“To Be or Not To Be”; Who am I, you, me, we???

In my short tenure in this business, I have heard all forms of discussions on whether we should identify ourselves in our businesses and how we should be identified… after all, we are in a unique business that often requires us to be…. uh…. secretive, covert… under the radar… etc. etc. etc…..

You know what, in the overall scheme of things… I really don’t think it matters one bit… I mean hey… this ain’t the CIA… the FBI… NSA… we aren’t US Marshalls… we are generally not even LE’s… and probably not many of us work for NCIS… if you do… you probably aren’t reading this post… we are in that grey area between private, unassuming, normal (questionable), everyday ‘Joe citizen’ and “what we often like to think we are”… covert operatives… secret agents… top of the line Private Investigators… 77 Sunset Strip types… but in reality… we are just trying to do a job that often puts us in a shady part of life…

So you’re a licensed bondsman, a licensed PI… maybe you have connections that most don’t have… maybe you do work for the government and have a clearance that is a bit above the main stream here… but overall, most of us will never really become or have access to what we would really like… we are just doing a job and our importance in the overall scheme of things is probably not as important as we would like to think.

Ok… so having made you feel totally worthless… how should you operate in your chosen field of endeavor?? Covert?, under the radar… well sure… our job often requires us to remain “hidden”…

I have always wondered how anyone can effectively track, chase, catch, trail, trace or in any of those ways… go after someone that is trying to evade them… by wearing a vest that has “RECOVERY AGENT”… “AGENT”… “BAIL BONDSMAN” or any of the many descriptive adjectives that we plaster on ourselves for identification.

There is an old saying that “the way you catch a rabbit is by “hiding” behind a tree and making a noise like a carrot”… not by dressing like a wolf.

On the other hand, I wear a shirt that has a 3X5” “Bail Bondsman” logo with my name… but then I am looking to do business with clients and I want to make a noise like a carrot… so I dress that way… when I go looking for a rabbit that is running… I take off that shirt and dress like a “fat man at Disneyworld”… totally unassuming and a non threat to anyone looking… if you want to remain invisible in the forest… you dress like a tree.

Discussions abound on advertising and how it should be done… no pictures, no real names, etc. etc… so how and what should you really do to put yourself out there to gain business… well, it only depends on what kind of hook up you want to do…

“Facebook” and the many social media sites on the internet, have changed the way we search and the way we advertise.

I will tell you, if you don’t already know… anyone with a computer and the intelligence of my 14 year old grandson, can find you, identify you and peg you for who and what you are and do… how many “bounty hunters/recovery agents” do you know that post everything they do on YouTube… or Facebook or LinkedIn… we all want to network and so when I hear folks talking about not posting their face or name… I just smile, cause you are already out there for the world to see…

One of the most successful covert operatives was the “Jackel”… a real life assassin who operated for years under the radar… no pictures, no name… no one could put a handle on him… and to this day… I am not real sure that they ever really identified him… spies that are successful… are out there for all to see… they just don’t wear a shirt that says…. “I am a spy”…. The new TV show… “The Americans” depicting old school Russian spies operating undercover in the US during the cold war… and probably still here now is a good example of what I am saying.

I honestly don’t think it matters one tinkers damn whether you put your name or picture on a website or your shirt… I think if you just keep that unassuming look you will not be seen… as said before… if you want to remain invisible in the forest… dress like a tree… don’t hide your face and name… put it out there for all to see… just make it look totally unassuming and you’ll be just as covert as if your are in reality… “the invisible man”.

If you want to garner business… list yourself, name and picture, wherever you wish… if you want to remain covert… don’t even try to hide… become a chameleon… and you can do both without blinking an eye.

Comments?

_________________
Bill Marx, Sr.
"FREE STATE BAIL BONDS"
"FREE STATE INVESTIGATIONS"
DCJS: 99-176979
Cell: 434-294-0222

"Endeavor to Persevere" "Lone Watie"

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that , comes from bad judgment" "Will Rogers"

You couldn't have said it better Bill.

I've talked with Bill W. about this many, many times on the phone. I try to stay out of people's hair, and away from media. Your attire can definately set you up for failure, or success. I've walked into hotels, wearing an old ratty coat, and some beat up jeans just so I "fit in". When I am trying to locate someone whos into meth (which is a huge problem here) I'll dress this way and rub my eyes as much as i can before I get to where im going to get that "methed out" look.
If I have to go to a restaurant where my skip works I'll dress semi casual, Black winter jacket, some nice slacks or blue jeans, and a button up shirt.

Long story short, I dont identify myself as anything. Not a bounty hunter, or a BEA, FRA.

"My name is Ken, you have a warrant."

As always, I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts Bill.

_________________
"Cage"
Recovery Agent
Bail License #40313820

Bill,

I'm like you, I'm not FBI etc. This covert thing is way overblown. The only time I'm covert is when I'm about to snatch somebody. Everybody , well almost everybody in my area knows what I do. I didn't tell em, but word gets around...This covert thing is overated in my opinion. At the risk of pissing everybody off, if you can operate covertly in your area, you haven't been in business very long or your haven't been very successful. again my opinion. Very good post in my opinion!! Thanks Bill

Take care

_________________
Bill Williams
Bail Agent
Eagle Bonding Services
Asheville NC 28804
828-777-8667
Lic # NC10013561
Lic # TN 2033018

Never be haughty to the humble
or humble to the haughty - Jefferson Davis