Learn How a Bodyguard Course Can Make You Better at Executive Protection

Should I take a Bodyguard Course?

Did you know, a Bodyguard Course can help you advance your executive protection career? But here’s the kicker, everything in the executive protection (EP) business has a cost connected to it.
EP is all about ensuring the safety of VIPs. Today, an EP job could involve guarding the President of a Fortune 500 company, traveling with a celebrity like Ariana Grande, or securing the compound of a tech CEO like Mark Zuckerberg. Executive protection is meaningful, important work that comes with a lot of responsibility. Those who aspire to enter the field imagine the excitement and the opportunity to rub elbows with the rich and famous, but they often fail to research the most critical aspect of the job – executive protection training.

Bodyguard jobs remain great fodder for films and television series, most recently Netflix’s hit show Bodyguard. But these are dramatizations. It’s highly unlikely you’ll be recruited to foil a major terrorist plot. However, you will be expected to protect your client at all costs and continuously think on your feet, and that requires extensive training that you can get from a Bodyguard Course.

There are over 1 million security guards in the United States, across all specialties, and 668,000 of those guards work in investigation and security services, according to a May 2017 study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In short, this is a coveted job for elite professionals who are trained in excellence. It’s a competitive field, and there aren’t as many openings as other industries. Thus, excellent training from a bodyguard course is a surefire way to stand out.

Bodyguard Course Training – Getting Started

There are four key paths you can take to become an executive protection professional:

Military experience – In the military, you learn some of the best tactical training there is, you get your body in amazing physical shape, and you do it all with a sense of duty.
Formal education – Though you’ll need to supplement your education with defensive technical training, criminal justice or law enforcement degree can give you the upper hand in a competitive field. Your degree can also help you ascend the ranks faster once you’re hired.
Licensure – You can start by acquiring the appropriate licenses specific to your field (i.e. a license to carry a concealed weapon). In most cases, you’ll receive safety training before securing your license, and you’ll start to learn the ins and outs of firearms.
Specialized training – Bodyguard course training is specifically geared toward prepping executive protection professionals for real-world experience. You can learn from experienced professionals, and you can study alongside fellow enthusiastic trainees. You’ll receive a curriculum that’s customized for your line of work. This is the most direct and effective way to prep.

Keep in mind that you won’t receive this training or education on the job. You’ll need to begin this journey before you ever click send on your first bodyguard job application. Also, as you prep to enter the industry, you’ll need to get in peak physical shape and take care of basic skills, like maintaining an active driver’s license.

Once you’re trained, you can work with a bodyguard staffing recruiter to start identifying relevant opportunities.

In most cases, you’ll need to meet a few requirements before selecting your training path:

You’ll need to be 18 years of age or older.
You’ll need good physical health. This doesn’t just mean strength; it includes good eyesight and excellent hearing.
You’ll need to be well-groomed. Bodyguards need to be professional and unassuming, which means being clean-cut, with no distracting beards, hairstyles, or tattoos.
You’ll need to pass a criminal background check, so be sure to clear up even the smallest issues like overdue parking tickets.
You’ll need a strong understanding of client confidentiality. Protecting a VIP means you’ll often be exposed to information or conversations that must be treated with the utmost respect.
You’ll need to be naturally observant and alert, and you’ll need excellent communication skills.
You’ll need to pass drug testing.
You’ll need at least a high school diploma or GED.
You might need 4-6 years of experience as an entry-level guard, depending on the program or the job you aspire to.

What you’ll learn in a training course

No two executive protection jobs are the same. You’ll have to protect your clients from threats as serious as bodily harm, kidnapping, assault, assassination, stalking, and harassment, or as non-threatening as embarrassment. This could mean managing a massive crowd, securing a large area or venue, driving, or even shadowing your clients. The job of a bodyguard is extensive, and thus, your executive protection training will cover quite a lot of topic areas.

Expect your training to include:

Thorough overview of what protective services include
The basics of security and how executive protection builds upon that
Measures and countermeasures: These are offensive and defensive interventions designed to keep your client out of harm’s way. Measures include safe entrance and exit strategies, varied travel routing, and maintaining a strong forward presence. Countermeasures could include alternate hotel accommodations and quick evacuation plans.
Examples of specifics and techniques that you can expect based on the level of your assigned VIP
Expected legal issues
Command post operations
How to conduct vehicle searches
Protective driving strategies
Surveillance detection skills
Commonly used walking formations
Defense tactics
Firearms tactics
Bodyguard ethics – there will be unwritten rules you’re expected to follow.
Conflict management skills – you may need to de-escalate a situation without using physical force.
Unarmed combat
First aid skills – situations could arise in which you need to administer life-saving aid.
Risk assessment skills – you need to be an expert at identifying threats and creating a plan of action based on your assessment.
Escorting – part of your job could include escorting VIPs from point A to point B; this may not sound tough, but you’ll need to protect individuals at all times while in transit.

Whatever path you choose to begin your career as a bodyguard, understand that extensive executive protection training is required to ensure you’re a viable candidate that can perform under pressure, regardless of the situation or the client.

So start a savings plan to attend a bodyguard course today, an remember clients and employers are impressed with EP certificates and credentials. Professional EP credentials mean something in this business and you are well-advised to get certified. So take a bodyguard course read a few good books and start preparing your career, if there’s too much EP competition where you are, go somewhere less congested and where professional EP services are in demand. Pay the price by taking massive focused action and by putting your EP skills and experiences to their highest and best possible use. Doers and dreamers both have a price to pay, but doers seize the opportunity to build, promote, deliver, and sustain superior results. Take action and find a way to apply this information today. What you do today, you’ll harvest tomorrow.

Related Posts:

About Harlan Austin
Harlan Austin is the founder and editor of Bodyguard Careers. If you need help getting started in Executive Protection, Click on this link.

I look forward to sharing in your success–I know you will find, as I have, that you are on a career path that is both interesting and profitable.
Sincerely Harlan Austin

Tony Scotti Shares Knowledge About Security Driving

Industry Leader

Tony Scotti Vehicle Dynamics Institute — Tony Scotti

Learn from the Legendary Tony Scotti

Tony Scotti trained governments, corporations, law enforcement agencies, and military organizations to avoid vehicle violence. For 5 decades his training programs have been conducted in over 35 countries, students from 74 countries have attended his programs on five continents.

He sold his company in 1997 and in 1999 went into semi-retirement. He became a consultant for Mercedes Benz, assisting Mercedes Benz in introducing the Guard Car (armored car) into the US and overseas market. In 2003 Tony became the Executive Vice President of Tony Scotti’s Vehicle Dynamics Institute (TSVDI).

Tony combined his knowledge of science, (He holds a B.S. in Engineering from Northeastern University) and vehicle dynamics with firsthand experience gained while conducting real-world security operations in moderate and high-risk locales around the globe. The result has been teaching students the critical skills needed to survive a life-threatening situation while behind the wheel.

Transition From Developing and Training Security Drivers to Driver Certification

Early 2012 Tony Scotti created the International Security Driver Association (ISDA). International Security Driver Association mission is to provide and support an international forum of protective services providers who share knowledge for the ultimate purpose of enhancing professional and business standards. ISDA serves the protective services community with an emphasis on secure transportation and security driving. ISDA members are security practitioners who supply protective services to corporate executives, high-net-worth individuals, military personnel, and law enforcement agents and officers.

Tony has authored several books on security and driving available for purchase on Amazon.

Security Transportation Expertise is Top Sought-After Skill in Executive Protection

Tony Scotti is a man passionate about what he does and wants people to know that within all the various aspects of working as a professional in the executive protection field, secure transportation driving skills are paramount. He gets a bit testy when people indicate that working as a driver is a means of breaking into the EP business. He emphasizes it IS the business.

He explains that all high net-worth individuals are in need of secure transportation due to mandates by the IRS Tax codes as well as Kidnap and Ransom Insurance requirements. Top-earners or diplomats are most likely to experience problems while out of their homes, being transported from one place to another; and that’s a big part of what being an Executive Protection Specialist entails.

Tony explains, “Security Driver training and certification is a key component of EP work, and in fact, the corporate market demands a return on the investment; protectees are often paying out-of-pocket for this protection.” To claim a driver as a deductible business expense (in consideration of the insurance and IRS requirements) requires a properly trained driver be employed in the position. For high net-worth individuals, obtaining K & R insurance means there is a need for security. And this is where regulations and certification become so crucial, because K & R Insurance cannot be obtained if a driver is not trained and certified.

It’s interesting to note that few of the top Executive Protection schools include Secure Driver Training in their curriculum, despite the fact that it is the most crucial and sought-after skill set. Some will offer Security Driving at an extra cost. But the majority of the EP training providers offer no security driver training. Tony states the reason for this is two-fold: logistics and expenses. The logistical problem is that schools cannot find a training facility with the correct amount of space. If they can find the space, the cost of renting the facility is exorbitant. And, it’s a cost-prohibitive endeavor; the insurance rates are sky-high because one small mistake in a training program can be dangerous and costly. It’s an expensive risk that a majority of the EP schools prefer not to take.

The Laws of Physics “Drive” the Certification Standards for Security Drivers

Using his background in science and vehicle dynamics, Tony was responsible for creating driving standards using data published by the Society of Automotive Engineers. He explains, “an average driver only needs to be able to use a minimum of 40% of a vehicle’s capability. A security driver needs to be operating with 80% of the vehicles capability. This requires training.”

Tony was instrumental in the development of a set of standard times in which a car has to move away from becoming the target of an act meant to embarrass, harass, or cause harm. He was able to demonstrate via a computer model that measured lateral acceleration, braking, and turning—where even .5 off a second can make the difference between life or death. It was determined that specific actions within a specific period of time need to take place to escape a situation that jeopardizes an individual in a vehicle. This quantifying meant that drivers could be tested and subsequently, certified to meet these qualifying time + action skills.

It’s important to note that meeting these standards is required of drivers by major corporations. So the task of becoming a qualified security driver should be at the top of anyone’s list who is seeking work in the EP field.

Finding Employment as a Security Driver: Something of a Catch-22

Tony explains that the market is driven by the corporate world’s needs.
“I have never in 40 years of doing this work marketed to a person coming into the profession. Most corporations hire a driver first, then put that driver through a credible and professional driver training program to enhance existing driving skills.” The need by corporations is to provide training (and refresher-training) for the drivers they already have. But you can’t be hired as a driver if you don’t have experience, training, or some of the “soft skills” needed. These skills include: Computer proficiency, good health, medical training/CPR, and communication skills. In addition, clients can be very selective when seeking specific personalities with whom they like to work.

So, the trick is to determine which companies might be in need of security drivers, and what skill set is needed to become a driver, and how to get your foot in the door. Most drivers that are hired by corporations already have some background as a professional driver (in the military services or law enforcement, government – high-risk contractors
perhaps in banking or transportation.)

Tony’s association ISDA offers a “Roadmap of Success Checklist,” and provides additional information for those seeking employment. First, he suggests to newcomers interested in this field check their egos. Too many who have gone through EPS coursework come out possessing a “know-it-all” manner. He pointed out there is an overly-confident mindset that a number of people seem to possess, a lack of insight into the business, and an aversion to putting in the work. He points to the role of passion required to place oneself on the path to success, and suggests it is important to find someone to emulate. “Look for the pattern of behavior that got them there.”

Secondly, Tony advises novices to consider paying for their own training and obtain a certificate. A willingness to do extensive research is also key. He suggests reading blogs, following newsgroups, and seeking out all the free knowledge available. A hot tip is to look into the W.P.S. (Worldwide Protective Services) and also Defense Industry Daily to see what is happening throughout the world. In areas like Afghanistan, and Iraq, employers are seeking individuals to hire as security drivers, and paying for their training! Read business newspapers to see what shifts may be occurring in companies that could require a driver’s services.

“Be inquisitive, with a thirst for knowledge, and proactive in your thinking about where your services might be needed. Look beyond protecting celebrities, and be willing to start on the ground floor.” He points out that many who find their way into Security Driver positions (and eventually into a broader-spectrum of EPS work) start as Gate Guards or Control Room Operators at a corporation, and prove themselves to be reliable, resourceful and easy to work with.

Unsurprisingly, most companies prefer to promote from within. Upgrading a known-quantity with whom an excellent working relationship has been established is preferable for most employers. Indeed.com and LinkedIn.com can be helpful resources also, as many companies use these portals to advertise for entry-level positions.

ISDA Membership and the Future of Security Driving

Tony disclosed the problems inherent with ADAS – (Advanced Driving Assistance Systems) vehicles that are leading to the development of a new set of guidelines to train drivers, who need to be able to drive cars with ADAS. “The warning systems can all be very different, depending on the make and model of the vehicle. The Society of Automotive Engineers are working to create some uniformity across brands to ensure security drivers (many who are often transporting people in rental vehicles) are able to understand the complexity of “ADAS”.

Additionally, ISDA is helping to develop an online learning program, which is expected to be ready by the end of 2019. Tony is an ardent believer in providing individuals with knowledge, and the plan is to offer some of the course at no charge to ISDA Members.

Lastly, Tony Scotti invites the readers of Bodyguard Careers to join ISDA. Membership offers information on job opportunities, articles by professionals in the field, and the latest trends in the Security Driving and EP business.

There is also a Training Directory available at his website: https://isdacenter.org

This article was written by Bodyguard Careers staff writer Cynthia Uhrich. If you would like to be featured in the series (or know of someone who would make an excellent subject) feel free to contact “Industry Leaders” Editor Cynthia Uhrich at: cynthiauhrich@gmail.com

How To Find The Best Executive Protection Schools, For Executive Protection Training

Douglas Belton, Featured Articles

The Truth About Executive Protection Schools

Executive Protection SchoolsTraining — Executive Protection School

What you should know about executive protection schools. Several years ago I was on a layover at Midway Airport when I noticed a professionally dressed woman looking in my direction wearing an expression that I quickly recognized as one of familiarity.

You know the look that someone gives you right before the index finger begins to wag and that age-old line rolls off the tongue, “Hey, don’t I know you from someplace?”

The interesting thing was that she wasn’t so much looking at me as she was looking at my black portfolio with the bright red embossed emblem which read, “SPI” for, Southern Police Institute.

That black portfolio and the Kentucky Colonel plaque that hangs in my office are the membership cards that tie me into an elite group of law enforcement professionals with whom I share a common experience and a common set of credentials.

In law enforcement circles there are only a few command schools that really matter, The FBI Academy, Northwestern Command School, and the Southern Police Institute. If you have attended one of those three schools you have met the first several key requirements for any command level police chief job you might be pursuing.

Essential Ingredients When Selecting Executive Protection Training

Much talk has been made of two essential ingredients for success in the professional world these days. The two new buzzwords are “Branding” and “Networking.” If you want to get the job or the contract its all about your brand and your network, few other things matter as much.

As it is in the world of law enforcement, there are certain executive protection schools that will set you apart from the competition and effectively “Brand” you as a serious contender for desirable work and that will expand your “Network” so that you are not alone in marketing yourself.

At the conclusion of this article, we will show you how to make an informed decision about which executive protection school you will attend. But first, let us talk a little bit about what’s out there and how to avoid some of the predatory marketing practices of schools that will leave you broke, ignorant, and empty-handed, when its time to produce some credentials.

If you want to be certified in CPR go take a Red Cross course and they will certify you. If you want to be certified to teach a firearms course the NRA can fix you up. But if you want to be a certified executive protection specialist there is no such certification available.

Training schools can give you a certification that says you passed their course, but that certification is not universally recognized as a qualifier to perform EP services. Any executive protection school that promises they will certify you as an EP specialist without carefully explaining that their certificate does not meet any legal standard for qualification is trying to take advantage of you.

Because there is no legal requirement of certification for EP services, there is no true need for any executive protection school to offer certification other than as a document to indicate you passed their course.

Executive Protection Training — Sponsored Ad

Make Sure you look at Reputable Executive Protection Schools

However, it is important to note that some reputable executive protection schools are accredited by the state which they operate, and many training courses will teach you legal requirements for use of force and use of firearms.

You also want to be on the lookout for schools that promise you work upon completion of their executive protection course. Let’s face it, the job market is tough out there and getting EP work is just as competitive as ever.

Attending a reputable executive protection school can open doors for you but no one can promise you work just because you completed their course. A good and reputable school like the (Executive Protection Institute) will tell you this up front.

Most potential business executives will want to know that you have been trained in the executive protection field. Anyone who is not interested in knowing whether or not you have been trained is probably only looking for a couple of knuckle-dragging goons to knock people aside or to look impressive.

There is a substantial amount of liability involved in hiring untrained ep agents.

Some celebrities have paid out large sums of money for having friends or relatives serve as protection only to have them respond inappropriately in a critical situation and cause harm to citizens. A well-trained bodyguard is well worth their wages and will protect the client physically and religiously.

When you are looking for a reputable executive protection school look for one that is run by security professionals who themselves have stellar credentials and years of experience in the executive protection industry. There are several important factors to consider when selecting an executive protection school:

•   Location
•   Price
•   Coursework
•   Reputation

LOCATION: Fortunately, some reputable executive protection schools now offer online courses. This is important because often traveling to another state to receive security training can become cost prohibitive.

However, if possible it is best to attend a local executive protection school because more than likely your first jobs will not be long-term protective detail assignments traveling the world with a Rock Star or Rapper, living in hotels!

You will likely find yourself on short-term personal security assignments working a small venue for a political client for one night or working as a stand-in for someone who is unavailable for an executive that needs to get safely to the airport.

A security company may want to hire you to do access control at the building entrance of a major corporation at first, or you may be asked to volunteer with a small team to protect the family of a CEO at a fundraising event.

Earlier I mentioned the importance of networking. Attending a local school where you are face to face with other executive protection agents and the instructors affords one the optimal opportunity to network.

If you take an online course you miss the opportunity to interact personally with other security personnel.
PRICE: Do your homework. Compare prices of different executive protection training programs. Determine how many hours of training you will receive for the fees you are expected to pay.

Don’t fall for those ads that promise you a new career for $1500 and 30 hours of coursework. The promise of executive protection jobs completion of this course is an outright lie.

One “executive protection training course” tells people they will be a “certified executive protection specialist” upon completion of the program. When you see ads like this ask to speak to alumni of these programs. Review the refund policy. Visit other websites and read blogs or boards to read what working professionals in the business have to say.

COURSEWORK: Again, compare the coursework of the various close protection training schools. 15 hours of coursework does NOT train you to be an executive protection professional. It takes months of hard work and study to become a police officer and even more hard work, study, and years of experience to become a police executive. The same can be said for becoming a firefighter, an EMT, a paramedic.

Military service personnel and other professionals also go through a comprehensive program training before taking an active role in their field. Even these protective services professionals with all their training and extensive experience will find it difficult to obtain work in executive protection services.

A handful of classes with Acme Bodyguards School will not make you a “Certified” protective operations professional. The fact is that if it sounds too good to believe it probably is too good to believe.

REPUTATION: Word of Mouth in this line of business is important. While it’s true that not every individual is going to be happy 100% of the time with even the best bodyguard training programs, the positive comments will outnumber the negative comments made by the public.

You need to look at the big picture. Contact the Better Business Bureau prior to investing any money in an EPS training program. Consider contacting the schools personally via telephone and ask questions. Ask to read bios of the instructors and complete course descriptions. Read about people who have had careers you admire and learn where they trained.

At the beginning of this article, I mentioned meeting a person at Midway Airport. A uniform, a certain tattoo, or even a black portfolio can gain you recognition and identify you as one of the clubs. The right executive protection school can open doors for you as well, but you have to be realistic in your expectations.

My black portfolio and the school it represents got me noticed and it gave me a platform for speaking to a stranger who had nothing more in common with me than the school we both attended. However, it is my own experience, personality, and winsome nature that kept the door of opportunity open.

Years later, I brought that same portfolio to a job interview. The man interviewing me was an FBI graduate. He took one look at that portfolio, smiled, and asked me a few serious questions before the interview turned into a casual conversation about the two different command schools we attended.

Look carefully at the executive protection schools we recommend and understand that when you walk into that interview or you make your pitch to a corporate security job, you may be taking the reputation of that school into the interview with you, so choose carefully.

Related Posts:

About Harlan Austin
Harlan Austin is the founder and editor of Bodyguard Careers. If you need help getting started in Executive Protection, Click on this link.

I look forward to sharing in your success–I know you will find, as I have, that you are on a career path that is both interesting and profitable.
Sincerely Harlan Austin

Online Executive Protection Training At Your Fingertips

Bodyguard Training

Who the Heck Am I And Why Should You Listen to Me

Hi, I’m Harlan Hucky Austin, and I want to help you get started in Executive Protection. I understand you are in the process of making some difficult decisions about how you will invest your valuable time and money in developing yourself into world-class executive protection professional. With that being said, I am honored that you have sought out my advice in assisting you to reach the best possible decision.

Fortunately, there are many men and women that have chosen to share their vast experience in this exciting field. The proliferation of executive protection training schools that have sprung up across the country and the globe create both an opportunity and a challenge.

On the one hand, there is plenty to choose from and, on the other hand, it takes a degree of insight and investigation to separate those schools that are worthy of your investment from those bent on wasting your time and money.

Online Executive Protection Training

Newcomers to the industry can typically spend upwards of $1,000 to $3,000 or more in attending training courses before they realize whether or not the profession is something that they wish to pursue further. Bodyguard Careers offers an Online Executive Protection Training Course “Cracking The Executive Protection Code ” Online Bodyguard Training course that allows students to make an informed decision earlier and at a far less cost.

The objectives of this course are to provide executive protection trainees with a thorough insight into the realm of executive protection and to provide an overview of the skill sets required in order to pursue a career as a professional bodyguard.

This unique, low-cost course allows students to make a more educated decision on whether or not they should make the costly financial and time-consuming investment into following a career in which they may later find does not suit them well. The course is conducted by seasoned professionals with real-life experience and expertise in the field of executive protection.

We are confident that our approach to executive protection training is unparalleled in quality. Once the course is completed, you the student will have a basic understanding of what is needed to get started in executive protection. So what are you waiting for?

Let Me Teach You How to Get Started in Executive Protection!

SIGN UP NOW

If It Was Easy, Everyone Would Be a Bodyguard

Doc Rogers, Featured Articles

By Doc Rogers

The bodyguard trade has a price, everyone must pay for admission. When you first start you must get specific executive protection training from a recognized school. The training does not come cheap, but look at it as an investment. Once you successfully complete your training there are additional fees that must be paid and honestly many bodyguard candidates aren’t willing to pay.

This includes long workdays (12-20 hours) intense agendas and stressful conditions, weeks and even months away from your family, living out of a suitcase and lots of unexciting hotel and airline food. These are not complainants. The pay is decent; hard work deserves good pay and most of us knew what the job entailed before we got into the trade. However, I want to make it clear that this type of work isn’t for everybody. If it was an easy way of life, everyone would be a bodyguard.

If after reading the above, you are still interested in becoming a bodyguard, than you have the required determination and heart to succeed. I’m not trying to discourage people from entering the trade, but remember there is a price to pay. You may be in for a struggle and lots of non-glamorous work. After your initial bodyguard training at the academy do not stop your learning process. Read everything you can on the subject. There is no such thing as too much experience and knowledge.

When looking for work in the industry do not pass up volunteer jobs. This includes volunteering your time at local celebrity dinners or functions. These volunteer jobs always tend to payoff in the future. It also looks good on your résumé. But remember; go to give, not to take and serve greatly.

Next suggestion, move to city where the bodyguard trade is in demand. It is possible to find bodyguard work anywhere in the world. But your best chances are in a city the needs bodyguards. Do not move to any particular city on a whim. Be prepared and do your research first. Start making daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals for your bodyguard career.

When you first start, start out small. Get some quality business cards made, start meeting others bodyguards on Facebook and LinkedIn. Start attending bodyguard workshops in your area and mailing your résumé to Fortune 500 company executive protection units. Just make sure your résumé makes a good impression before sending them out. As you meet each goal, generate a new one until you land a bodyguard job and obtain a long-term career. With heart and determination you will make it. Keep safe and God speed.

How to Excel in the Bodyguard Trade

Doc Rogers, Featured Articles

By Doc Rogers

For many the bodyguard industry is not easy to excel in. Breaking into the bodyguard business can be an uphill battle. This is the cold, harsh reality of the bodyguard and executive protection industry. However, there are a number of executive protection and bodyguard schools you can attend to better your chances of breaking into the trade. Refer to Harlan (Hucky) Austin’s Executive Protection Schools E-book to find the best options. Here are some suggestions that have helped me over the years to excel in the profession, protecting people, making a good living and doing what I love. Please pay very close attention.

1. Customer Service. Whether you are just starting out in the business or a seasoned veteran you need to provide customer service. Some misinformed apprentice bodyguards don’t get this. Their point of view is “I’m a bodyguard, protecting clients’ against personal threats; I don’t need to provide customer service.” Bodyguarding and executive protection is a service industry; we are here to improve the client’s quality of life. Customer service provides value to your client, builds your professional reputation and helps you to earn client loyalty. And to do this you must be hundred per cent focused on the client.

2. Get Results. In your efforts to provide amazing service to your clients, make sure you give them the results they are looking for. You don’t hear the word “results” often when talking about the bodyguard trade. Results are the favorable or concrete outcomes of your bodyguard duties. Results speak louder than words. Here are some of the results clients may look for when retaining your bodyguard services:

A. Reduced fear. B. Reduced annoyances. C. Smooth and fast-tracked services. D. Crisp and expedient ground transportation. E. VIP treatment. F. Low profile or high profile bodyguard service (depending on client’s request). G. Make a difference in the client’s life.

Bottom-line; do the things you were hired for in the first place. That’s why you are paid the big bucks. Do the above things consistently and watch your client base grow.

3. Network Intelligently. The bodyguard trade is a connections game. Who you know, can get you work and make your career. Start networking seriously and make the right connections. This is no easy business, but making good connections help. If you play your cards right, attend the right bodyguard academy, go to the right seminars, workshops and conventions you may find yourself employed and going on assignments in no time. The pitfalls; if you don’t plan you may find yourself unemployed and broke quickly. A winner plays the game like it is the last game he will ever play. It’s your decision.

4. Strive to Be Better Than Your Last Assignment. Improve your bodyguard craft, service and people skills. Learn from your last assignment (the good, bad, and ugly). Commit yourself to do better each time. Keep learning the trade by reading and taking distance study courses. When not on the road attend bodyguard workshops and seminars and interact with the instructors and people in attendance. As you increase your knowledge, you will be able to help clients more efficiently. There are no “get rich programs” in the bodyguard or executive protection trade only hard work, adding value and serving and keep client’s safe. Good luck and God speed.