CHAPTER 11

The Law of Expectations

The Impact of Suggestion

What gets measured, gets done.

—PETER DRUCKER

We can influence reality. Although I am not recommending you do this, just visualize this happening. Select a coworker and get three or four other people in on the prank. You approach her and say, “Are you sick, you don’t look well.” She will probably say, “Nope. I’m OK.” The next colleague approaches her and says, “You look a little pale. Are you sick?” She responds, “No, I’m ok.” The third person approaches her and says, “You look a little green. Are you sick?” She now might say, “Yeah, I am feeling a little under the weather.” Finally, the fourth person asks, “Are you OK? Are you sick? Do you need to go home?” Eventually this person will feel sick and go home.

The Law of Expectations uses expectations to influence reality and create results. Individuals tend to make decisions based on how others expect them to behave or perform. As a result, people fulfill those expectations, whether they are positive or negative. Expectations have a powerful impact not only on those we trust and respect but also, interestingly, an impact on strangers. When we know others expect something from us, we will try to satisfy them in order to gain respect, trust, and likability.

You probably know the saying, “What gets measured, gets done.” The same is true for expectations. What is expected is what actually happens. People rise to meet your expectations of them. This is a powerful force that can lead to the improvement or destruction of a person. You can express an expectation of doubt, a lack of confidence, and a skepticism, and you will see the results. If you believe in others, show confidence in them, and expect them to succeed, you will see different results. Author John H. Spalding expressed the thought this way: “Those who believe in our ability do more than stimulate us. They create for us an atmosphere in which it becomes easier to succeed.”¹ When you create the right expectations, you change people’s behavior.

We communicate our expectations in a variety of ways. It may be through our language, our word choice, voice inflections, or body language. Think of when you’re introduced to people. Usually, if they introduce themselves by their first name, then you do the same. If they give their first and last name, you do likewise. Whether you realize it or not, you accept cues from others regarding their expectations, and you act accordingly. Similarly, we all unknowingly send out our own cues and expectations. The power is in using the Law of Expectations consciously!

Numerous studies have shown how the Law of Expectations dramatically influences people’s performance. For example, in one study, girls who were told they would perform poorly on a math test did perform poorly. In another, assembly line workers were told that their job was complex, and they performed less efficiently at the same task than those who were told it was simple. Another case study demonstrated that adults who were given complex mazes solved them faster when told they were based on a grade-school level of difficulty.

By adding the Law of Expectations to your persuasive toolbox, you can change your audience’s expectations of you—and their expectation to buy your product, service, or idea—and you will be infinitely more persuasive.

ASSUMPTIONS: EXPECT WITH CONFIDENCE

Consider the profound impact this law can have in your own life. Are the assumptions and expectations you have about yourself (or others) liberating or victimizing? There are countless examples of so-called self-fulfilling prophecies–or the Law of Expectations at work in everyday life. Did you ever notice how people who think they’re going to be fired suddenly experience a drop in the quality and enthusiasm for their work? Then what happens? They get fired! Their belief causes them to act a certain way, and those expectations then work to bring about the very thing that at first was only a figment of their imagination.

A study done on a military base where combat soldiers trained. Soldiers of equal aptitude were randomly divided into three groups: high expectancy, regular expectancy, and unspecified expectancy. The three groups were assigned three different types of instructors, and the group that was expected to perform better scored significantly higher on achievement tests, felt more positive, and had better attitudes.²

In another study, second-graders listened to statements from their teachers before taking a math test. They heard one of three types of statements: expectation, persuasion, or reinforcement. The expectation statements went something like, “You know your math really well!” Or, “You work really hard at your math.” Persuasion statements involved sentences like, “You should be good at math.” Or, “You should be getting better math grades.” Finally, for the reinforcement statements, teachers said things like, “I’m really happy about your progress.” Or, “This is excellent work!” The scores turned out the highest in the expectation category because they created personal assumptions within each student. Those assumptions conditioned the actual external results.³

This can also be called implicit priming. In one study in this area, participants were asked to complete a scrambled sentenced in a puzzle. They were shown various groups of words to create these sentences. Some of the participants were shown rude words (e.g., obnoxious, aggressively, annoyingly, disturb, interrupt, impolitely). The other group was shown polite type words (e.g., respect, courteous, considerate, patiently, polite, behaved). When they went to the next room to complete a second task, they found the experimenter with another student trying to explain a task that the student could not comprehend. The group that was primed with the rude words waited an average of 5.5 minutes before interrupting and the group primed with the polite words waited an average of 9.3 minutes.⁴

Another interesting study demonstrated how numbers can prime your brain. Participants were given the following set of numbers and were told to estimate (not calculate) the answer in 5 seconds.

8 × 7 × 6 × 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1

Then other participants were asked to estimate the answer based on the following numbers:

1 × 2 × 3 × 4 × 5 × 6 × 7 × 8

Logically, we know the estimation should be the same for both (40,320). One group was primed with the 8 in front of the problem and the other group was primed with the 1 in front of the problem. The average estimation for the first problem was 2,250. The average estimation for the second problem was 512.5 No one even came close to the right answer.

THE EXPECTATIONS OF OTHERS AFFECT BEHAVIOR

The expectations we create for others often become reality. This effect can have interesting consequences when applied in the real world. This section contains multiple examples of how expectations have changed the lives and persuaded the behavior of other individuals.

Honestly assess how you think you make others feel when they’re around you. Do you make them feel small and unimportant, or do you inspire them to achieve more? Your actions toward others will tell them how you feel or think about them. How you treat someone and what you expect from them will open or close the doors to persuasion and influence.

School Teachers

Under the umbrella of expectations, teachers can be the greatest asset or the greatest negative influence in a child’s life. We know what happens when a teacher labels a student a troublemaker because that tag creates certain expectations for the student’s actions. We have seen that the labels slow learner, below-average student, and ADHD become projections for a child’s future academic success. This is often called social labeling. People tend to live up to the positive or negative labels bestowed on them.⁶

One interesting experiment revealed how teachers’ expectations influenced students. Two Head Start teachers were selected who were as equal as possible in potential and in practice. Then two classes were formed from pupils who had been carefully tested to ensure that they were as similar as possible in background and learning potential. Next, the principal spoke with each teacher alone. He told the first teacher how fortunate she was. “You have a class of high-potential students this year! Just don’t stand in their way. They’re racers and ready to run.” The second teacher was told, “I’m sorry about your students this year. But you can’t expect top students every year. Just do the best you can. We’ll be understanding, regardless of the results.” At the end of the year, the two classes were tested again. The first class scored significantly ahead of the second.⁷The major differentiating factor appeared to be each teacher’s expectations.

Littering

We know that children tend to put their trash directly on the floor. In one elementary school, students were given individually wrapped pieces of candy. Of course, most of the wrappers ended up on the floor and not in the garbage can. Over the next two weeks, the teacher frequently commented on how neat and tidy the children were. On a visit to the classroom, the principal remarked to the children that their classroom was one of the neatest and cleanest in the school. Even the custodian wrote a note on the blackboard telling the children how clean and tidy their classroom was. At the end of the two weeks, the children were given individually wrapped pieces of candy again. This time, most of the wrappers ended up in the trash can.⁸

Parental Expectations

One thing you notice with toddlers and small children is that they behave according to the expectations of their parents. When I was single, I noticed that, when children fell down or bumped their heads while running and playing, they looked at their parents so they would know how to react. If the parents showed great concern and pain in their face, the children would start to cry. This happened regardless of whether the child really felt pain or not.

One of the techniques my wife and I tried as new parents was the exact opposite of this approach. We changed the expectation, and the tactic has worked great! When our children hit their heads or get a small scrape, they look up to us, and we laugh. The amazing thing that happens is that they begin to laugh too. They realize it’s not a big deal and go off to resume their activities, usually laughing with us. (Of course, I am not talking about broken limbs or any other serious injury.) Children base their actions on the expectations of their parents. You create the expectations in your voice, in your actions, and in your choice of words.

Sales

I love seeing door-to-door salespeople use the Law of Expectations to their advantage. They approach a door, ring the bell, and with a big smile tell the home owner they have a great presentation that the person needs to see. Of course, all the while, they are wiping their feet on the person’s doormat in the expectation of being let in the house. You would be surprised how often this technique actually works. You see a salesperson handing the prospect his pen in expectation of signing the contract. Have you ever felt guilty leaving a store or situation where you have not bought something? The store has created the expectation that you would make a purchase.

PRESUPPOSITION: ASSUMING THE SALE

Using expectations, we can create immediate reactions to stimuli so that subjects don’t even have to think; they just perform the action. Presuppositions often involve using words and language indicating your assumption that your offer has already been accepted. When blood drive organizers make reminder calls, they may end their conversations with something like, “We’ll see you tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., OK?” Then they wait for the person’s commitment. They put things this way because studies have shown that when you create a presupposition, attendance rates dramatically increase.

The power of suggestion can also be extremely effective when you engage the emotions in your presentation. For example, by saying, “You’re really going to love how this car handles in the mountains,” the car salesperson is shifting the focus away from the sale and creating an exciting image in your head. The statement presupposes that you have already agreed to the sale—you wouldn’t be driving the car in the mountains unless you were going to buy it. He’s acting as though it’s a done deal, and the truth is that the more he does this, the more it is! We see this in business. A manager might say thanks in advance or that you will love being on this team.

You’d be amazed how often people will just go along with your proposal! They don’t even stop and think about their response because now they’re already finishing the deal in their mind.

Another way to use presuppositions is to put them in writing. People tend to think that if something’s in writing, it must be true. We often go along with something without questioning it just because it’s what the directions tell us to do. For example, one stunt involved a stop sign placed on a sidewalk, even though there was no reason to stop there. The sign was in an odd place, and there was no danger of oncoming traffic. Yet almost everyone obediently stopped and waited at the stop sign, just because that is what the sign told them to do! In another stunt, a sign reading “Delaware Closed” actually made people start asking for how long Delaware was going to be closed!⁹

THE PLACEBO EFFECT

One type of expectation is the placebo. A placebo is a nonmedicinal substance that is given to patients who are told that they are receiving medicine. The placebo often works because the expectation that the medicine will help is so strong that our brains actually turn the expectation into reality. Various studies show that placebos worked 25–40 percent of the time!¹⁰ When patients were told they would get a stimulant (placebo), their blood pressure and heart rhythm were affected. When they were told it was a depressant, it had the opposite effect.¹¹ When people were told the placebo was a form of alcohol, it caused perceptions of intoxication.¹² In another study, participants thought they had received “improved self-esteem” audios or “memory enhancement” audios felt the changes, and the audios had the stated effects.¹³

Here is fun study done at Harvard. The researchers wanted to find out whether placebos would work on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) even if the participants were told they would be taking a placebo. It was made clear to the subjects that the pills were not real medicine. In fact, the word placebo appeared right on the pill. The subjects were told to take the pills twice a day and that placebos can produce healing effects on the body. What do you know? After three weeks, the placebo group reported improvements of their symptoms and found relief taking the placebo. The study found that 59 percent reported relief by taking the placebo.¹⁴

THE GET-WHAT-YOU-PAY-FOR EXPECTATION

Why doesn’t a generic brand cough medicine seem as effective as the national brand? Why do we think expensive designer jeans fit better than the pair we bought at the Walmart?¹⁵

Many studies have been done on the perception and impact of price. For example, a study was done to find out the effectiveness of painkillers and electric shock. Researchers gave two sets of shocks to participants. The goal was to find out how much pain they felt. (Psychiatrists love the electric shock.) In this series, each shock was increased to the point that it would get your attention and make your heart skip a beat.

Before the first series, however, participants were given a brochure to read on a new painkiller they would be testing. It was described as the latest thing and “cutting-edge.” The brochure said that 92 percent of patients receiving this new painkiller found significant pain relief in 10 minutes and that the medication would last for 8 hours. The price for this new medication would be $2.50 a pill. The other participants saw the same brochure, but the price for this medication was 10¢ a pill.

After the first set of shocks were given to the participants, both groups were given the medication and told to wait after taking the placebo (sugar pill). Then the study and the second round of shocks were started.

The participants were asked how effective was the new painkiller? The study found that 85 percent of the participants said the $2.50 pill group reported that they felt less pain. Only 61 percent in the 10-cent pill group reported they felt less pain.¹⁶

Expensive wine is another example. Researchers gave test subjects five different wines to taste and then had the subjects rate each of them. The results were interesting. When the subjects thought the wine was a $10 bottle, it was rated of 2.4 out of 6. When they thought the wine was a $90 bottle (the truth), it was rated 4 out of 6.¹⁷

TIME EXPECTATIONS

In our modern world, we are bound by time. We have certain expectations about how time works and how long it will take us to accomplish something. Often, time becomes distorted through our perceptions and expectations. Why do some afternoons speed by faster than others? And why do we finish projects a minute before our deadline?

Parkinson’s Law states that work expands to fill the time available. So, if a project is given a 3-month deadline, it will take the full 3 months to complete. If that very same project is given a 6-month timeframe, it will still take the full 6 months. The law may sound strange, but it has bearing because the time allotted for completion sets our expectations. Our expectations actually influence how we will work on a project and therefore when it will be completed. Ever notice how there’s a sudden burst of activity right before the deadline appears? We all have the tendency to procrastinate, waiting until the deadline to do most of the work. This is why it is often effective to set multiple deadlines for large projects. Projects without deadlines never seem to be accomplished, no matter how good the intentions are. We see the law have a negative effect in business all the time. Even when a deadline is given, if the company expectation is that it is just a formality, employees know that it will be extended, and they act accordingly.

EMBEDDED COMMANDS

An embedded command is a technique used to communicate to the subconscious mind. The aim is to actually bypass the conscious mind and talk directly to the subconscious mind. Embedded commands are commonly used in marketing and advertising as hidden suggestions within written or spoken language, and the conscious mind is unaware of their existence. Embedded commands create expectations without creating inner resistance. For example, Pepsi used to have the slogan, “Have a Pepsi Day.” The embedded command was, “Have a Pepsi.” Embedded commands can also work in the wrong way. When parents say, “Don’t walk in the street,” the command children hear is “Walk in the street.”

Embedded commands are used to reinforce potential behavior and can help people come to a faster decision.¹⁸ We see them in advertising and sales copy on the Internet. Using embedded commands can increase your marketing efforts by 10–20 percent.¹⁹

The most effective embedded commands are short and concise; they should be no longer than two to four words. It is much easier to use these commands in persuasive writing because you can visually highlight the command. When using this technique, first determine what exactly you are trying to say to your audience. Then create sentences where the embedded words and phrases will logically and contextually fit. Finally, set the embedded commands apart in some visual way: italics, bold face, underlined, highlighted, or a different color.

Embedded commands are also a powerful tool in marketing. Certain phrases have specific command forms that follow the two–to-four-words rule. Phrases can include word associations, cause-and-effect statements, presuppositions, questions, or hidden suggestions. Essentially, you are looking for phrases that will jump out.

Studies show that embedded commands can actually change our attitudes or beliefs, even if we are totally unaware.²⁰ This is how embedded commands have their effect: The conscious mind tends not to analyze or evaluate the material. We can create expectations of behavioral changes with embedded commands and indirect suggestions. The subconscious mind will create an internal reality to match the commands.²¹

GOAL SETTING: CREATING PERSONAL EXPECTATIONS

Many people don’t like the idea of goal setting; in fact, just the mere mention of the words makes them cringe. However, goal setting works. The problem is that most people or groups don’t go about it in the right way. Without going into the many aspects of goal setting, suffice it to say that goal setting works and is an important aspect of the Law of Expectations.

Goals must have the power to stretch and inspire, and they must be realistic in the mind of the person being persuaded. Helping others or your team set goals increases their future expectations for themselves. Visualizing themselves reaching their goals also makes the achievement of those goals more tangible.

Research shows that goals dictate future performance. Conscious goals influence our overall performance. In one study, there was a large difference in the performance between asking people to do their best and helping them set their goals (or a standard) for their performance.²² In a classic study, students were given math problems and were told to “do their best,” or they were given specific goals. Over a week and a half, the group with the goals performed better than the students who were told to do their best.²³

It is a general rule of thumb that greater or more difficult goals actually increase performance. The reason is that lofty goals set a higher expectation, and, as explained, expectations strongly influence behavior. In a production plant, workers with little experience were divided into two groups. One group was told to simply observe the experienced workers and try to be able to perform at a skilled level themselves within 12 weeks. The second group received specific weekly goals that were progressively more demanding. Needless to say, the second group fared much better.²⁴ The goals you set have to be realistic in the mind of your prospect, or the expectations will not be set and will have an adverse effect.

For goal setting to work effectively, individuals or the members of a group have to be able to visualize and see themselves achieving their goal and be committed to its success. The goal cannot be so hard, so complex, or so overwhelming that it does not seem realistic. Recognize minor results, and help them keep their eyes on the big picture.²⁵ Goals work just as well for groups as they do for individuals.²⁶

ENVIRONMENT

Your environment and the expectations of that environment should be persuasive. The Phillip Zimbado’s Broken Window Theory suggests that a building with many broken windows will cause people to assume that no one cares about the building or its appearance. This in turn will spur more vandalism and more broken windows. In other words, the environment’s condition gives clues that lead people to make certain assumptions, and people then act on those assumptions. The broken windows invite greater damage and crime.²⁷ Zimbardo did a study illustrating this point. He left a car out on the street in Palo Alto, California. The first week the car blended in with all the other cars, and nothing happened to it. After the first week, he broke one of the windows of the car and left it on the street. Vandalism to the car increased dramatically after the window was broken.²⁸

In his book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell uses an example of the Broken Window Theory as he explains the New York City subway cleanup. The subway system was in dire need of rebuilding—a multibillion-dollar endeavor. With the system about to collapse, the focus was understandably on issues like reducing crime and improving subway reliability. As a consultant hired by the New York Transit Authority, George Kelling urged officials to utilize the Broken Window Theory. Hired to clean up the subways, David Gunn immediately assigned people to start cleaning up all the graffiti. Removing the graffiti seemed to be of such little consequence compared to everything else there was to worry about, but Gunn was insistent. In his own words:

The graffiti was symbolic of the collapse of the system. When you looked at the process of rebuilding the organization and morale, you had to win the battle against graffiti. Without winning that battle, all the management reforms and physical changes just weren’t going to happen. We were about to put out new trains that were worth about ten million bucks apiece, and unless we did something to protect them, we knew just what would happen. They would last one day and then they would be vandalized.²⁹

The entire antigraffiti campaign took years, but finally the incidence of graffiti subsided.

In another study, volunteers were asked to participate in an experiment on prison environments. Half of the volunteers posed as prison workers, while the other half posed as prison inmates. The results were astounding. Previously tested to be psychologically sound people, the participants rapidly became more and more hostile, crude, rebellious, and abusive—both those acting as inmates and those as guards! One “prisoner” became so hysterical and emotionally distressed that he had to be released. The study was supposed to last 2 weeks, but was called off after only 6 days!³⁰

Expectations will not work and the subconscious trigger will not respond if the expectations are unrealistic (too high or low), or don’t make sense, or if the prospects can’t visualize themselves accomplishing your goals. Set realistic expectations that your prospects can see themselves accomplishing.

CASE STUDY

A real estate company bought a nice tract of land on which to develop midrange homes. The backyard fence of many of the homes were next to a railroad track, but trains rarely came by. The real estate agent assigned to market the homes was having a hard time selling the last homes near the tracks. The moment the potential buyers saw the tracks, they lost interest regardless of what the agent said or offered. He tried to reduce the prices, offered free kitchen upgrades, and put a Jacuzzi in the master bedroom. Using the Law of Expectations what would you do to make these homes sell faster?

The visualization and expectation of a railroad in their backyard is more than most consumers can handle. They are programmed to assume the worst: The train will be noisy, shake the house, break my things, keep me up at night, or even scare the kids. Expectations needed adjustment. The key was to have the prospective owners show up 10 minutes before the train arrived. They were briefed about all the extras the home contained and all these items came to over $10,000 in value. They were then asked to sit in the living room as the scheduled train went by. They were told the train came only at 10:20 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. every day. They discovered for themselves that the train was not a big deal. Plus they would get all the extras. Expectations were adjusted, and the homes sold.

Additional Resources: Goal Mastery Form (maximuminfluence.com)