: "...and you would feel [emotional outcome]."

"When the fantasy takes over — when you see them nodding, leaning in, visualizing — you have likely clinched the sale."

I

IMPLEMENT AS IF & FUTURE PLANNING

Act as if the goal is already met

The As If technique is a fantasy so familiar to business people they don't even recognize it as make-believe. They use it all the time. They call it future planning.

KEY PRINCIPLES

  • 1
    "As I understand you, you would like to [goal]. In order to do this, you need [requirement]. If I can demonstrate that, we have a mutually satisfactory agreement."
  • 2
    Pretend you're sitting in their office 5 years from now, at the end of 5 years of success
  • 3
    Keep both your fantasy and your customer's fantasy within the realm of the reasonable

"The As If is a great time saver. You can discover within five minutes whether your product is a satisfactory match."

C

CONDITIONAL CLOSE

Commitment based on met needs

In the conditional close, you pretend you can satisfy one or more needs of your customer and ask for commitment. If they say yes, your job is to find out how they'll know you've fulfilled those needs.

KEY PRINCIPLES

  • 1
    "If we can accomplish [task 1], [task 2], and [task 3], then you would be glad to do business with us?"
  • 2
    Use the evidence procedure: What will tasks 1, 2, 3 look like, sound like, feel like when satisfied?
  • 3
    Now you have their outcome in sensory-based terms — if you can fulfill it, you have a conditional close

"Now you know what your customer wants, and you have their outcome in sensory-based terms."

O

OUTCOME DOVETAILING

Align your solution with their outcome

Dovetailing means aligning your outcomes with your prospect's outcomes so both parties get what they want. You are a matchmaker. If there is not a match, shake hands and move on.

KEY PRINCIPLES

  • 1
    Spend all your time and energy on matching your solution to their stated outcome
  • 2
    If there's no match, move on gracefully — you'll earn invaluable goodwill
  • 3
    Handle objections by going back to clarifying their outcome — objections mean you're off track

"The way to handle objections is to eliminate them before they arise. Keep your customer's outcome in mind."

R

RAPPORT

Maintain throughout the entire call

You need rapport all the way through the sales call. Period. Rapport is not a stage — it's a constant. Without it, no communication will ever be entirely successful.

KEY PRINCIPLES

  • 1
    Match their energy, pace, and tone
  • 2
    Use their vocabulary — always
  • 3
    Stop when you notice resistance or anger — check in, don't push through
  • 4
    Use softening phrases: "I'm curious about..." / "Help me understand..."

"Without rapport, no communication will ever be entirely successful."

N

NEXT STEP & SUMMARY

Specific date and action

Setting up the next step at the end of a sale prevents buyer's remorse. In any human transaction, a summary and next step is a good idea. The next step needs a specific date.

KEY PRINCIPLES

  • 1
    Summarize what was agreed — in their words
  • 2
    Confirm the specific next action
  • 3
    Set a specific date and time — not 'sometime next week'
  • 4
    Confirm who is responsible for what

"A summary and next step prevents buyer's remorse and keeps momentum alive."