Speed wins is the piece of content that has received the most interaction for me on social media. Not because it's complicated, but because it's so simple that everyone has a story they can connect to speed wins.
At my previous job, we had a 15-minute rule.
Respond to a voicemail, email, text, or warm lead within 15 minutes.
You didn’t need to have the answer. Sometimes the response was simply, “I got your message. I’ll have an answer by tomorrow morning.”
A small thing. But the reaction we got from customers made it clear how much it mattered.
When someone reaches out, they’re focused on something they need from you. They might have a question, a problem, or a project they’re trying to move forward.
A quick response lets them know you’re on it. They can get on with their day without wondering whether they need to follow up.
One of our salespeople worked with a startup that was taking a product from concept to market. It was a young team and they were coordinating suppliers for injection molding, metal fabrication, labels, and packaging.
Our rep helped them work through tolerances, color, materials, and pricing. It took time. The buyer was still figuring out what they needed, and there were plenty of details to work through.
Once production orders started coming in, they told our rep how much they appreciated working with us. The responses were timely and complete. They always knew where things stood. They wished their other vendors worked the same way.
The process was long, but our communication kept them confident throughout it.
That distinction matters.
On one of my “Speed Wins” posts, someone raised a fair concern: if you send a technical quote back in 10 minutes, will the customer believe you’ve given it enough thought?
I understand the concern. Some quotes require research, calculations, and conversations with other people. That work deserves the time it takes.
When I sold commercial print, our rule was to return estimates within 24 hours. Meeting that expectation on routine quotes gave us a foundation for explaining when something needed longer.
“This is a more involved quote. I’ve spoken with my estimator, and we expect to have it back to you by Thursday.”
Now the customer knows what’s happening and when to expect an answer.
Then you have to follow through. If the timing changes, tell them before they have to ask.
This is all simple. When a message comes in, acknowledge it and give a realistic next step. If you can resolve it in two minutes, do it. If it needs more work, put it on your task list with a deadline. The difficulty is staying disciplined in that routine.
Speed on the acknowledgement. Care on the answer.
The acknowledgement is the beginning of the commitment. Your follow-through is what makes it worth something.
You won’t always be able to give an immediate answer. You can still make sure your customer knows you’re paying attention.
Speed wins.
Here was my best performing LinkedIn post from last week. I'm still working on how properly embed this to my newsletter format:
