Creating Competitive Advantage, Jaynie L. Smith
Creating Competitive Advantage, Jaynie L. Smith
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Creating Competitive Advantage
Give Customers a Reason to Choose You Over Your Competitors

Author: Jaynie L. Smith, William G. Flanagan

Narrator: Jaynie L. Smith

Unabridged: 5 hr 1 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/03/2026


Synopsis

Why should I do business with you… and not your competitor?

Whether you are a retailer, manufacturer, distributor, or service provider – if you cannot answer this question, you are surely losing customers, clients and market share. This eye-opening book reveals how identifying your competitive advantages and trumpeting them to the marketplace is the most surefire way to close deals, retain clients, and stay miles ahead of the competition.

The five fatal flaws of most companies:

?  They don’t have a competitive advantage but think they do
?  They have a competitive advantage but don’t know what it is—so they lower prices instead
?  They know what their competitive advantage is but neglect to tell clients about it
?        They mistake “strengths” for competitive advantages
?         They don’t concentrate on competitive advantages when making strategic and operational decisions

The good news is that you can overcome these costly mistakes – by identifying your competitive advantages and creating new ones. Consultant, public speaker, and competitive advantage expert Jaynie Smith will show you how scores of small and large companies substantially increased their sales by focusing on their competitive advantages. When advising a CEO frustrated by his salespeople’s inability to close deals, Smith discovered that his company stayed on schedule 95 percent of the time – an achievement no one else in his industry could claim. By touting this and other competitive advantages to customers, closing rates increased by 30 percent—and so did company revenues.

Jack Welch has said, “If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete.” This straight-to-the-point book is filled with insightful stories and specific steps on how to pinpoint your competitive advantages, develop new ones, and get the message out about them. 

“The biggest marketing flaw in most companies is their failure to fully reap the benefits of their competitive advantages. Either they think they have a competitive advantage but don’t. Or they have one and don’t realize it. Or they know they have a strong competitive advantage but fail to promote it adequately to their customers and prospects.

“In my research with middle-market companies, I found only two CEOs out of 1,000 who could clearly name their companies’ competitive advantages. The other 99.8 percent could offer only vague, imprecise generalities. These same CEOs often rely on outside consultants to guide strategic-planning sessions. Yet, in my experience, very few consultants – even seasoned ones – give competitive advantage evaluation more than a superficial glance….

“Ignoring your competitive advantages can be an expensive and even fatal mistake. Because no matter the size of your company or the kind of business you are in, your competitive advantages should be the foundation of all your strategic and operational decisions. They’re the reasons customers choose to buy from you instead of the other guy.” – From Creating Competitive Advantage

Reviews

Goodreads review by Mac on April 23, 2015

Many great actionable tips I can implement right away in my business. One of the rare books I finished in a few days because the advice can be used instantly. Although I'm not exactly the book's target market as I'm a lifestyle entrepreneur without employees and a "real" business, it's still very re......more

Goodreads review by Rebecca on December 31, 2012

Takes complicated business school marketing concepts and makes them easy to understand. Paints a clear picture of what a competitive advantage is for a business...and/or for a person.......more

Goodreads review by Raman on December 30, 2016

Had to read for class but it was good!......more

Goodreads review by Oscar on December 09, 2025

For a book written in 2006--sure has many, many excellent ideas I am sure they will never get outdated. Specially the one about many of us always not paying attention to our own company competitive advantages....until your costumers mention them. And if you ever take the time to ask them in such a m......more

Goodreads review by Mike on June 08, 2019

Creating Competitive Advantage is a book focused on differentiating yourself from the market and positioning your brand to win. The author provides dozens of examples from various companies across many industries to illustrate how you could approach creating your own competitive advantage. The conte......more


Quotes

“Jaynie Smith has written an insightful and engaging book that makes competitive advantage an approachable, personal, and practical concept. The numerous examples are intriguing, and the tone is always ‘here’s what you can do next.’ Small and medium-sized businesses, which are often ignored by authors, will find this book especially relevant.”—Oren Harari, Ph.D., author of The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell

“[Creating Competitive Advantage] ought to be mandatory reading for all entrepreneurs.”Miami Herald

“So many companies think that differentiation is the key to success. It isn’t. The key is knowing how to articulate what’s different or better about your product. Creating Competitive Advantage is a must-have for any CEO’s library.”—David Neeleman, former CEO of JetBlue Airways

“Jaynie Smith presents you with the most valuable marketing edge you can ever have—and it won’t cost you one cent. Just be sure that you unleash it before your competitors do. . . . The sooner you read Creating Competitive Advantage, the sooner you’ll profit from it.”—Jay Conrad Levinson, author of Guerrilla Marketing

“Any book that tells you how to be different from your competitors is worth reading. It’s what good strategy is all about. Creating Competitive Advantage is just such a book.”—Jack Trout, author of Trout on Strategy

“With engaging writing, telling insights, and inescapable logic, Jaynie Smith shows us how Creating Competitive Advantage is key to a successful business.”—Robert B. Cialdini, author of Influence: Science & Practice

Creating Competitive Advantage is a weapon every business person needs in their arsenal to survive in today’s tough world.”—Jack Stack, President & CEO of SRC Holdings Corp. and author of The Great Game of Business

“Jaynie Smith’s experience as an advisor to scores of CEOs has been distilled in this comprehensive look at sound competitive strategies. It’s back to the basics, an exercise every business needs to revisit!”—Clark Johnson, former CEO of Pier I Imports

“Compelling! The clarity with which Jaynie Smith presents her message is particularly valuable because the concept is, among business leaders, frequently discussed but often understood only superficially. Finding and using your advantage is the key to not only survival but more importantly, attractively profitable survival. Should be required reading for business leaders.”—Chuck Lillis, former CEO of MediaOne