Tom Shamshak of Shamshak Investigative Services, lead instructor for the Boston University Certificate in Professional Investigation program, shares how to brand your investigations firm. The presentation covers finding a niche, creating a marketing plan, promotion, public relations, and branding yourself as an expert.

1. HOW TO BRAND YOUR INVESTIGATIVE
AGENCY
&
YOURSELF
PRESENTER
CHIEF THOMAS P. SHAMSHAK (RET)
WWW.SHAMSHAKPI.COM
EAST COAST SUPERCONFERENCE
TROPICANA RESORT & CASINO
JUNE 26TH - 28TH , 2013

2. Thomas P. Shamshak

Licensed Professional Investigator

Former Law Enforcement Officer and
Police Chief

35 years investigative experience

Boston University PI Program Director
and Instructor

3. Professional Highlights
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Retired June 1999
Developed a Business Plan
Licensed August 1999 & Setup Shop in Boston
Joined LPDAM October 1999 (Value + Benefits)
Attended March 2000 Atlantic City PI
Superconference & Networked with the Stars in
the PI Industry
• Presenter at NALI 2001 Boston Conference
• Past President – LPDAM (04-05)
• 3rd Vice President of NCISS

4. Starting a Business
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Confusing and time consuming
Failure rate for new start up businesses is high
Many long hours every week
Normal for new businesses not to earn a profit
Possess the entrepreneurial spirit

5. Critical Skills
• Technical skill
• Managing the Business
• Growing the Business

6. Write a Business Plan
What Is a Business Plan?
– A written expression of your business idea
– Describes the business, services, market, staffing,
and financing needs

7. Purpose of a Business Plan
• Convince potential investors
• Test viability of idea before expending
resources
• Outline each area of business
• Research market thoroughly
• Determine financial needs
• Attract talented personnel
• Monitor business and financial needs

8. Find a Niche
A niche or target market is a group of potential
customers who share common characteristics,
making customers especially receptive to your
service.

9. Focus on One Area
• Create your own identity in the marketplace.
• Being focused increases the probability of
getting more business.
• Consumers prefer businesses that specialize.

10. How to Find Your Niche
Ask yourself…
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Who are you?
Who is your competition?
Is there an untapped market?
What you offering?
Who are your prospects?

11. How to Find Your Niche (cont.)
Think about…
• What are your best skills?
• What is your passion?
• Where would you fit in? Where would you not
fit in?
• Identify your competitors
• List all the benefits for your services

12. How to Find Your Niche (cont.)
Consider…
• How you spend most of your waking hours?
• What does your competitor do? right and
wrong?
• How will you fill a void in the marketplace
• Can you reach and develop prospects?
• Can your prospects pay for your services?

13. How to Find Your Niche (cont.)
Double Check Your Choices!
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Is this niche something you know how to do?
Can you do it well?
Is it something you like to do and would not mind doing day after
day?
Is it something with a broad enough appeal to sell on a steady
basis?
Can it be sold at a price that will cover all your expenses and
overhead plus return a profit?
Can you raise enough funds?

14. Top 20 Specialty Areas
 Missing persons
 Pre-employment checks
 Insurance fraud
 Countermeasures
 Surveillance
 Liability investigation
 Background checks
 Bail bond recovery
 Criminal defense
 Domestic investigations
 Asset investigation
 Sex crimes investigation
 Worker’s compensation
 Missing heirs
 Database/online search
 Adoptee/birth parents
location
 Service of process
 Employee theft
 Bodyguard/executive
protection
 Political background
checks

15. BRAND THE AGENCY
• The Brand called “YOU”
• The Brand is your reputation!
• Embody your Brand!

17. BRAND THE AGENCY
CORPORATE IMAGE
• Corporate identity is crucial to care + growth
of your business
• Corporate image refers to how a firm is
perceived
• It is a generally accepted image of what a
company “stands for”

18. BRAND THE AGENCY
CREATING AN IMAGE
Creation of a corporate image is an exercise in
perception management; it suggests a mental
picture to the public
A successful corporate image must be believable
The image must accurately reflect the
company’s product, services, values, and
representatives
A company name, logo, and tag line help
establish + reinforce the image

19. BRAND THE AGENCY
IDENTITY PACKAGE
• Your corporate identity package defines the
spacing, styles, colors, fonts, margins and
images for:
• The logo – a combo of alpha and graphic
elements that present the business name
• The tag line – a phrase or motto that further
defines a market niche or benefit of the
company

20. BRAND THE AGENCY
IDENTITY PACKAGE
• Protect your identity to maintain your position
in the marketplace
• Take time to set down rules about how,
where, and when your logo and business
appear
• By setting standards you are assured that your
brand collateral is always displayed correctly
in any medium or communication tool

22. What’s In a Name?
1. What you can glean from an agency’s
name?
2. What type of service do you think the
agency provides?
3. What is your initial impression based
solely on the name?

23. What’s in a Name?
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Accurate Information Consultants
Active Investigation
Blackhawk Investigation
Central Investigative Services
Corporate Integrity Services
Jag & company Computer Forensics
Merrimack Valley Guard Service
NH Background Investigations
Tactical Surveillance Investigations
Tri State Investigations Agency

26. REINVENTING YOU AND YOUR AGENCY
• Does your brand need to be changed?
• Is a makeover necessary?
• Are you happy with the trajectory of your
business growth?
• Do you have the right professional traction?

30. Business Cards
Your business card will be kept by:
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Clients
Prospective clients
Your peers
Lawyers
Other professionals

31. Business Cards (cont.)
Make sure your card is:
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Professional
Printed on high quality paper
Accurately represents your business
Provides contact information
Displays appropriate credentials
Always carry your business cards. Everywhere!

32. Develop a Marketing Plan
Marketing plan basics include:
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Gathering market research
Analyzing the competition
Strategizing about a campaign
Focusing on the prospective client
Identifying a plan of action
Providing supporting objectives
Defining a budget

33. What Is a Marketing Plan?
A marketing plan helps answer:
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Who are your clients?
What are you selling?
What specific market will you target?
How are your clients segmented?
Is your market steady, growing, or declining?
How will you promote your business to your
clients?
• What pricing strategy will you implement?

34. Components of a Marketing Plan
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Define the business
Define the clients
Define the advertising plan
Define the advertising budget
Determine the overall promotional objectives

35. Advertising
Without…advertising, information...would
take years to reach all of us who might
benefit by it and progress would be
delayed.
Harry S. Truman

36. Target Advertising
• Create a communication strategy
• Determine a budget
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Website
Networking
Public relations
Social awareness
Print media
Radio/television
• Track response

37. Website Impact
• Website Development
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Domain registration
Content development
Underlying structure
Design elements
– Consult with Jimmie Mesis!

38. Networking
• Plan it
– What do you want to achieve?
– Who would benefit from by business?
– Where could I meet prospects?
– How do I establish my image?
• Target your audience
• Event etiquette
• Meeting tips

39. Public Relations
If you’ve done it, it ain’t braggin.
Dizzy Dean, baseball player
The following all contribute to your public relations:
• Press releases
• Self promotion
• Employees’ manner, attire, attitude
• Kudos file
• Publicity

40. Social Awareness
Become active in an organization or
association that interests you. The
benefits include:
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Feel good about yourself
Meet additional people
Gain more exposure
Enhance your reputation
Build credentials

41. MOLLY BISH FOUNDATION
• MOLLY BISH CASE
– 2004 – PARTNERSHIP OF MOLLY BISH
FOUNDATION & PIS (MA, NH, ME, RI)
– COLD CASE TRAINING FOR PIS (2004 &
2005)
– PRO BONO INVESTIGATIVE ASSISTANCE
FOR COLD CASES
Unsolved Murders
Unresolved Missing Persons

42. Molly Ann Bish

43. NCMEC RESOURCES:
INVESTIGATIVE ASSISTANCE
PROJECT ALERT
SERVICES PROVIDED:
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IMMEDIATE ONSITE ASSISTANCE
LONG TERM CASE REVIEW
SURVEILLANCE
STATE TO STATE FOLLOW-UP ON
LEADS
• WITNESS INTERVIEW ASSISTANCE
• PUBLIC SPEAKERS AND ROLL CALL
TRAINERS

45. Become an Expert
Free speech can translate into free advertising.
Write an Article
1. Define your audience
2. Select your magazine
3. Prepare your queries
4. Write the article
5. Recycle the content

46. Purpose of Print Advertising
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Attract attention
Appeal to reader’s self interest
Announce news
Communicate unique advantage
Prove an advantage
Motivate the reader to take action

47. Types of Print Advertising
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Newspapers
Magazines
Brochures
Newsletters
Flyers
Circulars
Postcards

48. Promote your Brand with an Online
Presence
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Blog
Linkedin
Facebook (Friend local & national reporters)
Twitter (Follow & be followed by media)
Google Page (Generate business leads)
Yodel (New ad platform for phones & iPads)

49. If you don’t TOOT your own horn,
don’t complain that there is no music!

50. PARTNERING WITH THE MEDIA
• Cultivate a relationship with reporters – print,
television, and radio…
• Invite reporters to speak at your state PI
association meeting
• Seek opportunities to be a guest on radio,
local cable access, main stream TV news,
national cable news shows, and reality shows
• Be proactive not reactive
• Tweet with ideas, thoughts, and suggestions

52. Pitch your cases to local media for tips, leads, and
resolution

53. Local Cases Go National

54. Local Cases Go National
– 20/20, 48 HOURS, DATELINE, CNN HLN NANCY GRACE,
JANE VELEZ-MITHCELL, FOX NEWS – GERALDO RIVERA,
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN

56. Media Exposure = $
Brand Enhancement & Recognition
Free Advertising!

58. GUIDELINES FOR DEALING WITH
REPORTERS
• RULE # 1 – Don’t Get Burned!
• Know who you are dealing with (rookie vs a pro)
• “Off the record” statements/disclosures
• Don’t let them put words in your mouth, or jeopardize
your standing in the community (i.e. no bad mouthing
cops, politicians, celebrities, etc.) Control the message

59. Day in the Life of a Media Conscious PI
• Breaking news….local and national incidents
such as campus and workplace shootings, high
profile missing persons cases, murders
• Boston Fox 25, CBS/WBZ, Boston Herald,
Boston Globe
• HLN
• CNN
• Tweet
• Studio vs. phoner

60. QUESTIONS?
WWW.SHAMSHAKPI.COM