When it comes to encouraging consumers to spend their dollars at your organization instead of someone else’s, independent agents can learn a few things from the originators of hugely successful companies.

According to David Halberstam’s “The Fifties,” one common denominator is anticipating coming trends. For example, the McDonald brothers created a very efficient and cost-effective approach to delivering affordable food by limiting the number of offerings to just nine menu items and allowing walk-up business, which saved time and tips.

The genius of Ray Kroc was a zealousness for a clean environment and an obsessive focus on consistency so customers always knew what they would get regardless of the location. Kroc insisted on cleaning all McDonald’s windows , hosing down the parking lot and scrubbing the garbage cans daily. Mopping the floors was a continuous process and the restrooms had to remain spotless, in addition to employees’ appearances. This created an impression of cleanliness missing from the hamburger and hot dog stands of the day.

Another innovative entrepreneur? Kemmons Wilson, the founder of Holiday Inn. On a family car trip to with his wife and kids, just before the development of the interstate highway system, Wilson noted how the quality of the local hotels varied and often resulted in a disappointing stay. What really galled him was paying the customary surcharge for having kids and a television in the room. A high school dropout and successful home builder, Wilson worked with a local architect to develop an efficient room layout, added a restaurant and created an innovative model for building hotels that never charge for children or a television.

In the same way, independent agents must anticipate trends in order to determine how to best position their agency’s value proposition to paying consumers. The value proposition should include primary and secondary benefits. The historic visions of industrious entrepreneurs who achieved unparalleled success by focusing on what the consumer wanted—and took the risks to implement their vision—provide important lessons for the insurance industry.

Companies spend tremendous amounts of money creating brand awareness in consumers’ minds. But even after a consumer pauses to pay attention to a company’s brand, he or she won’t go forward with a purchase without a clear value proposition. If the consumer believes the potential purchase is a commodity, the focus shifts from a “value differentiator” to price, or a related factor such as ease of doing business or market availability.

The independent agency approach actually involves two levels of marketing: the agency’s brand and the companies that they represent. Depending on their target audience, agencies can approach this with a variety of focuses: personal lines, commercial lines, l-h and more. Agencies with a large personal lines book may use the brand recognition of their carrier partners to leverage the advertising national brands provide, using signage and Web advertising. Ultimately, if a smaller carrier is a better fit for the client, the client will use that company.

What is critical to the independent agent’s approach is explaining on the front end the differences between carriers’ policy provisions. No matter what consumers may think, insurance is not a commodity, and that is one of the value propositions an independent agency adds to the equation. Consider the Trusted Choice® “Pledge of Performance,” which provides an excellent summary of the advantages an independent agency provides and the tools it can use to appear in consumers’ online searches.

Agents don’t have to go it alone—the Big “I” provides strategic resources to develop a roadmap for effective branding practices.

Dave Evans is a certified financial planner and an IA contributor.