Mistaking Speed for Value

When expectations become commoditized, value has to come from somewhere else.

I have an important question: do you remember the last time Amazon impressed you by delivering a package in two days? Neither do I.

It’s not because they aren’t remarkably fast and efficient, but because that’s exactly what we consumers have come to expect. The same could be said for ordering groceries through Instacart, having dinner delivered via DoorDash, or booking an epic international trip from your phone in a matter of minutes. At one time, speed was a competitive advantage. Today, however, it’s simply part of the expected experience. And, as things often do, this got me thinking about the world of branded merchandise.

For years, distributors have worn responsiveness like a badge of honor. We pride ourselves on answering emails moments after we receive them, turning around quotes at breakneck speed, and getting back to clients before anyone resembling a competitor can. I know I’ve certainly been guilty of it. I suppose my point is that somewhere along the way, many of us convinced ourselves that the faster we responded, the more valuable we became to our clients.

The problem is that those are two radically different things: one is expected, the other is valuable.

Let me be clear: being responsive absolutely matters. Clients deserve timely communication, follow-through, and a partner who keeps projects moving forward. However, those aren’t optional; they’re part of doing business well. In other words, responsiveness is no longer a differentiator.

Years ago, being exceptionally responsive was a superpower because it wasn’t common. Today, however, clients absolutely expect it. They don’t rave about how quickly you answered an email any more than they brag about Amazon leaving a package at their doorstep on time. In both cases, they simply (and, I’d argue, have been conditioned to) assume it’s going to happen that way. This is an important distinction because expectations and differentiators are not the same thing.

Expectations are the price of admission. Differentiators are the reason people choose you over someone else. Unfortunately, we’ve made a cottage industry of blurring that line.

I’ve had conversations with distributors who have convinced themselves that if they aren’t the fastest email responder this side of the Mississippi, they’ll lose the order. While that mindset often comes from a good place because they care about serving the client, I also think it comes from a place of fear - the fear that if they don’t answer immediately, someone else will. Perhaps that’s true, but if responsiveness is the strongest reason someone chooses to work with you, your position is likely more fragile than you realize.

The reality is that speed has become commoditized. Automation can send follow-up emails before we even remember to, AI can draft thoughtful responses in seconds, and other technologies are making everyone faster. Honestly, that’s pretty fantastic. At the same time, it’s making speed far less valuable.

Look at this through the lens of expectations: nobody chooses a hotel because it has electricity, nobody recommends a restaurant because it has running water and functioning bathrooms, and nobody gets excited when a public place offers free WiFi. While all those things matter, they are also expected. I’m a firm believer that responsiveness is quickly moving into that same category.

The distributors who will thrive over the next decade won’t be the ones who answer emails the fastest. They’ll be the ones who ask better questions before they send a quote, the ones who take the time to understand what the client is really trying to accomplish instead of presenting a “good, better, best” spread of products, and the ones who connect branded merchandise to actual business objectives rather than simply fulfilling requests.

In other words, they’ll create value long before they create velocity.

Of course, still be responsive, answer the phone, reply to the email, and deliver on your commitments. Those things will always matter because they are expected, and your clients deserve nothing less. Just don’t mistake what’s expected for what makes you indispensable.

The faster the world becomes, the less valuable speed becomes. Clients don’t need someone who responds first - they need someone who helps them think better.