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Bodyguards Do You Know The Art And Science Of The Trade?

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Bodyguards Do You Know The Art And Science Of The Trade?

By Doc Rogers

As bodyguards we work with clients to create a safer and more comfortable lifestyle, which can be a complicated task at times.  It looks simple on paper. Meet client at airport, transport client to hotel, deliver client to first meeting, etc.  But there are a lot of variables involved. 

Each operational area is different and each client has a different temperament.  To make things simpler, it’s best to use a mixture of art and science. To be able work the art and science of bodyguarding you must have the science down pat.  This includes a full knowledge of the trade, familiarity of arrival and departure procedures, knowing your operational area inside and out, as well as the strengths and capabilities of your support personnel.

Here are just a few examples of using the art of bodyguarding.  When on solo-bodyguard assignments use ‘force multipliers’ such as trusted airport meet and greet personnel who escort clients within the tightly controlled airside areas of the airport (customs and passport) directly to your location. It may be difficult for your client to get from airside to the passenger arrival area alone.

Your client may be tired from the flight and you don’t want him or her standing in long lines. Utilize the same procedure upon departure; express security screening, check-in, escorts through passport control and priority boarding gate or lounge.  Also you can setup and provide vetted dedicated baggage handlers at the hotel and airport. 

Your security driver should be under strict SOP (standard operational procedures) to arrive one hour early each day.  To have a cooler filled with clean ice and assorted beverages (bottled water, Coke, Diet Coke and 7-UP) obtained from the hotel concierge desk and placed in the client vehicle. These step-up-step procedures should be provided during the advance phase.

These simple combinations of features make your bodyguard service more effective by knowing who will be within close proximity to your client ahead of time and knowing they will follow an exact set of rules and procedures while performing their support services.  This relieves your mind so you can concentrate and devote your full attention to providing the best bodyguard services possible. 

When you work with other successful bodyguards who have mastered the art and science of the trade it’s because of all the things he or she has done day-after-day has added up to produce that level of success.

Remember, no one is forcing you to do anything. It takes time and considerable effort to setup airport facilitation arrangements and coordinating airport security requirements, etc.  But to perfect the art you need well-defined goals and effectively pursue them.  Knowing it is one thing. Acting on it is something else.

The bodyguard industry survives on utilizing a combination of art and science. Those bodyguards who only provide the science will be struggling and same goes for those who only provide the art.  With the art of bodyguarding it’s important to experiment and try new things.

Learn to utilize the art of being resourceful as well as keeping true to your bodyguard SOPs; blending your bodyguard skills and personal attention you provide to the principal. Don’t be limited in your thinking as it will ultimately benefit your career. Execute your plan. 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.

Understanding the Commercial Side of Bodyguarding

Doc Rogers, Featured Articles

By Doc Rogers

This article will assist bodyguards to understand the commercial side of the business and give them some common sense suggestions on how to avoid becoming a victim of potential unethical business practices in the industry.

Contract: The bodyguard and client should agree to and sign a contract before each assignment.  They must ensure that procedures are inplace to guarantee that the contract is up-held by both the client and the bodyguard and that all payments agreed upon are made.

Attorney: Hire an attorney to write you a professional contract. Don’t use a client’s contact because most contracts that clients provide are not very good for the bodyguard. Use an attorney to write up the contract in your favor. Retaining the services of a good business attorney is not cheap and should be viewed as an investment. They protect the interests of bodyguards.  One of the most important aspects of the contract is to ensure the bodyguard gets paid what he agreed upon with the client before he starts a bodyguard assignment. Be smart hire an attorney to safe guard your interests and ensure that everything is legal and absolutely clear prior to entering into a contract with clients.

Independent Contractor: Many firms retain bodyguards under exclusive contracts. These contracts can range from one day to multi-year professional relationships. However, the majority of service contracts with independent bodyguard contractors are for a one year term. Payments for bodyguard services are usually made by weekly installments consistent with the bodyguard firm’s regular payment procedures.  If you hire independent contracts let them know up front that they will be paid $XX base salary, which will be paid weekly, in the amount of $XX.XX.

Bodyguard Recruitment: If you are a bodyguard businessman you must ensure you retain only highly trained and motivated independent bodyguard contractors, whose compensation is tied to the revenue that they help generate on bodyguard assignments. As a bodyguard businessman you must continually seek to identify, recruit and develop additional independent bodyguard contractors for your business.

Sub-Contractor: Nowadays being a sub-contractor is the norm in the bodyguard world. The danger arises when the bodyguard sub-contracts unknowingly with a fly-by-night security company.  These types of security firms give checks to bodyguards knowing they have insufficient funds to pay for professional services rendered. If sub-contracting with a newer security firm, make sure the contractor has placed enough money up front before the assignment starts to insure that all the bodyguards get paid.

Workers’ Compensation: Bodyguard who work as independent contractors need to realize that in the event of physical injury arising from professional activities they are not entitled to any workers’ compensation coverage or similar benefits for injury, disability, death or loss of wages. The bodyguard can’t make any claim against the bodyguard firm for such coverage or benefit.  It would be a wise move to get independent contractors’ health care coverage from your local your health care provider.

Pay Make sure you get paid as much as possible for your professional services; get paid what you are worth. Hopefully you’ll hold onto some of the cash you’ve earned after your short bodyguard career is over. You don’t often hear of the sad stories of well-respected bodyguards of yesteryear now living in trailer parks on government subsistence. But it’s a gloomy reality for some.  This is a cautionary tale; don’t squander away all your money and sound financial planning is the order of the day. In the bodyguard trade there’s only a small window of economic opportunity; save as much as possible when you are in the prime of your bodyguard career.  Keep safe and God speed.

Doc Rogers has been the “Go To” person for executive protection and secure executive ground transportation in Southeast Asia, India and Pakistan since 1991.  Visit www.icepltd.com for more information.

How to Adapt to Change & Influence the Right People

Doc Rogers, Featured Articles

By Doc Rogers

The world is changing and we need to adjust to these changes as we go about our bodyguard (BG) business wherever the BG business may take us. Here are some suggestions that may help. Take what is useful on your BG journey.

Be Trainable: No matter how long you’ve been in the business one month or twenty years you must be willing to be trainable.  Know-it-all BGs do not cut it in today’s changing environment. Whatever your experience level in the business realize you should be learning and growing on every assignment and also during your downtime by studying.  Be willing to listen and learn something from everyone you meet.

Make Connections: It’s not what you know or who you know; it’s the powerful mixture of both.  When making connections it’s like everything else, you must start at the bottom and work your way up. The goal is to make connections with people within high positions in their chosen vocations.  You eventually want to make connections with people who are influential members of society.  To do this you need BG knowhow, connections with people of influence and being friends with the right mix of individuals. This is what makes BG jobs happen.  I once sat in a waiting room in the office of a police general for 12 hours for a “scheduled appointment.”  He finally showed up, never apologized for the delay, but a strong connection and lucrative deal was made. Moral of the story; take action by increasing the number of high quality relationships you make.

Know Your Weakness: In the macho BG trade weakness is looked upon as a disease.  However, BG’s can’t be equally effective in all areas of the business. For example if you are a domestic based BG and have never been on an international assignment, that’s okay. If you land an international BG assignment just hire someone that has expertise within that operational area. There is nothing wrong with paying other BGs to assist you on an assignment that can do a better job than you can.  Continue to work on any weakness you may have, but in the meantime hire a specialist when needed.

You Are the Enemy: We are our own worst enemies in the BG trade at times. It’s our actions or inactions which causes most of our own misfortune. The world we create; our thoughts and opinions can either build or destroy in this trade of ours.  The BG business can be heaven or hell, paved with gold or be the boulevard of broken dreams. It’s basically all up to us. Instead of complaining we should try and make the BG world we build a good one, because just doing nothing makes us the problem.  Know you enemy: 1) Lack of confidence, 2) Lack of passion, 3) Lack of focus, 4) Negativity, 5) Weak on strategy, 6) Fear of criticism and 7) Weak on taking action. That’s dangerous thinking. Stay abreast of the changing BG landscape, be ready to change your game plan as circumstances shifts, and adapt new strategies to maintain the strongest competitive advantage you have. Keep safe and God speed.

Executive Protection Training

Doc Rogers, Featured Articles

Executive Protection Training During Tough Financial Times

By Doc Rogers

The current recession has made us all re-think our spending habits. For many agents the logical solution for their financial relief is to make tough cutbacks.

This could mean postponing the purchase of that new model firearm, that tactical folder knife, or going out on the town with your team mates. However, this should not include training. Agents should improve and hone their skills. This will ensure that every step you take in the industry, you will be prepared to succeed.

Be known as the one who is always building and updating skills, and who works harder than anyone else. Ramp-up your training when the going gets tough. Improve the skills you already have, deepen your industry credentials by reading books and manuals, industry related newsletters, magazines, as well as taking distance learning courses to stay on top.

These suggestions will not only improve your work product in the field, but will be creating solid experience and and achievement in this industry. Before investing in a book, magazine, newsletter or distance learning course, ensure that the training you take will be a contribution and is necessary to the well-being of your principles, or clients, as well as the EPU (executive protection unit).

[Read more…] about Executive Protection Training

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