When you’re a Process Server, should you open your own business, work for someone else or is it a combination of the two?
Okay, full disclosure… I’ve got a cold this week so all I got for you is the video.
Private Investigator Marketing Hint: Notice, even when I’m sick, I’m still honoring my obligation to posting a video every week. Are you helping people (and thus “marketing”) even when you don’t feel like it?
It’s a funny thing about serving others, not only is it the right thing to do, it’s good for business. Go figure.
If you like this helpful information, then don’t miss out on my free special report If You Want To Be a Private Investigator Give Up… Unless You Do These Three Things. If not, you can get it right here…
Committed to your success,
Larry Kaye, P.I.
P.S. – Do the right thing even if it’s the hard thing!
Think about it from the perspective of physical surveillance, either mobile surveillance or stationary surveillance or a “stake-out”. If you do it well, you go out, get the surveillance vidoe and bring it back to the office having not even made contact with anyone! That’s pretty safe!
However,,, if something goes wrong on surveillance, that can be a whole other story! Heck, it might not even be your fault! It could be something the client didn’t tell you! Andrew at PIAdvice.net has a terrifying story that’s worth hearing about directly form him.
Process serving is a little different considering that every time you deliver court papers to someone they know you’re there! (But, you already understood that, right? Please tell me you already knew that.)
So that can be a little more dangerous, just like anytime you make contact with a human while working a case. (Witness interviews, etc.)
Finally, don’t miss these two (maybe most likely) dangers to Private Investigators… Physical injuries like falling down stairs and auto accidents. Seriously. Those two can be total game changers if they happen to you. Especially while on surveillance!
I know they can happen at anytime to anybody, but on the job (especially if you own your own Detective Agency), they can be life changers. And not in a good way.
Do Private Investigators work criminal cases?
Yes. Here’s how…
One time is when a private person or company wants a deeper or more through investigation that the police can give their case.
Let’s face it, the cops are busy. They simply can’t put the time, energy and money into the vandalism of a persons garage door that the victim wants. It’s a small crime to the overworked police. By no fault of their own, they simply can’t put bigger crimes on hold for a misdemeanor vandalism.
There are lots of example of this type of thing including missing persons, menacing threats, etc. these are things that are a big dale to the victim. (and rightly so most of the time!) But, they are a small-ish thing to an officer that may be going to a shooting later in their shift.
But the more common crimes we work on are criminal defense work where we are hired by an attorney.
These are cases where a private investigator is looking for things the police might have missed or simply to help the attorney know what kind of evidence the police might present a t trial.
Contrary to your initial, gut reaction, this is honorable work. I resisted these cases early in my career, but have since come to see how important and valuable this work is.
Here in the 21st century we are seeing more innocent people released from prison than ever! Imagine if an investigator had been available to help them before the conviction!
I’ve been a cop / Private Investigator / etc. for years. Is there anything in your courses for me?
I would say, “Yes”, but you be the judge…
For example, the surveillance course has all the basics (how far to set up from the subject, what lane to drive in when following someone on the express way, etc.), but also a lot of tips experienced guys understand as giving them a slightly better edge than they had before getting the course.
Many experienced investigators are interested in this “incremental improvement” that leads them to mastery. (That’s one reason I continue to get training myself!)
Also, my courses teach about (and this is HUGE)… how to get clients!
If you don’t have the telephone script to turn a “price shopper” into a paying client who hires you for surveillance, then The Investigator’s Ultimate Guide to Surveillance will pay for itself with the first caller you turn into a client! Every win you get on surveillance or from gaining clients is a totally free benefit of getting the course!
If you want to see a list of all the Frequently Asked Questions I get (or ask one yourself!) check out my FAQ Page.
I mean, you need to learn these things somewhere. I would love it if you got my training on surveillance or process serving, but if nothing else let me suggest you get my free special report If You Want To Be a Private Investigator Give Up… Unless You Do These Three Things. You can get it right here…
You can use different fonts to create a different feel for your private investigator, security or process serving business marketing materials.
Simply go to your favorite search engine and type in “detective fonts”.
You will find dozens of choices.
Some will look like smudged fingerprints, some like crime scene tape. One of my favorites looks like the old style typewriter letters. (Although I did learn to type on one of those “old” machines!)
Pro Tip:
Don’t over-do it on different fonts on one marketing letter, brochure or web page!
Two different fonts are probably enough for any one letter or web page.
I like a san serif font for the headline and sub-heads. But that’s just my style.
I need to update this page a bit, but you can see examples of a headline, sub-heads and bullet points right here.
If you do surveillance on a workers compensation investigation you need to understand the Best Day Rule and how it effects your stake-out or mobile surveillance.
What is The Best Day Rule?
The concept is simple. You may get video of the claimant doing a physical activity that’s above and beyond what they claim they can do at work. However, when confronted with this evidence they say, “You caught me on a good day. Normally I can’t do that. And I certainly can’t do that for eight hours a day every day!”
Basically they’re saying you caught an example of what they can do on their “best day” and it doesn’t accurately represent a normal day or what they can do at work repeatedly.
How can you defend against The Best Day Defense?
Simply this… make sure you have enough video of enough examples on enough days to show this is their normal capability.
How much video do you need?
I answer this at length in another article, but the simplest answer is that your client should tell you how much video is necessary.
The company or law firm who hired you knows what they need. Let them make the call and you do the investigating.
If you like this helpful tip, then don’t miss out on my free special report If You Want To be a Private Investigator Give Up… Unless You Do These Three Things. If not, you can get it right here…
This week I unpack a tip I’ve given in another article where I listed a few success tips for P.I.’s.
Here I reveal how “modeling” the right person or detective agency can increase your success including the money you make!
Tony Robbins popularized this in our generation, but Aristotle was teaching this around 2,400 years ago. So whether you want to increase in courage, modesty, humility or just make more money, try modeling someone who is having success in that area!
Summary:
Find a private investigator or detective agency that is doing well. (Truly doing well… not just posing on social media!) Then do the types of things they are doing.
