We love open-ended questions, but open-ended tasks can create friction—when what you’re hoping for is momentum.
February 28, 2024
By Rachel Smith
If you’re not familiar with the phrase “executive function,” it’s probably because nobody close to you struggles with it. “Executive function” is like “rheumatologist” or “gallbladder.” You’ve heard of it and know some vague details but, if pressed, you would admit that you’re really not sure what it is on any meaningful level.
If, however, you or someone close to you has ADHD or autism, you quickly become aware of the critical role executive function plays in our everyday lives. You see that many of the tasks you do without thinking much about require more focus and organization than you realized.
At Maestro Group, we’re big fans of the “three times.” When scheduling a meeting, provide three time windows from which someone can choose. It’s a proven technique that will help you book more meetings, but why does it work? What makes choosing from three windows so much more effective than leaving it up to your prospect to come up with a meeting time?
I’ve been deep-diving into executive function information and strategies for my kids lately, and while doing so I had an “aha” moment. I figured out what makes using three times so effective—it lowers the amount of executive function necessary to move forward. Whether executive function is something you struggle with or not, it’s an energy suck for our brains. The benefit of offering three times is that it provides a step-by-step guide for something that otherwise requires a lot of work.
Executive function has been called the “management system of the brain.” I’ve also seen it described as “a set of cognitive processes and mental skills that help an individual plan, monitor, and successfully execute their goals.” My favorite definition, however, comes from executive function coach Seth Perler. He simply says it’s “the ability to get stuff done.”
This is by far the most helpful definition for the parent losing their mind as they plead with their child to just write the book report, just do their math worksheet, or even just invite a friend over. For kids who struggle with executive function, it’s not that they won’t do these things, it’s that they can’t.
Executive function takes place in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain. This is the last part of the brain to mature and isn’t fully developed until you reach your late 20s. Executive function includes working memory, flexible thinking, and inhibitory control. This makes it responsible for a number of important skills like:
Something many of us think of as a simple task, like cleaning up a bedroom, involves most of these skills. Where should you start cleaning? How long have you set aside to get the task done? Where do you put the things you’re picking up? Is this fun? No, you’re bored, but it’s something you have to do. You just uncovered a magazine you’ve been meaning to look at—put it with the other magazines and remember to go back to it later, because you don’t have time to read right now. This simple task includes lots of transitions, lots of prioritizing, and lots of self-control. Perhaps you’re reading this and thinking, my child struggles with their homework and won’t clean their room, and they don’t struggle with executive function. Yes and no. Individuals with ADHD and autism struggle with it more, but everyone struggles with it to some degree. And remember that the pre-frontal cortex, the area right behind your forehead where executive function is performed, isn’t fully developed until well into adulthood.
So, what does all this talk about executive function have to do with closing deals? Maestro Group is a sales acceleration firm, and much of what we teach has to do with removing friction from the sales process. Even though much of your executive functioning goes on subconsciously, it’s still a drain on your energy. The easier you can make something for your prospect, the more likely they are to do it, especially in the beginning of your relationship.
Parents and teachers are often confused when they see a child complete a writing assignment on a favorite topic but stall out on a topic they don’t care about. My daughter had an application to fill out for middle school a few years ago and, for the question about creativity, she submitted a 3,000-word fan fiction story about dragons. She had written this just for fun, not for an assignment. I know I’m her mom, and biased, but it was amazing. She used words that I had to look up—and I write for a living.
The next prompt on the application was to tell about herself. After many attempts, lots of crying (by both of us), and several house-shaking door slams, she submitted, “Likes: Dragons, reading, animals, science, drawing, typing, watching videos, gaming, violent stories, fancy writing/fonts and sleeping. Dislikes: Bees, poisonous things, math, worms, snails, and Mondays.”
Less than 30 words consumed days, and much of my sanity, to complete. Why? This is the part of executive function that a lot of people don’t understand. Getting through a preferred activity is completely different than getting through a non-preferred activity. Remember that executive function involves paying attention, keeping yourself from being distracted, and emotional regulation. If kids could focus on their homework as well as they focus on video games, there would be a lot fewer arguments. Video games are a preferred activity; homework is not.
Which brings us to that prospect with whom you’re trying to book a meeting. Hopefully, you’ve gone through Maestro’s email training and have managed to pique your prospect’s interest with your message. But that next step of bothering to schedule a meeting? They don’t know you. They have activities of far greater priority; why waste any energy on this? When you are reaching out to a new prospect to schedule a meeting, you, my friend, are a non-preferred activity.
Open-ended tasks take a lot more executive function to complete than specific tasks. That’s why, “clean up the bedroom” is much less effective than “pick your dirty clothes up off the floor and throw them in your hamper.” The genius of offering three times is that it takes an open-ended task and turns it into a specific one, which lowers the amount of executive function energy needed to book the meeting.
The typical call to action of, “Let me know when you can meet,” or, “Here’s a link to my calendar,” leaves the prospect with unlimited choices. What time of day should they choose? How far into the future should they schedule this meeting? This week is bad because they have to pick up their kids later than normal. Let’s go to the following week…Your prospect has to use a lot of executive function skills. If the executive function required to book the meeting exceeds the prospect’s curiosity about the meeting, they’ll just forget about it and move on.
Instead, consider, “Which of the following times works best for you for a 20-minute meeting—choice 1, choice 2, or choice 3?” They open their calendar. You’ve told them where to look. It’s a yes or a no. If the first choice doesn’t work, their next step is clearly outlined. Go to the next choice, and so on. It’s broken up into succinct, concrete steps that require hardly any mental lift.
And if none of the choices work? You spell out exactly what they should do. “If none of those work, please send me two that do.” They have a starting point from the dates that you provided. Their task is simple—find two free spots and reply. It’s the equivalent of, “Now that your clothes are in the hamper, put all of your books back on the shelf.”
Sometimes you can’t understand something’s importance until it malfunctions. You might not notice there is friction there that could be reduced in the first place until you see someone for whom executive function causes massive friction. Understanding what’s happening in our brains helped me uncover the science behind why the three times are successful. I also know what a rheumatologist is, but that’s a story for another time. Luckily, the gallbladder is still pretty much a mystery to me.
Are you looking for more ways to take the friction out of your sales cycle? Reach out to mastery@maestrogroup.co to learn more about all of our training and assessment options.
Get the Maestro Mastery Blog, straight to your inbox.
