I love the movie The Founder.
If you haven’t seen it, Michael Keaton plays Ray Kroc, the man who transformed McDonald’s from a single hamburger stand into a global empire.
There’s this one scene in the movie that perfectly captures how unconventional and transformational the McDonald’s concept was.
1950s. San Bernardino, California.
Ray Kroc walks up to a small hamburger stand and orders a hamburger, fries, and a Coke.
“That’ll be 35 cents,” the employee says.
Ray hands over the money. The employee immediately hands him his drink and a bag with his food.
Ray stares at the bag, confused.
“What’s this?” he asks.
“Your food,” the employee says.
Ray couldn’t believe it.
He’d just gotten his meal immediately. No waiting. No sitting down. No 20-minute delay while someone cooked his order in the back.
This wasn’t just different. It was revolutionary.
The restaurant’s founders, Dick and Mac McDonald, had thrown out the entire conventional restaurant playbook.
No waiters. No plates. No silverware. No waiting around.
Instead?
Assembly-line production. A limited menu. Food ready before you could blink.
While every other restaurant owner in America was thinking conventionally, the McDonald brothers asked a fundamentally different question:
“What if we rethought what a restaurant even is?”
They weren’t looking for a better version of the conventional restaurant. They were seeking something entirely different.
One that seemed crazy at the time. One that changed the food industry forever.
This is the power of exploring unconventional approaches.
When you ask for something conventional, you’ll get the most obvious answer. It’s the equivalent of “hire a better chef and improve the menu.”
But when you intentionally explore unconventional strategies?
You might discover something like McDonald’s: a solution that doesn’t just improve on convention, but reimagines the entire problem.
The Unconventional Approach technique brings this same type of thinking to AI.
Instead of asking the AI for an answer and getting the equivalent of “make your restaurant better,” you tell it to explore different unconventional approaches.
To think outside the box. To show you approaches you might’ve never considered.
Because sometimes the status quo isn’t just different.
It’s the breakthrough you need.
Let me show you how it works.
How it Works: The Unconventional Approach Technique
This technique guides the AI to think more broadly about possible solutions.
Step 1: State the Core Problem or Request
Clearly and concisely define the goal you want to achieve or the question you want to explore. This is the foundation of the prompt.
Step 2: State that You Need an Unconventional Approach
This the key to the entire technique. Use strong phrases like:
- “Generate diverse and unconventional approaches…”
- “Think outside the box and suggest fundamentally different strategies…”
- “Provide strategically distinct perspectives that differ in their core philosophy…”
- “Explore uncommon methods that approach this from completely different angles…”
This forces the AI to move beyond variations of the same idea and into truly different strategic territory.
Step 3: Tell the AI to Evaluate the Approaches (optional)
You can add an additional layer of analysis by asking the AI to compare the options it generates.
Try using language such as “For each approach, explain the core philosophy, list its pros and cons,” or “Compare these methods based on effectiveness, risk level, and resource requirements.”
Example of the Unconventional Approach Technique
Let me share an example of how this technique works in the real world.
I’ll do two prompts: one without this technique, and then one with it.
Also, keep something in mind. The AI model you choose will drastically change how “unconventional” the result is. Try to use the most powerful model possible.
For these tests, I used Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4.5.
1. Normal Prompt (without the Unconventional Approach Technique)
AI Prompt
I’m a B2B sales professional who sent a proposal last Tuesday to the VP of Operations at a mid-sized manufacturing company for $80,000 worth of project management software. It’s now Friday and I haven’t heard back. Write a voicemail script for following up after sending this proposal.
AI Response
“Hi [VP’s Name], this is [Your Name] from [Your Company]. I hope you’re having a good Friday.
I wanted to quickly follow up on the project management software proposal I sent over on Tuesday. I know these decisions involve multiple stakeholders, and I wanted to make sure the information landed in your inbox and that you have everything you need from my end.
I’m particularly excited about how the automated workflow features could help streamline your production scheduling—I know you mentioned that was a pain point during our last conversation.
I’d love to answer any questions or walk through any specific scenarios with your team. Feel free to give me a call at [your number], or I’m happy to work around your schedule.
Thanks again for your time, [VP’s Name]. Looking forward to connecting soon.”
What do you think?
Sounds like a stereotypical cookie-cutter email to me.
Big YAWN.
It might do the trick if the VP was really into the product. But in most cases, the email will either get deleted or quickly forgotten.
So let’s try the unconventional approach technique and see how it does.
2. Unconventional Approach Technique
AI Prompt
I’m a B2B sales professional who sent a proposal last Tuesday to the VP of Operations at a mid-sized manufacturing company for $80,000 worth of project management software. It’s now Friday and I haven’t heard back. Write a voicemail script that uses an unconventional approach for following up after sending this proposal.
Before writing the script, write three conventional approaches people use for these types of things. Then write three very unconventional approaches we could use. Then finally, after doing all this, write the script.
Before you look at the result, I want to point something out.
I didn’t just ask the AI for an “unconventional approach.” Instead, I primed the AI to use autoregressive generation.
For those who don’t know, it’s when the AI bases what it writes next on what it just wrote.
So to truly get something unconventional, I asked it to start by writing three conventional approaches then three unconventional approaches. Only after that should it write the script.
Doing this ensures you’ll get the best possible output using this unconventional approaches technique.
Let’s see what it gave us:
AI Response
Three Conventional Approaches:
1. The “Just Checking In” Approach
– Confirming they received the proposal
– Asking if they have any questions
– Offering to schedule a time to discuss
– Reiterating 2-3 key benefits
2. The Value Reminder
– Highlighting the ROI from the proposal
– Mentioning specific pain points you’d solve
– Creating urgency with limited-time offers or implementation timelines
– Suggesting next steps
3. The Assumptive Close
– Acting as if they’re interested and moving forward
– Proposing specific implementation dates
– Asking about internal approval processes
– Offering to connect with other stakeholders
Three Unconventional Approaches:
1. The “Permission to Close the Loop”
– Openly acknowledging you’re probably one of several vendors
– Asking them to eliminate you from consideration if you’re not a fit
– Making it easy for them to say “no”
– Positioning yourself as respectfully persistent
2. The “Admit the Awkward”
– Acknowledging that follow-up calls are uncomfortable for everyone
– Being transparent about the sales process
– Using humor and self-awareness about the situation
– Building rapport through honesty
3. The “Contrarian Challenge”
– Leading with why they might NOT want your solution
– Questioning whether they’re actually ready for change
– Challenging their assumptions about what they need
– Positioning yourself as a trusted advisor, not a vendor
The Voicemail Script (Using Approach #2 – “Admit the Awkward”):
“Hi [VP’s name], this is [Your name] from [Company]. It’s Friday afternoon, and I’m leaving you what is officially the most awkward voicemail in business… the proposal follow-up.
Here’s the thing—I sent over that proposal Tuesday for the $80K project management software solution, and I’m guessing one of three things happened: One, you’re legitimately swamped and haven’t had a chance to review it. Two, you looked at it, have questions, but haven’t had time to circle back. Or three, it’s not the right fit and you’re doing that very human thing where we avoid delivering bad news.
Any of those scenarios is totally fine, by the way. But here’s what I’d love: just 90 seconds of honesty. If this isn’t right for you, tell me—it’ll save us both the dance of awkward follow-ups. If you need more time, just say that, and I’ll check back in two weeks. And if you’ve got questions, let’s grab 15 minutes Monday or Tuesday.
The truth is, I think our software could genuinely help your operations team stop drowning in spreadsheets, but I also know that $80K decisions don’t happen over a long weekend. So no pressure—just… let me know where your head’s at.
My number’s [XXX-XXX-XXXX]. Talk soon, hopefully.”
What do you think?
Aside from the em dashes (which we can prompt out or simply find and erase) the suggested email screams personal touch.
I think it’s fantastic!
It also doesn’t have that AI “feel” like the first example, when we didn’t use this unconventional approach technique.
Now, I’ll say this again: I used Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4.5 for these because the results from GPT-5 weren’t unconventional enough.
So if you’re not getting the results you want, try a different model or different AI provider.
Advantages of the Alternate Approaches Technique
- Stimulates Creative Problem-Solving: You’ll explore totally different ways of thinking and strategies, not just minor tweaks. This opens up options you might’ve never thought of before.
- Enhances Decision-Making: When you see different strategies laid out with their philosophies, pros, and cons, you get multiple ways to look at your problem. Then you can pick what actually fits your situation.
- Reduces Fixation Bias: It stops you from getting stuck on the first decent answer. You’re pushed to check out unusual or weird approaches that might work even better.
- Provides Strategic Depth: You don’t just get an answer; you get a deep dive that shows you the thinking behind it, the trade-offs, and when different strategies work best.
When to Use This Technique
The Alternate Approaches Technique is especially powerful for:
- Strategic Planning: Developing business, marketing, or project strategies where there’s no single “right” answer.
- Problem-Solving: When a problem is complex and could be approached from multiple angles or philosophies.
- Communication Scenarios: Crafting messages where tone, strategy, and approach significantly impact outcomes.
- Creative Challenges: When you need fresh perspectives and want to break out of conventional thinking.