When you work as a security guard, loss prevention officer, private investigator or process server there are times you need compliance from a bad guy and in this week’s training video I teach the two basic ways to get compliance from the subject stressing how the best way is to get it without the use of force.

When the time comes that you need to step between a bad guy and the crime he wants to do (or freedom he’s trying to flee to), you basically have two ways to stop him.

1. Use of force.

This is very undesirable, but the bad guy always gets to choose the level of force that’s being used.

If he (or she) chooses to comply with your verbal commands, then no use of force is necessary.

If he chooses to fight without a weapon, another level of force is needed. If he pulls a weapon, again it’s him escalating the level of force needed to protect yourself and others.

Now, while I’ve mentioned force as the first of two ways I’m going to talk about here today, that’s only because I want to end this article spending time on the vastly preferred way to get compliance. And that’s…

2. Make them want to follow your commands. (Using “diplomacy” / verbal skills.)

One way you can do this is by giving the bad guy an “either/or” choice.

In the video I describe a case where I gave him the choice to commit a felony or wait for the police. What I did NOT say was that he really had a lot of choices including to walk away. Or run away. Or to call his friends for back-up!

So in a high stress situation, when his brain was looking for what to do next, I gave him two choices and he picked the smart one.

Maybe if I had been smarter (or more prepared?) I would have given him two choices that BOTH worked to my advantage.

So think this through today. Right now. Plan ahead. If you have a job where you think it’s likely you’ll have to convince someone to do something they don’t want to do… PLAN what you’re going to say to compel them to comply.

Ideally you want them to comply without making a threat.

Exercise for Security Guards:

Here’s your scenario… Skateboarders have shown up on the private property you guard. It’s clearly posted “No Skateboarding” and one of your duties is to enforce the property owner’s no-skateboarding rule.

What is the best thing to say to get VOLUNTARY compliance by the skateboarders?

Let me know in the comments below.

Note: I can’t even imagine a case where you would use force to remove skateboarders. It’s simply not going to happen. This is just an exercise to prepare for a common situation you are likely to encounter.

And you understand I’m not a lawyer and nothing here is legal advice, right?

Committed to your success,
Larry Kaye,
Private Investigator

P.S. – If you like this training, be sure to check out my special report, “If You Want To Be a Private Investigator Give Up… Unless You Do These Three Things”. You can get it on the home page of my blog.