Does the best product always win the most business/customers?  A popular marketing buzzphrase is USP - unique selling point or proposition - but do buyers really seek uniqueness?  It is easy to get hung up on uniqueness and differentiation in your product or proposition, to the detriment of other aspects of the customer experience.  Or, in other words, by not getting the basics right in meeting customer needs/wants.

Most famously when people talk about battles between products they cite Betamax vs VHS.  Sony's Betamax format is claimed to be the better technology, while JVC's VHS won the war for dominance by simply making it easier for the customer to get hold of and use their product.  Sony believed, I don't know why, that higher quality recordings would be the key to commercial success for Betamax.  Whereas JVC recognised the public's attraction to being able to watch films at home whenever they wanted - and gave them what they wanted.  Meeting consumer needs - the bottom line of marketing!   

Betamax vs VHS may be an extreme example.  But it illustrates the point that you need to understand your customers well in order to meet their needs.  Although this may be easier than it sounds as their needs might be quite simple.  In their book, Simply Better (http://www.simply-better.biz/), Patrick Barwise and Sean Meehan argue that the emphasis on differentiation has gone too far, and that all customers really want is a quality product, reliable service and value for money.  If you can deliver these consistently better than your competitors then you have the advantage.  They believe that while unique might be exciting and appealing, it doesn't drive business success.  It's a controversial position, and not without its dissenters among marketing academics, but it is an attractive one for small businesses as it encourages focus on small improvements and innovations that are within your influence.

At the core of your product you may have a technology or process that is no different to anyone else, but concentrating on the things you can control, from initial contact to invoicing and after sales, can be where you score your winning points.  You should never be complacent or lazy to keep on innovating, never too proud to ‘borrow' ideas from others, and never underestimate how that small change might translate into a big advantage. 

Question every aspect of delivering your product or service and ensure that you do each step to the best of your ability - and while your product may not be the number one in the market, you will increasingly delight your customers and be sure to stand out from the crowd.