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THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF EXECUTIVE PROTECTION
By Doc Rogers
I am positive that if you follow the 10 commandments of executive protection they will have a profound impact on your career and positively contribute to a safe environment for your clients
10) Thou Shall Do the Job without Fail:
You should never fail in carrying out your executive protection activities, while keeping the trust and confidence the client has placed in you and your bodyguard abilities. Consistently produce positive results through thick and thin.
9) Thou Shall Never Allow Anger to Override Professional Judgment:
In the bodyguard business we should avoid open hostilities even when sleep deprived and under physical and mental stress from the job. Be tolerant with people you come into professional contact with. This does not include people who pose a threat to your client, of course, but should include hotel managers, event management personnel and restaurant managers, etc. Maintain your focus on the task at hand and try not to become angered. Keep a sense of diplomacy when dealing with problems. Using calm diplomacy is the best way for dispute resolution rather than anger or confrontation. This will assist you in your ability to grow more cohesive with your operational environment and make things run smoother on the job and may also avoid bad media attention for your client.
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Executive Protection – Third World Urban Environments
By Doc Rogers
With increased incidents of terrorism, hostage taking, and kidnapping, the protection of corporate executives is of extreme importance. The major focus of executive protection (EP) is keeping your clients safe to ensure “nothing happens.”
On international EP assignment especially in Third World urban environment the risk of hostage takings, hijackings, sabotages, armed assaults and bombings increase. How can EP agents prevent terrorism acts occurring within the proximity when they are elusive, surprising and violent acts?
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Increasing your value as an Executive Protection Agent
There are no elaborate schemes or formulas for earning more as an executive protection agent; it really comes down to a single thing. Never cut your rates. As simple as this one thing sounds, anyone who has been in business at all will know there always seem to be compelling reasons to cut your rates but when you do so, you create a landslide of obstacles barring access to increased future earnings.
We have all experienced the disappointment of purchasing an item or service at full price only to find the same item from the same provider days later for substantially less money. When this happens it doesn’t take much to figure out that the seller was offering the item far above market value in the first place.
Executive Protection Agent
Whenever this happens you immediately feel taken advantage of. This is the same thing that occurs in the mind of your client when they realize your rates were always open to a downward adjustment. This is true when your client is the one who manages to negotiate a better rate with you and when they hear of another client getting a better rate for the same service.
The second problem with cutting your rates is that it sends a signal to your client that you really are not worth the money you charge. Again, think of this as a consumer. People who are selling a superior product or service do not have to drop their prices, they know their product is worth the money, and they know their customers will pay a fair price. This is not arrogance; this is confidence.
Clients may not always enjoy paying for services rendered but they do enjoy knowing they are getting good value for the money they spend on personal protection. When you stick to your guns you are sending a message to your client that your services as an executive protection agent are worth every penny of what you are charging.
Another reason for standing firm is that when you agree to accept less for your services you are telling your client you are desperate. The problem with being desperate is that it indicates no one else would want to hire you. This is a bad message to send to a client who is counting on you to keep them safe.
It’s a little bit like shopping for a bullet-resistant vest and the shop keeper is uncompromising on his price for the first three you look at, but on the fourth vest he is more than willing to bargain. Anyone who values their life would not pay for the fourth vest, and you would probably not wear it even if the shop keeper was giving it away for free.
The way to fix this problem is to do a good market analysis and price your services accurately for the market you are in. Write up a solid business plan that explains why you are worth the rates you charge and include honest appraisals of your services compared with the competition within your market. Bring value to your client and be prepared to explain why you have priced your services as they are.
Try not to be offended when they ask you to justify your fees, this is your chance to shine and let them know what they are getting for their money. List your certifications and the schools you have attended. Explain how your EMT certifications, language skills, marksmanship training, and other acumen benefit them. Once you determined the fair price for your services stand firm and show your client that you are worth the investment.
The author Douglas Belton is a practicing security provider with over 25 years in the industry.
Warmest Regards
Founder of Bodyguard Careers
Harlan (Hucky) Austin
Why High Net Worth Individuals Need Executive Protection
By Harlan (Hucky) Austin
Although the accumulation of great wealth is a good thing, it does not come without certain concerns. Basically, the more an individual has the more they have to lose. This is where executive protection comes in. In most cases high net worth individuals who earn over $500,000 per year have already begun to take certain measure to protect their wealth including advanced security systems on their homes and vehicles.
In some cases high net worth individuals hire executive protection companies to provide armed officers to stand static posts at the home and or office.
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Executive Protection on the SPOT
By Doug Belton
I remember reading Robert Ludlum’s Bourne series back in the early 1980’s. I was fascinated by the places Jason Bourne traveled to and the way he out foxed his enemies at every turn. Sometimes he was shot or beaten, but he always got the upper hand through sheer guile.
I know everyone says the book is always better than the movie and in most cases I agree. However, having seen the Bourne books brought to life by Matt Damon in movie form, in this case, I have to disagree. In particular I want to draw your attention to the third movie, “The Bourne Ultimatum.”