Part of our Private Strategic Group division, executive protection is about more than offering services—it’s about trust.
According to Jeff Marquart, Senior Director of Executive Protection for Crisis24, the most effective conversations with new or prospective clients about our executive protection services are not about our services at all; they start with laying down the foundation of trust.
So you may be wondering, how do you get people to trust you with their lives? “It requires relationship-building, and it takes time,” says Jeff. “Everyone has their own style and approach, though I believe there are four key factors for building total trust.” We have expanded on these factors below:
1. Be authentic. In order for anything you say to matter, clients must believe that you are telling them the truth, and speaking honestly and transparently. “The good news is this one is easy,” says Jeff, “because it’s a simple personal choice: Do not pretend to be something you are not. Prominent people, and their representatives, can sense when people are being inauthentic, and they do not respond well to it.”
2. Be client-focused. Everyone says this, but not everyone is sure what it means. It means putting your clients’ interests above all else. Clients must know that what you are saying serves them, not your objectives.
One way to set this tone at the outset with a prospective, or current, client is to ask about their unique circumstance from the beginning, and demonstrate that you care. Some questions Jeff likes to ask include: What keeps you awake at night? What do you care about most? If we could solve one problem for you forever, what would it be?
Jeff explains: “This approach is far more effective than leading with everything you can do for them before you even know if they need those things. So ask questions, and listen more than you talk. This way you will know what they really need and care about, and you will know what solutions to present.”
3. Be a true expert. This one is harder to deliver on. There are no shortcuts to achieving it, and it requires a life-long commitment to learning. Jeff offers some advice: “If you are new to the field, digest everything you can find on the topic, engage with a respected expert mentor, accept every assignment and gain experience. If you are already a seasoned expert, continue learning, keep practicing your craft, and challenge your own resistance to new ideas and technologies.”
Jeff adds that being authentic and caring is foundational, but it’s not enough on its own; you must also know what you are talking about.
He recounts a story to illustrate this point:
“I was in a meeting with a billionaire client years ago. It was a joint meeting of several consultants regarding a new residence the client was building. The client engaged one of the consultants on a non-security-related topic and, of course, he was asking the consultant very tough questions. The consultant responded to the first question with, ‘That’s a great question. I’ll reach out to the manufacturer tomorrow for the answer.’
So the client asks a different question, and the consultant responds by saying, ‘I believe that’s correct. I’ll confirm with my partner who focuses on that area and get right back to you.’
The client then ended the short dialogue with words I’ll never forget: ‘It sounds like you have some very smart colleagues. Next time send them to the meeting instead.’
Now, in reality, it is important to know when and how to defer a question, with confidence. This is perfectly normal and expected on occasion, as no one knows everything.
Eventually, however, clients will want to speak with the person who knows.”
4. Have the best solutions. Much of the work Crisis24 executive protection professionals do, especially initially, is diagnostic. We ask questions, assess, and define the problem, then design appropriate solutions to solve the specific problem.
Nearly every business transaction has two core elements: promise making and promise keeping. The surest way to lose a client’s hard-earned trust is by making promises you (or others in your organization) cannot keep.
“I am fortunate to work for a company that can and does keep its promises,” says Jeff. “That is because GardaWorld, the parent company of Crisis24, set out to identify and acquire the top experts and service providers in all aspects of safety, security, and privacy for prominent people. And that is exactly what they did. This is the world-class organization I am part of today, and it allows me to make promises with confidence, and know they will be kept.”
Jeff continues: “In my 25 years in the field, I have supported more than 200 billionaires, and I am often asked if there is something unique they have in common. I could note several observations, but one stands out in this context: they have virtually unlimited choices. When they engage service providers, especially in high-stakes matters, they can seek out the very best in the world. So, if you want to provide life-safety services to prominent people, you absolutely, positively, must be the best.”
After all, trust is not earned, and kept, by making promises—but rather by keeping them.
To learn more about Crisis24 or to speak with an expert, email us: [email protected]
