Here is one definition of commodity, courtesy of InvestorWords.com:

A physical substance, such as food, grains, and metals, which is interchangeable with another product of the same type.

It’s time to face a painful truth: Insurance is, by many measures, a commodity. Most buyers of insurance, assuming they’re comparing apples to apples, will choose the policy with the lowest premium. That consideration—price—will be the most important factor in their purchasing decision. Worse still, the market for your particular commodity is full of incredibly motivated competitors.

That’s the bad news. Here’s the other news (you tell me if it’s good or not): having a unique personality can help you stand out in a field of hyper-competitive commodity-sellers. Personality is the oldest and most essential form of branding, and if you think it’s not worth being aware of and cultivating, well, the chances are good you either have the lowest prices or are looking to change careers anyway.

“I believe job #1 for any business, particularly small businesses, is to find a way to stand out, to be different. Doing so in a meaningful way (meaningful to a market segment that cares) is the secret to long term success, word or mouth buzz and ultimately more profit,” writes Jim Jantsch, author of the Duct Tape Marketing blog.

Insurance carriers have already realized this, and the evidence is plain in their television advertising. Take a look at any ad for insurance and ask yourself: How much time is spent talking about the actual product? In most cases, whether you’re watching a caveman in a fancy restaurant or old man in a giant red umbrella, there is nary a mention of the actual features and benefits of the product in question. There is good reason for this, too: There aren’t any differences between the products. In watching the Geico and Travelers ads, however, one notices a large difference in … personality.

Consider doing a Seth Godin-style exercise. On an index card, write down the five aspects of your personality that might/may/could/would endear you to prospects. Next, narrow it down even further: Of the five, which three personality traits could potentially convince a prospect to pay an extra $4 each month and buy a policy from you?
Now, leverage those three things.