There are many reasons why you need personal protection. You could be in politics, an activist, have a high net worth, or are facing threats from unknown people. You could seek personal protection services for you, your family, or your business. When most people need protection, they hire a bodyguard or two to keep watch as they carry on with their day-to-day activities. Protection services nowadays go beyond the services of a bodyguard. Executive protection services offer better protection and greater peace of mind. They are very different from having a bodyguard. Here, we will look into how the two differ and why you need to consider one over the other when you need personal protection services. Talk to a reliable executive protection agency for more information and assistance in making an ideal choice.

Bodyguards and Executive Protection Specialists

Bodyguards are not the same as executive protection services. But, both offer similar services though on different levels. You can hire a bodyguard or an executive protection specialist to protect your life, brand, reputation, or immediate family. Both are professionals who undergo extensive training and vetting to qualify for the job before being hired. Their strength is in their professionalism and discretion. However, there is a slight difference in the way bodyguards and executive protection specialists render their services. The latter has more skills and experience, enabling them to assess the ongoing threat, identify security and safety hazards and handle the entourage.

Bodyguards are hired to hang around prominent people to protect these people against any security threat they could face while out and about. They are employed according to the sizes of their bodies and how intimidating they look. You will see them walking in front or behind a prominent figure, pushing people around to clear the way for their client, and sometimes fighting to intimidate anyone suspected of threatening their client. Some have protection training, while others are hired simply because of their large muscles and ability to intimidate and keep security threats at bay. For instance, some bodyguards have training in martial arts. Others are licensed gun-holders. The rest depend on their physical strength to perform their work. 

You must know how bodyguards differ from executive protection specialists and what you need to consider when hiring protection services for you, your business, or your family. When choosing someone in charge of your safety, it is advisable to go for the best. You need to consider the right qualifications, extensive experience, and customer service skills. That will give you great peace of mind even as you go about your daily activities.

How Executive Protection Differs from Having a Bodyguard

Having a bodyguard is an exciting thing for some people. If you enjoy the thrill of having a large, intimidating, and imposing person by your side, you will be happy with a bodyguard. A bodyguard will open the doors for you, push the crowd aside so that you can pass, and make you feel comfortable and safe even in threatening situations. You simply have someone to fight on your behalf if you face threats. However, there are so many reasons why you must consider executive protection services. The significant differences between the two include:

Level of Skills and Experience

Anyone can offer bodyguard services as long as they have a look at what their clients seek. Most people hire bodyguards with tons of muscles, large bodies, and an ability to intimidate. Anyone would think twice before confronting a person like that, which keeps you safe. A person can quickly find work as a bodyguard if they have qualities like those, even without proper training and experience. Some bodyguards learn on the job, while others are tough enough to handle the job without training. In short, bodyguards do not require formal training and experience. Those that acquire some skills do so to fit in their specific jobs.

But, executive protection specialists require skills and experience to perform their job. Their work is not to intimidate or scare off threatening situations and people but to strategize and mitigate security threats as much as possible. Their job requires more skills and experience. Therefore, a person will need extensive training to work as an executive protection agent.

Most people that offer executive protection services have background training in the police force or military. They can quickly adapt to their work and working environment with qualifications like those. Through training and experience, a specialist will know areas and situations to avoid to keep their client safe. While a bodyguard will follow you even in risky situations and places, an executive protection specialist will keep you out of scary places and conditions to keep you away from danger altogether.

Thus, executive protection specialists can keep you, your business, or your family safe. They can protect your reputation.

Communication Skills

Bodyguards do not require special communication skills to perform their job. What is needed is their intimidating appearance around the client. Bodyguards rarely speak to their clients about anything. When they sense a safety threat, they jump in to protect without saying anything and sometimes without alerting their clients. The most a bodyguard can do is whisk their client away if the safety threat is more than the bodyguard can handle.

The work of an executive protection specialist is a little different from that of a bodyguard. Thus, the specialist will require excellent communication skills to perform their job. Communication is critical in a working relationship between an executive protection agent and a client. For instance, the agent must inform the client of any security threats and suggestions that could keep the client safe. He/she must do so in a simple but elaborate manner. 

Typically, an executive protection specialist works very closely with the client. The specialist will know the client's schedule and plans to investigate and even think of any security issues the client could face while performing their work. The specialist requires good communication skills to communicate eloquently and effectively to ensure that the client understands what is necessary for their safety.

If the specialist lacks excellent communication skills, the client can quickly misunderstand them, compromising the client's safety.

Experience in Customer Service

Executive protection specialists require customer service skills more than self-defense skills. A bodyguard can put up a fight to protect their client from danger, but an executive protection specialist will use strategies that will protect their client from that danger altogether. They rarely use martial arts skills or firearms for protection. Instead, they will work with and for you throughout your daily schedules, ensuring that you avoid situations that could endanger your life. Protection specialists can quickly scan an environment and determine its safety through positive interactions with other people.

Executive protection officers offer services that go beyond protection. Your agent will even attend to the guests, pick up or make your calls, and also attend meetings with you. That enables them to detect security threats that could compromise their client's work, social or family life.

Thus, they need excellent customer service skills to offer these and more services. These skills will help the agent help you manage your schedules, keep you safe and even work with your workers, family, and anyone else close to you to offer the best services every day. Your agent will not know how best to work with you and protect you without proper customer service skills. That could be detrimental to your life, protection, and business.

Excellent Decision-Making Skills

Anyone working for and with a prominent person requires excellent decision-making skills to ensure smooth operations in all areas of their client's life. Decision-making skills help protection agents to think objectively in various situations and quickly make a decision that will help them reach a specific goal. Sometimes safety threats occur when they are least expected. An executive protection agent must act quickly and decide to keep their client safe without compromising other aspects, including their client's reputation.

While a bodyguard will act on a spur-of-the-moment, an executive protection specialist must think critically about what must be done to prevent a confrontation. Thus, they are required to think and do so quickly. Even though specialists are needed to make prior preparations to avoid compromising situations for their clients, they must be prepared for unavoidable situations. Things do not always go as planned. Thus, a specialist must quickly decide when confronted with an unexpected situation. The decision must always be for the good of their client, business, or family.

Executive protection specialists need to have good judgment. They must always make the best decisions, especially in times of crisis. That is why prior training and experience are necessary.

Ability to Use Firearms

Firearms are not used a lot where executive protection services are concerned. Specialists offering these services depend on the proper planning to avoid trouble. Hence, they rarely need to use firearms and other self-defense skills to protect themselves or their clients from danger. However, situations can change, and a confrontation ensues, much to the surprise of the executive protection agent. It would be best to work with someone that can protect themselves and you in events like these. That is why you need someone that can, at least, handle a firearm.

Remember that executive protection services do not involve confronting risky situations and fighting your way out. They include avoiding any danger at all cost, however minor the threat seems. But if need be, executive protection specialists must know how to protect their clients before removing them from dangerous situations.

A Bodyguard Vs. an Executive Protection Agent

With that in mind, it is necessary to decide the kinds of protection services you need for you, your family, or your business.

A bodyguard will make you feel safe as you go about your daily schedule. They will be by your side, making it easier for you to work even in potentially-threatening situations. It gives you great peace of mind knowing that no harm can come your way as long as the bodyguard is by your side. Some bodyguards have some form of training in safety and protection. They know how to avert danger from their clients. You can go anywhere, anytime, as long as you have a bodyguard.

However, bodyguards lack training in protecting their clients from impending harm. They cannot protect you from incoming danger. You will still face confrontation and security threats even with a bodyguard. Thus, a bodyguard will not be your choice if you are afraid of dangerous situations. But if you must do something regardless of the looming danger, you could do well with a bodyguard.

Bodyguards have been accused of putting their clients in harm's way. They do little to avoid dangerous situations even when they are sure that something terrible could happen to them or their clients. Some bodyguards even take pictures with their clients and post them on social media, which could be dangerous for the client or the client's family. Your reputation could be ruined this way, affecting your business.

Executive protection agents are a preference for business people and prominent persons who wish to protect their reputation as they keep safe and avoid dangerous situations. Most people who need protection services no longer hire bodyguards. They need the skills and experience offered by executive protection agents. The main difference between the two is professionalism and pre-planning, which are necessary for protection.

Executive protection agents pre-plan before they allow their clients out. Pre-planning entails mapping all routes they will take on a particular day, understanding how a specific place operates before the planned visit, and having a plan B in case problems arise. For instance, if you are a celebrity and seek to enjoy a quiet evening with your loved ones, your protection agent will seek ways to avoid the crowd without necessarily using force to keep people away from you. They could first determine an appropriate place where that will happen and plan how you will go in without anyone seeing you or knowing about it.

Celebrities avoid crowds because dangerous people thrive in crowds. If you are a performing artist and have to perform in a particular club, you will likely find so many people waiting for you right outside the club where you are scheduled to perform. A bodyguard will walk you through that crowd, but an executive agent will seek alternative ways of getting you into the venue without going through the crowd.

Executive protection agents can do a lot more than bodyguards. They can offer real-time protection like bodyguards do and work with you in so many other areas to help you succeed as you keep safe.

But how do they achieve that?

Their Work is More Advanced

The work of an executive protection agent goes beyond protecting a client physically. It entails planning and constantly avoiding situations where a client will feel threatened. If you have something to do in town and your agent thinks that it could be dangerous for you, your agent will advise you against it.

Executive protection agents conduct background checks, map routes, and develop solutions to keep their clients, clients' families, and businesses safe. Their goal is to keep their clients away from dangerous situations other than confronting hazardous conditions as they arise.

They Deal with Rings of Protection

Your safety does not depend on a person when you engage the services of an executive protection agent. It depends on several rings of protection that work together to keep you and your reputation safe. Your agent will use various strategies to make it almost impossible for you to land in trouble. For instance, if they suspect something could go wrong, they will develop several strategies to mitigate any dangerous situation. You will not be interrupted, and your peace of mind remains intact as you carry on.

They Cover and Evacuate Other Than Confront Situations

A confrontation leaves everyone scared for their life. It could scar you for life and give you an intense fear of visiting similar environments where you are likely to encounter other confrontations. Some confrontations result in severe injuries and lost lives. It would be best to avoid situations that could quickly escalate into dangerous and sometimes life-threatening conditions.

Executive protection agents protect you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Instead of creating a scene that will leave you traumatized for life, your agent will quickly cover and evacuate you and your loved ones. You will not witness or come across anything that could cause you to fear for your life.

Find Reliable Personal Protection Services in Los Angeles

If you are worried about your, your family's, or your business' safety, it is time to engage in personal protection services. Hiring one or more bodyguards or engaging executive protection specialists would be your main options. The two are different, offering various benefits that you must consider before deciding. Bodyguards are more affordable but provide limited protection services, but executive protection specialists provide more advanced services. At Green Knight Security, we offer reliable personal protection services for individuals, events, businesses, and communities in Los Angeles. Contact us at 844-457-8326 for more information and guidance in choosing exemplary service for your safety needs.