By Doc Rogers

Although we may be called bodyguards we utilize our mind more often on the job for client protection than actual physical action.  As professional executive protection specialist we need rational judgment and intelligent to be “a thinking man’s protection specialist.  Here are some recommendations to achieve this goal.

1.    Remain cool under pressure and always businesslike.

2.    Realize the value of your experience; be willing to give advice to the team. Be a ready point of contact.

3.    Assemble a team of well trained, organized, and equipped BGs for your mission.

4.    Employ BG tactics that suits your means and operational area. Become a master of the basic BG techniques and procedures.

5.    BG operations should be planned in detail and based upon careful reconnaissance and up-to-date intelligence.

6.    No route or venue is one hundred percent secure therefore; precautionary measures must always be taken in advance and security must be maintained at all times.

7.    The use of motorcade route maps showing the location of chokepoints in an area is a valuable aid in motorcade planning therefore; make a detailed motorcade route map study.

8.    Brief and rehearse all BGs on their individual responsibilities and duties at arrival and departure points as well as in the event of ambush.

9.    Keep cautious of people watching your BG team, attempting to predict the movements or activities of your client. Stay alert and vary BG formations.

10.    While on BG assignments keep vigilant and ready to react with your BG skills.

11.    You are responsible for your official BG and personal actions. Keep discreet; do not attract attention by rude or unusual behavior. Reflect upon yourself and the BG team with respect at all times.

Stay focused, positive and take action. Visualize goals daily and strive to become a top-notch BG and a capable operator.  Your success will ultimately depend on the effectiveness training, determination and the proper use of the mind. Keep safe and God speed.

By Doc Rogers

Now is certainly the time to reflect on what you’ve learned this past year, here’s some critical lessons I learned in 2011 and I hope there are some good take a ways from this article.

1.    Loyalty. There is no such thing as a loyal client. This may sound negative. But it’s vital to know. You may be focusing all your BG attention and efforts on one key client while neglecting others. Once that key client does not require your BG services any longer you’ll be left with a dramatic dry spell in work and in revenue.  Key Take Away: Focus equally on all your BG clients.

2.    Overload. Don’t try to do all the BG assignments yourself. You will spread yourself too thin and can only work so many assignments at one time. This reduces your income potential. Key Take Away: Shift your focus to managing BG assignment utilizing vetted and trained personnel under your command instead of trying to do all the BG assignments yourself.

3.    Expenses. Don’t neglect incidental expenses. To stay profitable in today’s expensive world BGs must charge clients for their incidental expenses.  Key Take Away:  Your BG contract should have a daily payment for lodging expenses, meals and related incidental expenses while on assignment. This way you revenue will not go down, your expenses will not go up and your profits will not suffer.

4.    Cancellations. Utilize a cancellation clause. In today’s undetermined business world many clients are forced to cancel BG services. Professional BGs should include a cancellation clause in their contract. Cancellations make profits suffer and you can actually lose money.  Key Take Away:   Suggested cancellation fees for BG services: 30 – 15 days prior to BG service: 5%, 14 – 7 days prior to BG service: 10%, 6 – 3 days prior to BG service: 25% and Less than 72 hours prior to BG service: 50% of the total price quoted for the BG assignment.

5.    Errors. Accept your past errors. As professionals BGs we cannot account for all the errors of the world. Cancelled flights, delays in visas, passport renewals, lost luggage,  etc.  Mistakes happen from time to time. We acknowledge this fact.  But we should not dwell upon them or let them affect our performance. Key Take Away: Champions learn from past errors and do their best to avoid repetition in the future.

6.    Risks. We should take more positive risks in our lives (never on the job where clients are concerned). This includes career advancement, obtaining BG contracts, meeting the right people and obtaining more education. Key Take Away: Historically those who achieved greatness in business and in their personal lives took all the positive risks possible. For once they crossed that risk; personal satisfaction, confidence, self-respect was gained and success became easier. Don’t be afraid to take changes.  Keep safe and God speed.

How to become a bodyguard: By Doc Rogers
Considering a career change from your present line of work, maybe the bodyguard industry is the right fit for you? This article gives 10 powerful thoughts to help make this a reality.

1. Do you have the ability to help others? As a bodyguard you keep your clients out of harm’s way and give them the confidence they need to achieve their business and personal goals securely.

2. Continuously learning. As a professional bodyguard you will be constantly obtaining special knowledge (expertise) from your formal training, on-the-job training and independent study (often at your own cost). You should never stop learning the trade.

3. Appreciation for different cultures.  You will gain an understanding of the world we live and work in, so you can better protect your clients. As a bodyguard you will learn about the cultures and the traditions of the countries you will be operating in as well as the respect for it’s people.

4. Great salary. Bodyguarding is a labor intensive profession. Charge your clients accordingly. You want to avoid having your fees to low or to high. Provide the best quality service at the best price, at a happy medium. As a bodyguard you won’t starve, but you won’t become a millionaire either.

5. Bodyguarding is a rewarding profession. Bodyguards have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of their clients. Bodyguards are not only rewarded with money, but also the feeling of fulfillment in keeping their clients safe.

6. Career security. Even with a weak economy bodyguards are still needed worldwide. Bodyguards rarely take pay-cuts; our salaries stay stable even in these tough economic times.

7. Job mobility.  Bodyguards can move to any part of the world and conduct business.  Bodyguarding is an excellent mobile occupation that allows you to live anywhere in the world and there’s a big world out there with lots of opportunities.

8. Prestige and respectability. The respect accorded to trained bodyguards rivals that of law enforcement and the military. Bodyguarding is considered a noblest profession, according to folklore it’s the fifth oldest profession in the world.

9. Client versatility. You have a choice of working with high powered business executives, politicians, superstar athletes, famous entertainers and celebrities, as well as everyday individuals who are under threat.

10. Life long friendships. Bodyguards develop life long friendships with other professionals throughout the world. Some of these friends will become your second family while on the road. This is one of the greatest aspects of the job.

Always keep safe and God speed.
Doc Rogers is the author of Corporate Executive Protection – A Manual for Inspiring Corporate Bodyguards and president and CEO of International Corporate Executive Protection Ltd. Doc has earned a Ph.D. in Security Administration from Southwest University and he is SE Asia’s leading expert on executive protection and corporate security. To learn how to make a full time living as a corporate bodyguard visit the websites below for more information.

http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=182707
http://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Executive-Protection-Inspiring-Bodyguards/dp/1425135927
http://international-corporate-executive-protection.com/order.asp

By Doc Rogers
7 Great Ways to Improve Your Executive Protection Career
Many young EP agents discover that the competition is fierce and a good a EP career is not as easy to acquire as they have expected. When trying to improve your EP career, you should applied the following methods over a period of time; as nothing worthwhile happens overnight. Apply these following improvement tips daily and watch your career takeoff.

1. Love Your EP Career. As bodyguards we wake up each morning  protecting clients from insane or psychotic individuals who prey on the rich, famous and powerful. You’ve got to love your BG career because if you don’t love it, you’re not going to last long in the industry.

2. Read EP Literature. Devote a few hours a day reading EP and related topics to keep up on the latest EP trends, to spark new ideas and to get motivated. Because motivation is what guides and maintains your goal-oriented behavior.

3. Improve Your Physical Appearance. Make an investment in a new suit and tie, quality shoes, hair cut, join a gym to lose weight or bulk up. Remember, these are classified as investments not liabilities.

4. Join BG Associations: Join a professional association to network with other professionals in the business and to attend association workshops and meetings. A highly professional association is the North American Bodyguard Association the National the Director is Mr. Elijah Shaw.

5. Get a BG Career Mentor: Having a BG mentor is invaluable for improving your career. Professional mentors have been there and done that.  They have the experience, connections and know-how to assist you with your BG career improvement goals you wish to accomplish. Mr. Harlan (Hucky) Austin President of Bodyguards Careers has a career consulting program that is fantastic.

6. Email BG Colleagues: Keep in contact with BG colleagues in the industry you have met. If you haven’t stayed in touch, re-establish contact with an email like this: “Wanted to send you this email to say that our friendship is a strong one and you can call on me if needed at any time.” Include your website and contact information. Don’t take up their precious time or ramble on, but do let them know about any recent BG training you have received.

7. Be Results-Driven. To improve your EP career you need to be results-driven and have a mission-oriented mindset. Focus your attention on your shortcomings. Create a training regimen for yourself: advance work studies, basic and advance EP tactics, report writing and contract writing, as well as motorcade dynamics. I hope these seven tips will help you to achieve your BG career goals. Best of luck and God speed.

Bodyguard job hunting is a job in itself, and there are many ways of going about it. Job agencies, sending out resumes and posting ads are the traditional ways to get a BG and they still work. However, there are more ways to hunt for a bodyguard job. Use the bodyguard job hunter’s checklist below for your assistance.

1. Direct approach; knocking on the door of the corporation you are interested in working for and dropping off your resume personally. This may be done whether they have posted an bodyguard job opening or not.  This is called “cold calling” contacting the corporate bodyguard department or executive protection unit directly to find out if they foresee any upcoming vacancies.

2. Most bodyguard jobs are not advertised; for this reason it is a good idea to send your resume out to corporations at random. There are always hidden BG jobs waiting to be discovered out there.

3. The old standby networking; however I believe it should be done with a new twist. Don’t ask everyone you meet you are looking for a job, first develop a relationship with that persons, let them know what resources and expertise you bring to the table. How you can help them, and not how they can help you. The more people you develop a relationship and know what you bring to the table the more opportunities you will have.

4. Target overseas companies; don’t be afraid to send your resume to overseas corporations if you are not having any luck locally. Make a list of overseas companies in the areas of operation that you would like to work. Call these overseas companies directly to see if they have any bodyguard job openings.

5. Meet directly with bodyguards; put on some professional attire and meet up with bodyguards that you have met on the social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc). Again, tell them how you can assist them with their operations locally and overseas. Don’t ask for a job, build a friendship, but do bring your resume for his or her review and for verification of your bodyguard training and experience so they know you are a legitimate professional.

6. Look for temporary bodyguard employment; these type of jobs can be found at boxing, mix martial arts (MMA) events, concerts and cultural entertainment and beauty pageants, anywhere there is a need for bodyguards due to local or international stars, celebrities, VIP’s and famous individuals being in attendance. Obtaining a temporary bodyguard job at one of these events, get your foot in the door, you may be called upon for future work or it can lead to permanent bodyguard position.

I hope this has been of assistance and I wish you all Good Luck on your bodyguard job hunt. Keep safe and God speed.
http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=182707

http://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Executive-Protection-Inspiring-Bodyguards/dp/1425135927

http://international-corporate-executive-protection.com/order.asp