''And that’s why you’re a commodity"

"Occasionally, I’ll talk with people who tell me that in their type of business, it’s all about price. They will say that their buyers look strictly for the lowest price and that there’s nothing else that will really influence them. If that is really true, then you quite literally have only two choices. You have to figure out a way to have the lowest price and still make a profit, or the game is over for you.
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If, in fact, the business you’re in is all about price, either figure out how to have the lowest price and still make a profit or find something else to do. However, what’s more likely true is that you’re just taking the easy way out and blaming your failure to differentiate on your mistaken belief that your customers only consider price, which is seldom reality. Buyers of anything are looking for value. They are looking for a way to solve problems or create opportunities. No matter what the buyer says, price is never the only consideration. Value always has and always will be the primary buying factor.
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It’s funny, isn’t it? People want to know what they can do to be innovative, to transcend commodity, and to differentiate from their competition. But my experience has been that when you suggest something to them that might just do the trick, they too often say, “But that’s not done in this business.” And that’s why you’re a commodity."

Trecho retirado de Joe Calloway em "Becoming a Category of One"