A career in private investigation can be exciting, but also challenging. To successfully manage those challenges and be the best Private Investigator you can be, it’s important to have a set of proven work habits that help you stay on track.
Here, we took a few notes from Stephen Covey’s popular book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and came up with our own 7 Habits of Highly Effective Private Investigators. If you’re ready to take your career to the next level, have a look at these habits and put them into practice.
1. Set Daily Priorities as a Private Investigator
On any given day, a Private Investigator can find themselves juggling multiple tasks. From performing surveillance to taking case notes and updating clients, it can be difficult to fit it all in. Therefore, to be an effective Private Investigator you must prioritize your day before it begins.
Create a to-do list that ranks the most important tasks down to the least important ones. Then set a timeframe for each task so you can complete everything you need to within the day. This simple habit will help you become a more efficient and reliable Private Investigator for your clients.
2. Define Your Goals as a Private Investigator
As a Private Investigator, it’s easy to get caught up in your daily tasks and forget about ways of advancing your career. To ensure you achieve everything you’re working towards, it’s important to set and define goals for your work. Outline how many clients you want to acquire each quarter. With a defined goal and an established plan to achieve it, you’re certain to be on your way to a successful investigative career in no time.
3. Take Responsibility for Your Actions as a Private Investigator
When something goes wrong, resist the urge to pass the blame onto someone else, including people within your firm or contractors you work with. Assigning blame to someone else won’t get you very far in your career. Learn from your mistakes. By taking responsibility for your own actions, you not only increase your credibility but also become a more self-aware and self-assured Private Investigator.
4. Why Listening with Intention is So Important
As a Private Investigator, your clients are among the most important people in your life. A good relationship with a client can provide lucrative referrals in the future and help create a solid name for yourself in the community. To maintain the best relationships with your clients and produce the results they’re looking for, it’s imperative to listen to them with intention. The more your clients feel like they’re being heard, the more likely they are to become fully satisfied with your services.
5. Make Friends as a Private Investigator
A proven method for obtaining business referrals is to make friends with people in the community. As a Private Investigator, you should constantly be striving to meet other business owners who can provide you with referrals. In return, you should provide them with referrals or positive business reviews as well.
6. Why You Should Always Put Your Clients First
People skills are essential for Private Investigators. When providing a service like conducting a private investigation, it’s important to always put your clients’ needs first. Listen with intention, be empathetic, and help them overcome any obstacles in the way of solving their case. The better you treat your clients, the more they’ll love your work.
7. Never Stop Learning - Enroll in Private Investigator Continuing Education Courses at NITA
Finally, as a Private Investigator, it’s of the utmost importance to continually improve your skills. Thanks to the evolution of technology, new methods and best practices are constantly being developed for the field of private investigation - and it’s your job to keep up with them.
The National Investigative Training Academy Inc. (NITA) offers Continuing Education Courses for Private Investigators. NITA offers a wide variety of state-certified courses available online 24/7. To enroll in online courses, call 1-800-730- NITA or contact us online.
Our enrollment counselors are here to answer any questions you might have about our state- and board-approved status, pre-licensing training, or professional development programs.