The power of expectations

If a salesperson thinks price will be an issue, then it probably will be

By Tom Reilly -- Industrial Distribution, 8/1/2005

We don't always get what we want, but we generally get what we expect. From antiquity to the present, people have recognized the power of expectations.

"They can because they think they can." (Virgil)

"A man's life is what his thoughts make of it." (Marcus Aurelius)

"...(T)he soul attracts that which it secretly harbors..." (James Allen)

We behave as we believe. We become what we think about. We move in the direction of our thoughts. Psychologists call this phenomenon the self-fulfilling prophecy (SFP, for short). The SFP states that as we harbor certain beliefs in outcomes (expectations), we act in ways to set in motion the forces that will create the outcomes we anticipate; thus, the prophecy becomes self-fulfilling.

William James, father of American psychology, wrote: "The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind."

The Mayo Clinic studied the effects of expectations on disease and discovered that one-third of patients get better because they think the treatment will make them better. This is called the placebo effect.

So, what does this have to do with salespeople? Plenty. Let's focus on one specific issue—price sensitivity. If you begin a sales call with the expectation that price will be an issue, you will find ways to make it an issue. Unconsciously, unwittingly, or inadvertently, you will say or do something to bring about the outcome you dread, the price objection. You may find yourself saying things like: "When you make your final decision, price will probably be an important factor, won't it?" or "How important will price be in your final decision?" or "How does price enter into this project?" or "What budget do we need to comply with?" In all cases, you made price the issue.

If you expect price to be an issue, it will be. You may stage this by the context in which you present price: "This is what we normally charge," or "I've got that price you wanted, are you sitting down?" "Here's what we were hoping to get for this product..." You may even apologize for your price or send non-verbal signals that you're uncomfortable with the price you charge.

Who can blame customers for seeking the lowest price for a product or service, especially when salespeople are so ready to accommodate them? Salespeople have taught buyers to drag their feet when it comes to price. Why? Because 75 percent of salespeople will cut the price when the buyer says, "Your price is too high." Price objections are generally self-inflicted wounds, suffered because of expectations. If you call on a customer and expect price to be an issue, it will be an issue. Your expectations will find a way to make it an issue.

The power of expectations can work to your advantage as well. If you begin with the expectation that buyers will recognize and appreciate the value of your total solution, you will seek and find ways to communicate and validate this expectation.