Business Advice............

Hello all,
I know I'm new here but I thought I would reach out to all of you for advice. Every year we try to get new business from bondsman to keep the business going. We do both face to face and phone calls. The face to face is difficult because alot of bondsman do business from their homes leaving us with having to call. The difficult part is we get hung up on before we can even explain our experience and level of proffessionalism. We have also gone as far as sending emails to those who have them. We are having a difficult time getting new business this year and wanted to see if anyone had some good advice on getting through to these bondsman to at least listen to us. Thanks for any advice you can give.

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Colorado Fugitive Recovery Task Force
Longmont Co
Main contact # 303-944-5773 Shawn K.
Serving Colorado for over 3 years.
It's What We Do !!

Don't take this personal but do you remember the Clinton slogan;

"Its the economy, stupid."

Well, we bondsmen are writing fewer bonds, therefor there are less skips to chase with hundreds of recovery agents splitting up a smaller piece of the pie.

There is no magic 'bullet" to get work from a bondsman. If they are happy with who they know and use now, why should they change?

I agree with Tony on the economy affecting us. Sad but True

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Do not consider anything for your interest which makes you break your word, quit your modesty, or inclines you to any practice which will not bear the light, or look the world in the face .... Marcus Antonius

I AM Some Folks "KARMA" and A MODERATOR @ FRN

I understand that the economy is bad but to hang up as soon as we say who we are is kinda harsh. If they are happy with who they have then at least have the courtesy to say so. I dont think there is a "magic bullet" just thought i could get some usefull advice from others in the industry without critisism or ridicule. The bad economy is exactly why i am trying to adopt a new stradegy in selling our business.

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Colorado Fugitive Recovery Task Force
Longmont Co
Main contact # 303-944-5773 Shawn K.
Serving Colorado for over 3 years.
It's What We Do !!

No one was doing that . . .

You will need to get a thicker skin.

It is real simple, some folks find it easier to simply hang up rather than listen to someone try and sell themselves when they are not in the market to buy anything. Just like when folks hang up those magazine salesmen. Think about it, if you are calling these bondsmen seeking work so are a kazillion others just like you.

Clear and simple . . . It is the economy that is affecting this and many other service oriented fields. If one can do the job themselves they are not going to cut lose with any funds to pay someone else to do that job. One is out a lot less and is able to deduct on their income taxes as a business related expense.

The best advice that any of us can give you is that you need to look into multiple revenue streams.

I had to last year get a PT job (18 hours a week that turned into a min of 36) to assure myself of a steady payoff coming in so that my basic bills were covered. I am blessed that I work for someone that understands that Bail is a As Needed Business and will come up and cover for me while I run to the Jail and take care of a bond. I am also a Appointed Registered Private Process Server and one knows that that is like Bail . . . As Needed. I have been blessed there in that 4 (local) attorneys as well as a couple out of town, use my services due to the fact that I do not fool around and I get the task done.
I am currently waiting on a Bond Policy to come in the mail as Arkansas changed there $$$$ amounts for being a Notary and once that is in I will be back as a Notary of The Public. That is a 10 year gig and my current one expired on 23January2011. Starting this year I will be charging for those services, before I did not.

See what I am trying to tell you ?

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Do not consider anything for your interest which makes you break your word, quit your modesty, or inclines you to any practice which will not bear the light, or look the world in the face .... Marcus Antonius

I AM Some Folks "KARMA" and A MODERATOR @ FRN

If you think I was calling you stupid, I wasn't. I was just using the whole campaign slogan to illustrate why ALL bail bondsman and recovery agents are having a hard time right now. Its as simple as that.

I will not pay someone to do something, that for now at least, I can do myself. Since I am not the smartest person in the business, I am sure others have figured out the same thing.

As far as being rude and hanging up, yes that is not being very courteous. I can't think of anything you can say that will keep someone on the phone when they don't want to talk for another 10 ot 20 minutes about a product or service they don't need or want.

I get a couple of cold calls or walk ins a month at my office. I try to be courteous but if I am busy with another client or project, I am polite but say no thanks and hang up.

Now this may offend you. Everyone that calls or comes in think they are the best. I have seen some expressions of disbelief when I have told some that I do my own work, when I can. They just can't believe that I can do a better job than them.

One actually said that to me. Obviously, I kept his contact info in the circular file.

On the other hand, I don't have any skips to run down. Haven't had any in a long time. So why should I collect a bunch of business cards of people that I don't know that may not even be in business a year or 2 from now when I do need someone?

Join your local or state bail association and participate. Make sure you are surrendering skips at the jail when the bondsmen are busiest. It is better to demonstrate that you can accomplish the task and have them approach you for a business card, then beg for business.

Good luck,

Scott

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R.E. "Scott" MacLean III

"Leaders are like Eagles, you never see them in a flock, but one at a time"

Chesapeake Group Investigations, Inc.
Chesapeake Bail Bonds
877-574-0500
301-392-1100 (fax)
301-392-1900 (Office)

The best I can tell you is that you have to have perseverance in finding bondsmen that will hire you.I have had the "I do my own cases" line handed to me alot and I do understand why bondsman do that so I dont take it to heart.

I remember driving to alot of bondsmens offices within a 100 mile radius and getting alot of the same answers.Also remember alot of them offices were out of thier homes and made it difficult to talk to them,I still went up to the door and knocked though!! make sure in those cases it is in a reasonable time frame,do not interupt dinners or family gatherings.You just have to go on to the next bondsman and hope he may need your services,you will get ALOT of the same line regardless of how good we think we are.you can have all the training in the world but if that bondsman isnt needing your services or cant afford them than you are just out of luck.

we all know that the economy is horrible at the moment which leads to less people having the money to bond themselves out.Bondsmen are not getting as many clients as they once did and the ones they do get are either small bonds that would probably cost them more to have a recovery agent look for than what the bond is worth to them or they need to save as much money as they can by doing the recoveries themselves.less case load or clients for the bondsmen equals less work for recovery agents,we all know the old saying "crap rolls downhill"

I am not a bondsman,my sole job is fugitive recovery and yes business has slowed to almost a standstill around my AO.I cannot complain that the bondsman are not wanting to use my services as I do have a couple of regular bondsmen that use my services whenever they can.I proved myself to be a valuable asset to them but they are writing tighter bonds as well as not getting alot of bonds to be posted.I am the only recovery agent they use and I got to be in that position due to perseverance,they said no to me at first as well but I left my card and said "If you ever need me give me a call" Luckily my cards did not end up in the trash.

One more bit of advice,IF they give you enough time to speak,offer to do the first job free.Yes I said free,this shows your dedication as well as shows your skills to them.You may get screwed by some of them by them never using you again regardless of how well you do but they WILL remember you either way.It is a chance that sometimes needs to be taken.Also it has been stated numerous times here that you need multiple streams of income to stay afloat in this industry and even more so if you are a recovery agent.I am only now getting off my hind end and attempting to do just that,but that is another post that I am about to post

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Jay Crawford
Eagle Eye Fugitive Recovery
"based out of Bethpage Tn."
Cell:(931)551-5020

I absolutely agree with Jay, Tony, LuVonda...I too only do recovery right now, but I'm studying for the bondsman's exam not to open my own bond business, but so I can provide the added service of being able to write the bond at the jail FOR the bondsman so he/she doesn't have to drive all that way. I know of a few in my area that do this, and it's at least something. Plus it's proof to bondsmen I understand the risk and liability they take when writing bail, and took the time to study and get licensed. Also, I'm working on becoming a private process server. I'm already a Notary Public for Arizona. Again, additional services to provide. Don't get discouraged, the economy won't stay this way forever. Stay focused, stay determined, be positive, and keep at it. I also agree with the first call free idea. I do the same, and yes I've been ripped off by bondsmen promising something even when I agreed to do it for free, but to me it's part of building rapport in the bond community, trust by bondsmen (who talk to each other about us) and experience. By doing my best work even for free cases, even if it was for free, demonstrates my desire for the industry...or my insanity...maybe both?

I thank all of you for the great advice. I did not think you were calling me stupid just frustrated lately with the lack of business. I to have a full time job during the day but love recovery more than any job I have ever had and hate when it slows to a crawl. I have also got the "i do it myself" from bondsman but have never told them they arent good enough to do the job themselves I have however told them that it is safer for them to have me apprehend their skips I do actually like the idea of doing the first case for free that is an awesome idea and for anyone that loves the job its not really a sacrafice. My wife is actually getting ready for the surety test here to be able to offer the extra service. And we are also able to process serve with our certs. Thanks again for the advice gettin ready to go out and talk to some bondsman.
Very thankfull that I joined the forum you guys and gals have alot to offer

_________________
Colorado Fugitive Recovery Task Force
Longmont Co
Main contact # 303-944-5773 Shawn K.
Serving Colorado for over 3 years.
It's What We Do !!