Midas of Bakersfield is hosting a special Fundraiser this weekend September 7th & 8th 2012.  Midas Bakersfield will donate 10% of Our Revenues to support this worthy cause.  So please come on in and help support Honor Flight Kern County.  Walk-in welcome Reservations recommended

Midas has two locations open to server you.
6919 White Lane Bakersfield, Ca. 93309 661-398-0921
3723 Auburn St Bakersfield, Ca. 93306 661-873-8212

The Future of Honor Flight… Help Us Meet Our Goal.

The future looks bright for our country’s World War II veterans. In February of 2006, Earl and Jeff combined efforts and co-founded Honor Flight Network. The leaders of various flying programs, and others interested in starting similar projects in their own regions, attended a summit in Washington, D.C. with over 100 people in attendance. Now a network of participating programs is in place to assist our senior heroes. Resources are pooled, experience is shared and alliances are formed throughout America to get World War II veterans to their precious memorial safely.

Honor Flight Network has established an aggressive goal. Through the end of 2011 we transported more than 81,000 WWII veterans to Washington, D.C. to see their memorial.. The program presently has 117 hubs in 40 states. Due to the senior age of our heroes, and the prediction that we are losing approximately 900 of them daily, we are committed to do all within our power to make their dream a reality. Our current focus will remain on World War II veterans and those veterans from any war who have a terminal illness. However, our vision goes beyond World War II.

Honoring All Our Veterans.

In the future, Honor Flight Network will also pay tribute to America’s other heroes who served during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, followed by veterans of more current wars. They, too, have given so much and it’s time we show them that their efforts are not forgotten. Honor Flight Network has learned a lot over these last four years and one point that stands out is that our veteran heroes aren’t asking for recognition. It is our position that they deserve it. Our program is just a small token of our appreciation for those that gave so much.

Please help us continue to make their dream of visiting THEIR memorial, a reality.
HONOR FLIGHT NETWORK — our way of saying to all our veterans — one more TOUR with HONOR.

http://www.honorflight.org
Honor Flight Kern County
Flying from: BFL (Meadows Field Airport, Bakersfield)
Lili Marsh 661-324-6561
Carolann Wooton 661-322-9199

When someone asks what you or your organization does, are you prepared with an on-message, concise explanation?  If not, you may be missing countless opportunities to establish and reinforce brand awareness.

Elevator Speeches are an important tool in the life of most business people. It doesn’t matter if you are a Photographer, Insurance Agent or any other type of business person, you need a powerful Elevator Speech (ES) to extend and support your personal brand.

An elevator speech is a brief description of your organization—who you are, what you do and why it matters — delivered in the time it would take to move between floors in an elevator.

An effective elevator speech should leave your audience wanting more, while answering the essential questions about your organization.

What you say and how you say it are equal parts to delivering an Elevator Speech that will either cause people to take notice of you or go to sleep.

Here are some Tips to help you create a great powerful elevator speech.

Keep it Short and Sweet.  This Elevator Speech should be no longer than 30 seconds

It has to roll off your tongue. You need to write it down and practice it so it becomes second nature to you. This will support a confident appearance when you say it

You have to believe it. If you develop an ES that embarrasses you or causes you to cringe, you either need to beef up your confidence or change what you’re saying about yourself.

Smile. It’s hard not to love people who smile. It communicates warmth and confidence. You come across as engaging and someone people would like to know more about.

Incorporate a positioning statement. Why should someone care about you, your organization or endeavor? When possible, leverage an emotional connection.

Include a distinctive. For example were you the first or only one to do something? Perhaps you are the largest or oldest. These distinctive s help set you apart and provide credibility.

Remove jargon from your Elevator Speech. Check to see that you are using simple, conversational words. Simplicity is the key. Your Elevator Speech is what you say to everyone. Everyone is either a potential client or knows of a potential client. Everyone needs to understand what you’re saying in layman’s terms.

Remember it’s all about them, not you. Hence check to see that you only mention “I” once. The one time you can use it is at the beginning when you say, “I work with target market.”

Don’t forget the basics. Who does your organization/endeavor benefit? How does your organization benefit someone?

Shut up. Once you’ve delivered your ES, stop yourself from saying anything else. I know this is a tough one, but people often blather on, which deflates the impact of your ES. When you stop talking, it will also prompt the person you are introducing yourself to to ask about you or introduce themselves. Both results are great.

Leave them wanting more. A great test of a powerful ES is if they ask you about what you’ve just said. Go have fun with this. Next time you attend a professional meeting, say your ES, shut up and see what happens.

Have a few ES’s in your toolkit. ES’s are not one size fits all. You will discover that your audience will be a determining factor in what specific message you want to convey. Once you have your primary ES, think through the various groups of people you are likely to use it with. This will help you decide what needs to get tweaked to make it just right for that group of people.

Finish with an ‘ask’. If applicable, be sure to close by saying what others can do to get involved and incorporate a website address where people can get more information.

Test, tweak, test, tweak, test, tweak, and test your Elevator Speech. Test for the verbal responses like, “Tell me more” “Wow that sounds really interesting.” Also test for non-verbal responses. Is the person opening their eyes, looking at you more intently or leaning towards you? You will know and feel when you have a powerful Elevator speech.

Bonus Tip: can your elevator speech answer the “so what?” question before it’s asked? When you deliver your elevator pitch, most people will unconsciously be saying “so what?” Answer it for them. For example, instead of “XYZ company makes your grass grow slower,” try “XYZ company makes your grass grow slower so you don’t have to mow it as often.” See how the “so what?” is answered in the speech?

Your Elevator Speech is among the first things you do that will form an impression with others. You want it to be just like you – professional and well delivered.

Here’s another tool to get you started. Just fill in the blanks to start working on your elevator speech.

[YOUR COMPANY NAME] helps [TYPE OF CUSTOMER YOU SERVE MOST] to [BENEFIT/VALUE YOU DELIVER]. Unlike other companies that provide similar solutions, [YOUR COMPANY] [DIFFERENTIATION – HOW YOU DO IT DIFFERENT – THIS IS WHERE YOU ANSWER THE “SO WHAT?”].

This information was derived from several sources:

• http://blog.journalistics.com/2011/elevator-speech/
• http://www.careerealism.com/elevator-speech-tips/
• http://www.salesconversation.com/issue2.html

The fender bender you were just in appears to be minor. No one looks injured and there is minimal damage to the vehicles. First breathe a sigh of relief – then take these precautions to help prevent your small accident from becoming a big problem.

Don’t drive away.
Do stay at the scene and move your vehicle to a safe place out of traffic even if there appears to be no damage. If the other car is parked and the owner isn’t around, leave a note with your name and contact information.

Don’t assume there aren’t injuries.
Do assess yourself and your passengers. Even low-impact collisions can cause injuries, some not appearing until days after the accident.

Don’t sign any documents and avoid accepting or offering cash for repairs. You may end up paying out-of-pocket to repair damage to your car that only appears minor, or you could pay the other driver more than necessary.
Do stay calm. Take notes and photos, and exchange information with the other driver, including your name, address, phone number, driver’s license number, license plate number, insurance company, and policy number.

Don’t assume an accident is too minor to be reported.
Do call the police or file a report on your own. This will help your insurance agent handle your claim. An accident report could also help protect you from issues that may arise later about the extent of damage to your vehicle or injuries to you and the other driver.

Don’t forget to notify your State Farm agent.
Do discuss your options for handling potential claims.

The State Farm Pocket Agent® smartphone app makes it easy to capture the essential details of an accident. Pocket Agent can help you diagram the accident scene, record witnesses’ names and numbers, contact your agent, and even locate nearby repair shops.

What To Do After an Auto Accident

Auto accidents are unexpected and stressful. Even the most careful drivers may be involved. If you are in an accident, State Farm is committed to helping restore your peace of mind as soon as possible. If you have recently been involved in an accident begin reporting a claim.

Be prepared

• Carry a set of cones, warning triangles, or emergency flares in your trunk to help alert traffic.
• It also helps to have a pen and a card with any relevant medical information for you and your family.

Immediately after an accident

• Take a deep breath and stay calm.
• Check for injuries; call an ambulance when in doubt.
• If accident is minor, move cars to a safe place, out of traffic.
• Turn on your vehicle’s hazard lights and use cones, warning triangles or flares for safety.
• Call the police, even if the accident is minor.
• Notify your insurance agent immediately.

Other important tips

• Do not sign any document unless it’s for the police or your insurance agent.
• Make immediate notes about the accident, including specific damages to all vehicles involved, witness information, etc.
• If the name on an auto registration is different than the driver, jot down the relationship.
• Be polite, but don’t tell anyone the accident was your fault, even if you think it was.
• State only the facts, and limit your discussion of the accident to the police and your insurance agent.
• If possible, don’t leave the accident scene before the police and other drivers do.

Johnny Williamson
BUS: (661) 324-8700
TOLL FREE: (877) 637-8700
Email Me
Lic. # 0F95789

State Farm Insurance