Are You Sacrificing Quality for Speed?

We live in a world of fast food, high speed
internet and instant gratification.  42% of consumers online expect a response within 60 minutes.  24% expect a response within 30 minutes, regardless of when the contact was made.  57% expect the same response time at night and on weekends as during normal business hours.  

Have you fallen into the trap of speed versus quality?  There’s an alarming trend among consumers to expect results fast.  What happens when quality doesn’t happen fast?

Three weeks ago I received a call from a medium sized business interested in a social media strategy. What’s the problem, you ask?  They wanted a customized strategy that afternoon.  They were in a hurry and gave no thought to the work that goes into creating a detailed strategy.  They didn’t have time to provide me with information or allow me to research their specific needs.  They wanted a strategy and they wanted it fast!

Earlier this week one of my clients requested feedback on a 27 week email marketing campaign.  They emailed me Sunday and asked me to review all the emails and provide detailed feedback, calls to action, etc.  When did they want my feedback?  Monday morning by 8am.

Yet another client asked for my input on a proposal they are writing.  It was a 43 page government contract they were putting together.  They emailed and I was in meetings so it took me 6 hours to receive their email, review all 43 pages and respond.  Too late! They had already submitted it! They admitted that my changes added great value to their proposal but they just didn’t have time to wait on me.

We live in a world of instant gratification but quality work takes time.  It’s easy to set up automation tools and automatically curate content from specific blogs.  It’s a lot harder to actually engage in real conversations and meet real people who can add value to your business. 

Today I’d like everyone to slow down for just one moment.  Think about the work you’re producing and ask yourself this, “Am I sacrificing quality for speed?”

It’s easy to talk about ROI in social media but it’s a lot harder to invest in the work it takes to produce great content, create a strategic plan of action for social selling and research the needs of your target audience.  It’s hard to spend time thinking about whether or not you offer enough value to your readers.  It takes time to connect with people, share great content and show an interest in your partners, vendors and clients. 

The results you get are the results you create.  How much time are you investing in quality results for your business?