What matters is that the coffee tasted great and I received great service. Most coffee houses in town offer similar fare. What makes some a cut above the rest is their attention to quality and service and their ability to communicate that to coffee connoisseurs. With today's robust economy, companies don't have to steal market share from their competitors. The pie is growing so fast that businesses doing excellent work just have to grab their piece.
Differentiation is no longer the magic key to success.
Instead, companies need to focus their attention on doing high quality work and providing superb service Customers have a choice about where to take their business. If the value they get is anything shy of excellent, they won't keep coming back. In other words, if the coffee tastes bitter or you had to wait a half an hour in line to get it, you'll probably go somewhere else the next time you get a caffeine craving. Beckwith also spends a substantial amount of time discussing the importance of producing a quality product, creating positive customer experiences and communicating effectively. All businesses face competition.