After watching a guy plow snow poorly with a great piece of equipment, I was reminded how you can have all the “toys” you think a Private Investigator might have, but if you don’t know how to do the job then you’re just playing P.I.

The “gear” is not the secret! Your knowledge of the job is the secret!

Your “weapon” is your brain. Everything else is a tool.

All the “stuff” in the world (like hidden cameras, covert recording devices, P.I. software, etc.) won’t help you if you don’t know the how to be a good investigator.

Learn how to do investigations… Learn how to be a real-world detective… then the tools will help you.

Plus you’ll save a ton of money by not buying things you don’t really need!

P.S. – Happy New Year!

Don’t let all your hard training be wiped out by a shot of adrenalin!

Auditory Shut-Down and Tunnel Vision are real and they can begin with the flick of a switch.

Whenever a First Responder switches on the lights and sirens – and especially when one of your own is in trouble – your adrenalin puts you into high gear in less than one second.

This means physiologically your body takes over and unless you’re prepared for that, you lose some of your edge.

In this video I talk about the difference between First Defenders (usually private sector security guards / officers) and First Responders (usually public sector police, fire fighters and Emergency Medical Services).

And here’s the tip: Anytime you hear sirens, take a deep breath in through your noses, hold it for a second or two or three, then slowly breathe it out through your mouth. Do this a couple or a few times ANYTIME you hear sirens and this will condition you to do it – and calm yourself – when the real thing happens. That means when you’re responding for real, you will breath and self-calm automatically.

This is called “setting a trigger”. When the “trigger” of hearing sirens is set off, you automatically begin to calm yourself when the adrenalin begins to rush through your body. This means you’ll arrive at the scene safer and more clear headed so you can do you job better.

Please feel free to comment with any tips of your own.

This is a big difference between a happy client and an unhappy client.

Start with setting the proper expectations as to what they will get. Then make sure that what they get helps them.

For strictly infidelity or domestic (cheating hearts) cases… some clients may say they want the video evidence for court. They may be saying this just so they sound like it’s not because of personal curiosity – so be prepared for that.

When you explain the reality of how little this will help their case (advise them to talk with an attorney) be sure to offer them a face saving way to hire you anyway – if that’s what they really want to do!

Here’s how I do that…

First I explain to a client that this (probably) won’t help them in court and that they should contact an attorney to answer legal questions, but then I add:

“Of course if you need this to help you make an informed decision about whether or not to go forward, then this may very well help you.”

That phrase allows them to still hire you without seeming like they want the video for strictly personal reasons or mere curiosity. There is nothing wrong with hiring a Private Investigator for those reasons, it’s just that some people don’t want to admit it! Give them a face-saving way out so that they can get what they want and you can get the case (if you want the case).

I recently got an email from a viewer who I like and respect asking a question about an interview he did as a Loss Prevention Officer / Manager.

So in this blog entry I want to teach a bit about “pacing” your subject and how to set up the interview so they admit to understanding company policy before they know why you’re really talking with them.

You don’t want to miss these Private Investigator tips.

Leave a comment if you have any questions or ideas you’d like to add.

And remember to bookmark this site because there’s a new video every Tuesday!

If you are considering taking infidelity cases you should know some of the pros and cons of these cases.