If you have a product difference, then you should be able to demonstrate that difference. The demonstration, in turn, becomes your credentials. If you have a leak-proof valve, then you should be able to have a direct comparison with valves that can leak. Claims of difference without proof are really just claims. You can't differentiate with smoke and mirrors.
Consumers are skeptical.
You must be able to support your argument. Communicate your difference. Just as you can't keep your light under a basket, you can't keep your difference under wraps. If you build a differentiated product, the world will not automatically beat a path to your door. Better products don't win.