Author: Brani Andreev, MBA, is an expert in nationwide management of process service, consultant, speaker, and developer of the breakthrough Management Model of the 4Ps™ that ensures the consistent quality of process service.
Do you know that most people who think they are good listeners underperform? By as much as 60 percent? In fact, it turns out that overconfidence actually impedes your success whether you are interacting with your clients, other process servers or the people you are trying to serve. Being too confident actually prevents you from truly understanding what motivates the other side. This, in turn, stops you from being able to use Actionable Empathy™ to get the outcomes you are looking for as a process server or even in your personal relationships.
Truth be told, nothing puts a relationship in jeopardy faster than poor listening skills. It does not matter whether you are talking to another process server, your client, a defendant in a case or your family. People simply do not take a long time to estimate your commitment to listening, particularly since a good deal of communication is nonverbal and wrapped up in physical syntax and delivery. Suffice it to say it is not easy to convince someone you are actually listening when in fact you are not.
So why do most people who think they are good listeners underperform? It is because most do not have the communication skills to recognize that there are actually five levels to listening. Experience shows that if you recognize and master better listening skills, you are more likely to:
Let's explore the five levels of listening and see how they help you get more clients for your process service business, grow it, and find that defendant who is avoiding service:
Level 1: Listening for the Substance: The first level of listening is intermittent listening. What it means is that you are simply listening long enough to get the substance or essence or the main point of what the other side is saying. When you are talking to a new client who just called you and wants legal documents delivered, and you think you have got the basic idea, your ears shut off and refocus on your internal voice, which is formulating a reaction based on your worldview. Though you might not even recognize that you have shut the other side off and actually articulate this reaction, you are engaged in an internal dialogue about how what is being said does not line up with your logic. While "talking to yourself" at the same time when your new client is giving you more information about the process service he needs done, you have just missed out on some very important instructions on how the client expects you to serve the defendant. Level 2: Listening to Rebut: During this next level of listening, you are still not practicing active listening. In fact, you are listening to rebut. This is the stage at which you listen long enough to understand the incoming message until it hits the trigger (i.e., something in the statement or phrase that you can argue against or rebut). Imagine you are talking to another process server from another state who has just sent you a service, and he is trying to explain to you why he needs the respondent personally only served. You interrupt him and are eager to tell him why you feel he is wrong. When you hear a trigger, you just wait for the other side to shut up for long enough so you can tell them why their position is faulty and, by extension, how much smarter you are than they are. These enthusiastic replies undermine communication and the entire relationship. Interjecting with a quick response is a clear indication that you are not listening. How could you be? At this level, you are actually focusing on your agenda at the expense of theirs, and it is, for the most part, obvious to the other side. Level 3: Listening for Logic: The third level of listening involves using inference to try to pin down the internal logic of what is being said, if such logic exists. If this is the other side’s point of view, their conclusion, or their judgment, why does it make sense to them? It is the first step toward truly understanding whom you are actually speaking with. During this level of listening you are paying more attention to what the person who just answered the door is attempting to tell you. Is she trying to say that her spouse is not at home right now while impatiently holding a baby in her hands? Is she ready to move inside and close the door on you before you have asked her when he might be home so that you can deliver the legal documents to him and successfully complete the process service? Level 4: Listening for Emotion: At the fourth level of listening, you are listening for any emotions or issues that may be driving their argument. You are standing at the door of that yellow house for a third time this week, and you are hoping to finally find the person you are looking for to deliver the service of process. You feel lucky this time, lights are all on inside the house and you hear people talking inside, a small child crying loud. These emotions or issues may or may not make sense to you. But at this level, you recognize their significance as the other side may be in a stressful situation if the small child needs their attention. The door suddenly opens and you find a very angry man staring at you. When it is your turn to speak, you might decide to use Labels (See https://www.theprocessservercenter.com/serve-like-fbi-agent.html) to identify the unstated emotions or issues you believe are influencing what they have to say. Here is another situation, this one involving a very satisfied client who gives you an energetic compliment about that successful process service you have just done, you might say something like this: "It seems like you’re very pleased with the outcome of your service of process ...", in hopes that the other side will reveal additional information and perhaps agree to give you a written review on your Google listing of your process service business. Level 5: Listening for Their Point of View: At this level of listening you become a great listener. It is truly this level where you listen for what the other side’s argument says about who they are in the world, using Actionable Empathy™ to do everything you can to see things from their perspective. This communication skill is how you filter the other person’s emotion and logic through a prism of empathy. It is what you should try to do every time you interact with others, regardless whether it is another process server, a defendant you are trying to find or your client. During this stage of listening it is all about getting beyond the cursory level of understanding to a deeper appreciation of their point of view. If you do not understand where the other person is coming from, you do not really understand them at all, making it that much less likely you will get that new client you are hoping for. If you do not understand the other side, you will never influence them. It’s that simple! Though it is difficult to maintain this level of listening every waking moment of every day, you need to be ready and willing to get here when the situation warrants it. The better your listening skills, the more likely it is that you land this new client with volume process service you have always wanted.
Author: Brani Andreev, MBA, is an expert in nationwide management of process service, consultant, speaker, and developer of the breakthrough Management Model of the 4Ps™ that ensures the consistent quality of process service.
Summary: Just like the four characters from Dr. Johnson's parable "Who Moved My Cheese?", Sniff, Hem and Haw, process servers can grow their businesses and find the many clients they are asking for.
A common question among both experienced and new process servers is how to attract more clients and how to find more work to maintain or grow their process service business. In the past several months, particularly during the current health crisis, most process servers have seen their volumes shrink to less than half and many are still struggling to return to the average number of jobs from last year. Even before these difficult times process servers were finding it hard to get ahead of the competition and the need for reliability and professionalism has grown stronger. More than ever process servers are asking for help to build back their volume of services. The question often asked is “What Happened with All the Services I had?” or in the words of Dr. Spencer Johnson “Who Moved My Cheese?” Perhaps sharing this powerful story with you will help you discover yourself in one of the characters and move you in the right direction to build your process service business up again.
Dr. Johnson’s powerful novel “Who Moved My Cheese” is a simple yet memorable story about four characters, 2 mice named Sniff and Scurry and two little people, named Hem and Haw. All of them are living in a twisted maze as they strive to find their favorite Cheese. As you learn the story of Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw, make sure to think about yourself as a process server. When you read about the cheese, think about your volume of many services that you are trying to attract. Cheese is a metaphor for all that you want to have in your life, and the Maze represents your process service business or life in general.
Key Idea #1: Your “cheese” or success in process service may be paralyzing you.
The two mice, Sniff and Scurry, don’t think about things too much. Instead, they spend their time running up and down the corridors of their maze, in search of cheese. This seemingly “brainless” way in which these two mice set about achieving their goal is often the most effective method in reaching your own goals. In fact, acting without thinking too much can save you time and energy. If there’s no cheese at the end of a path, for example, Sniff and Scurry simply turn around and scramble down another path – without wasting time being angry or frustrated. At the same time, the little people Hem and Haw were also searching for cheese in the maze, but not because they were hungry. Rather, they thought that finding cheese would make them feel happy and successful. With their more “complex” brains, Hem and Haw worked out strategies to find cheese, memorizing the maze’s dark corners and blind alleys. Yet with all this planning, they still often got confused, and sometimes lost their way. And whenever the pair came up empty-handed, they became depressed, wondering if happiness would ever be attainable. As a process server, do you feel you tend to overcomplicate things? Do you overthink issues or ideas? Do you become overly attached to the status quo in your process service business? Working hard as a process server may finally land you that great new client you were searching for. You feel happy and proud! In the story we are telling, Hem and Haw also found a huge stash of fancy, imported cheese down one corridor, at Cheese Station C. Every day they made sure to wake up early and visit the station for a snack. Yet the pair’s life gradually began to revolve around the feast at Cheese Station C. They felt at home there, and were very proud of it – yet they also began to take it for granted. Like Hem and Haw, when we find success or “our cheese,” we can quickly become dependent on it, so much so that our life revolves only around our “cheese.” Perhaps you find yourself serving legal documents day and night to keep your clients happy. Perhaps you months or years have passed and now you are taking that great client you landed for granted.
Key Idea #2: Good situations never last forever, so be prepared!
So Hem and Haw woke up one morning and were shocked to realize that their cheese was gone. Change always happens, sooner or later. Whether it is because of a global health crisis or an economic downturn or courts being closed, being aware that change always happens, can help you keep a closer eye on your current situation, to better anticipate the change ahead. Once Sniff and Scurry realized that Cheese Station C was almost out of cheese, they moved on without stressing too much about it. And luckily, they found a huge stash at another station, Cheese Station N. Hem and Haw were not so lucky. Unable to cope, the pair kept returning to the empty station, growing increasingly hungry, depressed and weak. Take a lesson from these two “little people”: The less you hem and haw and the sooner you adapt to change, the better off you’ll be. Key Idea #3: Visualizing your goals helps you push through the fear that keeps you from dealing with change. Why do so many process servers (and many of us, in general), just like Hem and Haw, get blindsided by big changes? It’s fear. Fear is what makes confronting change so difficult. After all, change requires you to cope with a new situation and grapple with a new set of rules. That can be both disorienting and frustrating, so it’s natural to be scared of change. As long as you’re afraid of leaving your comfort zone, things will never get better. For example, once they came to grips with the empty Cheese Station C, Hem and Haw had to venture again into the maze to find food. They worried that they might get lost, or find themselves in a blind alley with no way out. Even though Hem and Haw were hungry, they were still too fearful to explore new paths in the maze. Instead, they smashed down the walls of Cheese Station C to see if there was something to eat behind them! But all in vain. Haw eventually discovered a good way to deal with his fear. He visualized himself sitting atop a huge wedge of his favorite cheese, soft-rind French Brie. Indeed, visualizing your goal in vivid detail, for example to get more services, to attract new clients, to build your process service, will actually increase your desire to attain it. So if you find yourself stuck, or you can’t tame your fear, visualize your goal. That will stoke your desire and give you the energy to move forward.
Key Idea #4: Dare to move in a new direction and things will get better.
After visualizing his goal, Haw moved on to find new cheese. But Hem refused to budge. He stayed at the empty cheese station, angry and emaciated, and crucially, far too afraid to go out and search for cheese. At the same time, Haw’s experience improved dramatically. When you move in a new direction, you learn how to better embrace change. Instead of fearing the difficult times and complaining about it, work harder as a process server. Take extra care of the few clients you have, be reliable at all costs. Take a little time to get further training or improve systems in your process service business. Ask us for help! Key Idea #5: Use the lessons you’ve learned from this “cheesy” parable to reach your own goals as a process server! So how can you apply the lessons of this parable to the benefit of your process service business or even your personal life?
The experience of the “little people” and mice can teach you to let go of fear, and be on the lookout for new opportunities to grow and sustain your process service business. Just consider how our parable ends. Even though there was plenty of cheese at Cheese Station N, Haw – having learned his lesson – kept exploring the maze, looking for other stashes. Indeed, what works today won’t necessarily work tomorrow. As the environment changes, your process service business needs to change, too – or you’ll be left behind. Don’t Let Your Fears Hold You Back
Author: Brani Andreev, MBA, is an expert in nationwide management of process service, consultant, speaker, and developer of the breakthrough Management Model of the 4Ps™ that ensures the consistent quality of process service.
Rarely anyone hears about process servers in the media unless there is a problem... Media covers topics that range from "a process server got shot in..." to changes in legislation due to improper service of process. Then there are the articles that mention "sewer" service and the implications on people affected by "bad" process servers. So how do we change that? How do we speak up for the thousands of great process servers who perform their duties and diligently serve the legal documents to help people exercise their Constitutional right to be heard and to defend themselves? Two articles from DCist this week are particularly disturbing to all professional process servers as the word "sewer service" popped up quite a few times in them. The first article "Thousands of D.C. renters are evicted every year. Do they all know to show up to court?" describes a months-long investigative project that turned up more than 600 cases in just two months where two process servers filed affidavits containing discrepancies. The result was that tenants were not properly notified of their court hearing dates and had little time to properly defend themselves. The article further addresses the fact that there is no mechanism in place in D.C. to check whether process servers are truthful in their affidavits and have accurately delivered the summonses. The second article "D.C. Council strengthens requirements for notice of eviction cases" follows up on the actions taken by D.C. Council to remedy the situation with sewer service and unanimously approve a new measure requiring landlords to provide photographic evidence that tenants have been given proper notice of evictions filed against them. This article further points out that this amendment came in response to the lengthy investigation as described in the first article. The Council is also planning on moving forward with additional legislation and a broader permanent measure in order to reconsider how to regulate the process service industry. Emergency Legislation Does Not Help Process Servers It is not a surprise that legislators move in to address issues whenever they arise as is the case in D.C. after the months-long investigation that uncovered wrongful tenants evictions due to sewer service. If self-regulation is not possible in the industry, then government as in this case has to act and fill in the gaps with what looks like an emergency legislation or legislation that arises from improper service of process. Such legislation is usually not beneficial to most process servers and does not provide a meaningful method in incentivizing process servers who diligently perform their duties. Sewer Service Media Coverage Does Not Improve Process Servers Reputation In addition to the emergency legislation that often comes out following media coverage of sewer process service, the effect on the reputation of all process servers is at stake. Both articles mentioned above make general statements that tend to imply that the process service industry is riddled by sewer service. The articles also lead us to believe that if it is not for the efforts of legislators, process servers will continue to fake service and provide false affidavits of service to the courts. None of the two articles emphasize on the fact that the sewer services that led to problems with tenants evictions in D.C. were the product of just two process servers.
Sewer Process Servers in NAPPS?
Prompted by a hint from a process server, the Process Server Center completed an independent research and confirmed that at least one of the process servers mentioned in these two articles is a current member "proudly" shown and marketed on the website of the National Association of Professional Process Servers (NAPPS). This fact itself is very troublesome as it further fuels the assumptions made by the two articles. It further leads us to believe that it is entirely possible that there are many other "sewer" process servers proudly marketing themselves as professional process servers on national process servers platforms. Self-regulation of the Process Service Industry is Necessary The two articles in DCist oblige us to react and stand up for all process servers in the United States who are professional and diligent, honest and hard-working. At the Process Server Center we are very disturbed by the findings described in the two articles and we strongly believe that all tenants will be properly notified of a pending case against them if they were being served by one of the many professional process servers in the country. Why legislation to correct improper service of process always targets process servers? Are law firms, paralegals and clients, in general, not responsible for selecting, hiring and managing these same process servers? At the Process Server Center we believe that the process service industry needs to advance nationally as an industry. We believe that self-regulation is the best approach in regulating not only process servers but also process service managers, lawyers, paralegals and legal assistants who manage, instruct and oversee process servers. We aim to change the way clients select process servers and offer a practical solution to find process servers based on their qualities and prior service record. We believe that self-regulation is always better than emergency regulation and we offer a progressive approach to limit the ease of entry to the process server profession, and award the truly professional process servers with the reputation and increased fees they deserve. Perhaps the time will come soon when media coverage would also tell us the story of the many great professional process servers throughout the country and we will be proud to read about them! FIND OUT HOW WE HELP ADVANCE PROCESS SERVICE
Author: The Process Server Center | PROServerCENTER is a legal professional organization whose mission is to set a national standard for the process service industry in the United States.
As reported by Vice this week, a company called Civvl says evicting people is the "FASTEST GROWING MONEY MAKING GIG DUE TO COVID-19."
During a time of great economic and general hardship, many people are struggling to make ends meet, while others are trying to monetize on their hardship. Due to high unemployment, closed businesses and economic uncertainty millions are struggling to pay their rent. Being part of the small business sector process service agencies and individual process servers have seen their volume of services diminish. When both sides of the economy are struggling, a new startup is enlisting cash-strapped gig workers like process servers to help landlords evict tenants who cannot make rent during the Covid-19 pandemic. The company, named Civvl, aims to be Uber for evicting people, and to make it easy for landlords to hire process servers and eviction agents as gig workers. In addition to the ethical issues here, who is a startup like Civvl really helping?
It is not the first time that startups have tried to streamline service of process and make money off of process servers or streamline taxi service, making money off of drivers, as in the Uber case. Equipped with the right app building skills and an interested initial investor, a tech company can easily create an app overnight and throw money at it to market it. Similar to other apps, Civvl simply provides an online platform where during a time when there is a federal ban on evictions, the startup appears to pass all risk onto the companies using its platform. As the site states, it simply “provides lead generation to independent contractors," and does not actually carry out the work itself. Both landlords and process servers will be the ones responsible for the proper and legally correct service of notices to tenants, and they will be the ones carrying the ultimate burden while Civvl will monetize for using its app. A spokesman for the company, as reported by CBSNews, emphasized that Civvl is not actually carrying out evictions, but rather connecting independent junk haulers or process server contractors with opportunities to clear out property. "It's basically like a job center," the spokesman said. "This is no different than you going on Monster.com." What are Civvl Craigslist Ads Looking for? The listings in 17 cities, tracked by Princeton's Eviction Lab, call for workers who are a minimum of 18 years old, and brags that it provides a “true flexible schedule” and a “minimal background check.” The average Civvl worker, the post says, completes six jobs a day. Workers hired through Civvl are classified as independent contractors and are required to have their own car and liability insurance, among other things. The terms also ask users to give up their rights to sue the company and agree to resolve any disputes in arbitration. What the Startup Charges? The app charges workers $35 a month to use the service on top of a 30% cut of their earnings, according to its terms of service. Do Apps like Civvl Benefit Process servers and Clients? Let’s look at what legal professionals and process servers need in order to successfully complete the delivery of legal documents and let’s see to what extent this can be achieved by fast money-making apps like Civvl.
While it is tempting for tech companies like Civvl to try and monetize on gig workers like process servers, service of process still remains “personal” and it is still the most reliable way to ensure compliance with constitutionally imposed due process of notice to a defendant and the opportunity to be heard. Without proper service of process a court has no jurisdiction over a defendant and may not proceed. While it may look easy to create an app and connect a process server with a client, the “personal” factor still remains a huge component in service of process. Quality is still very much dependent on the knowledge and professionalism of both clients and process servers, and human management remains a very important part of service of process, a part that new apps cannot resolve at this time. FIND OUT HOW WE HELP PROCESS SERVERS SUCCEED
Author: The Process Server Center | PROServerCENTER is a legal professional organization whose mission is to set a national standard for the process service industry in the United States.
Summary: A key role in learning how to apply FBI techniques while serving legal documents is developing our emotional intelligence. By doing that, we learn a crucial secret about de-escalating any difficult situation or calm an angry person in seconds. That secret consists of two simple things:
Process servers face many challenges while attempting to locate a person, to obtain more information that could help find the person to be served, to build rapport with a stranger, to alleviate an escalating situation. Most of these challenges can be resolved by observing and communicating. Observation plays a key role in identifying and gathering additional information that could prove helpful in ruling out an address. It helps a process server discover more about the residence, rule out if anyone actually lives at the given address or not; or confirm that a person may not reside here if his/her name is not on the mailbox.
Along with observation, communication helps a process server gather valuable information before and during an attempt to deliver process and may ultimately help with locating the person being served or overcome a difficult situation of avoiding. Using FBI techniques and tools process servers can successfully build rapport, diffuse a difficult situation, gather valuable information and ultimately complete the service of process right the first time.
A key role in learning how to apply FBI techniques while serving legal documents is developing our emotional intelligence. By doing that, we learn a crucial secret about de-escalating any difficult situation or calm an angry person in seconds. That secret consists of two simple things:
Experience shows that underneath anger and fear, people are often experiencing deep unresolved grief. Many people also experience abandonment and feel deeply unloved. These are added to the list because they arise often.
The physical aspect of emotion is what we commonly call feeling. When a person you are trying to serve gets frustrated, his/her face may turn deep red which is caused by blood rushing into his capillaries. In addition, some people have a difficult time labeling their emotional experience. A person you are trying to communicate with while attempting to deliver legal documents, may experience the affect of anger, for example, but not be able to communicate his experience. He will just want to go out and hit something because he has no way to express to himself or others what is going on inside him. Another person may be able to categorize his emotional experience as anger, and communicate in a rough way that he/she is angry. People who are able to not only categorize their emotional experience, but can also provide details about it, tend to have higher emotional intelligence, have better self-control, and are able to make better choices under the fire of emotion. People with lesser ability to name and detail their emotions have less emotional intelligence, less self-control, and a harder time making good choices when upset. Here is an illustration showing the degrees of emotional distress:
As a process server your communication skills and ability to detect emotions in others help you identify situations that may spiral out of control. Equipped with the right set of tools and techniques, a process server can learn to de-escalate a tough situation or calm an angry person in 90 seconds or less. It is important to be aware of the words you use, the way you phrase things. Do you phrase things always as either/ or? Are the word choices you choose always negative? Are you compassionate with how you describe the purpose of you knocking on someone's door? Do you use language that lifts up or pulls others down?
Mindfulness is one of the most effective behavioral tools you will ever have as a process server for dealing with rising anxiety, stress, sadness, and myriad other emotions. Process service is often a difficult job where both process servers and the people they are trying to serve experience negative emotions. Therefore, process servers must be equally mindful of their own emotions as they are to the emotions of the people they encounter in their daily routes to serve process. Internal mindfulness, which pays attention to our own inner self-talk, watches for any negative patters in behavior or perceptions. It takes some practice because you have to break through the distortion of what you think versus what is true. Next time you are out attempting to deliver legal documents, be mindful about what is real and what is distorted. Watch out for your own negative thoughts as they can influence how you approach the next person on whose door you are going to knock. Always take a step back and take control of your own emotions before you carry them with you and onto the next person you are going to try and deliver legal documents to. Developing your emotional intelligence as a process server is just one of several tools and techniques that top FBI agents use to de-escalate and calm an angry person. To find out more about the other tools that FBI agents use on a daily basis, consider enrolling in the program "How To Serve Like an FBI Agent". Handle difficult to serve people, learn to deal with confrontation, and cut time spent per service with tactics and strategies specifically developed for the process service industry based on the experience and knowledge of FBI agents and law enforcement officers.
Author: Brani Andreev, MBA, is an expert in nationwide management of process service, consultant, speaker, and developer of the breakthrough Management Model of the 4Ps™ that ensures the consistent quality of process service.
Most limits are self-imposed. The difference between good and great comes from pushing yourself beyond them... Over the years, we have helped many process servers throughout the United States and have had the opportunity to talk to dozens of extremely successful servers with different levels of experience. One of the favorite questions we ask is: "What got you here?" The answer reveals a simple truth about success, and the process servers who actually achieve success. During the current times of change, many process servers feel they are on the downside of advantage. It seems that it is tempting for them to rationalize that incredibly successful process servers were blessed with some advantage. Intelligence. Talent. Education. Connections. A special something. In reality, that never turns out to be true. Almost to a person, highly successful process servers consider themselves to be average in almost all things. Sometimes even below average. Their only "advantage" was hard work. So what is the secret you may ask? What is that special something that makes some process servers really successful? Mental toughness. Determination. Willpower. Perseverance. Whatever word you use, the ability to overcome roadblocks, to push through hesitation and discomfort and even just boredom, and keep working toward a long-term goal, is what allows "ordinary" process servers to accomplish extraordinary things, to stand apart from others, to "land" this great law firm as a client, to succeed and perhaps most important - to retain that level of success for years to come. Take Dave from Michigan for example (Dave is the name we chose to use for all successful process servers we talked to). Dave is decidedly average. No special background in process service when he started 10 years ago. It has been a difficult few years struggling with learning the rules and regulations of service of process. Finding clients was challenging as it seemed most law firms in the area already had someone they were using, even though they were not particularly happy with who they had as a process server. Dave persevered. He diligently continued to do his work with utmost dedication. No matter how large or small a law firm was, Dave approached each one of them with the same excitement, attention and respect. Doing the extra little something, like a skip trace, even when the client never asked for it, or providing a timely affidavit, Dave kept his focus on how to best serve each and every client that called or reached out to him. Day after day. Year after year. It is when he least expected it that the miracle happened - both local and large law firms started calling him to take care of their service of process. They have heard how great Dave was from other clients. Yes, the miracle happened. Except it was not really a miracle. It was Dave! You, as a person and as a process server, you always have more in you than you think. When you are doing something difficult and think you need to stop, you have more in you. When you are trying to find and serve this person who has been avoiding you and are ready to give up, you have more in you. When you are about to give up on running out for that paralegal who called you at the end of the day with a rush service to handle, you have more in you as a process server. When you are about ready to give up on yourself, because finding new clients seems so unattainable, you have more in you. And when you are about to give up on process service because your business does not seem to be working out as you have hoped for, you definitely have more in you! Why? Because most of our limits are self-imposed. Over time, process servers set those limits for themselves. They listen to other servers complaining how hard it is, and they give up. How long will we stick with a challenge before giving up and moving on? How long will we stare at a whiteboard, trying to think of a way past a problem, before giving up and moving on? How many cold calls to law firms or paralegals are we going to make? Emails to send? Proposals to create? Bids to participate in? Follow-ups to make? Those limits only seem real because habit has created them. But they are not real. Think of a time when fear helped you push past what you thought was a barrier. Think about a time when a huge incentive helped you push past what you thought was a barrier to the success of your process service business. Then, you could do more. Because as it turns out, your limit was only 40 percent of what you were truly capable of achieving. Next time you think you have reached your cold-call limit as a process server, make one more. Next time you think you have reached your training limit, take another class or read another helpful article. Next time you think you have reached your quality in the service you provide your clients, double-check your limit, check again, and find yet another thing you can improve. Challenge yourself to see if you can do even better. And you will realize that your limits as a process server are self-imposed. You will realize that your self-created limits are what holds you back from achieving success as a process server! You realize that you can accomplish a lot more than you once thought possible!
Source: Ink
Do you have the perseverance to be the Go-To Process Server in your area? The Process Server Center is here to help you every step of the way in your journey to the Top!
Don't Let Your Self-Created Limits Hold You Back?
You Can Be the Go-To Process Server in Your Area!
Author: The Process Server Center | PROServerCENTER is a legal professional organization whose mission is to set a national standard for the process service industry in the United States.
What would your business be like if you were the process server who came to mind every time someone said they need a process server in your area? We bet your inbox would be full of requests or orders to serve legal documents from qualified legal professionals. All of us at the Process Server Center want this for you! We want you to be the Go-To Process Server in Your Area! We want you to be successful in growing your process service business! And we are excited to be a part of this journey with you! Becoming the Go-To person in your industry takes consistent, laser-focused and clear direction and effort. As a process server you must be bold in your beliefs and confident in your knowledge in order to be seen as a resource in your industry. Does it sound difficult? Perhaps it does, but remember Steve Jobs' words that "perseverance is the main determinant of a success". Most people easily get discouraged or even give up but we are convinced that "about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance", Steve Jobs added. So who are the Go-To process servers that attorneys, paralegals and other legal professionals turn to when they need that service done right the first time? The Go-To process servers are the fixers who step up and do the actual work. Under pressure, other process servers turn to them to identify and implement solutions. They get the legal documents served every time on time. They are the ones who know how to find that person who is avoiding to get served. They are the ones who know people, know how to talk to people and know how to calm down an angry person. The Go-To process servers possess that knack for making process service seem so easy. How can you become a Go-To process server in your area? Here are nine ways to achieve that:
As they prepare and train, Go-To process servers imagine the day when it all comes down to the wire. They visualize different scenarios when they knock on that door, and physically, mentally and intellectually prepare themselves. Alone, they study the strengths, flaws, and tendencies of their competition. They learn from the best in the process service industry and never tire to learn. There is nothing supernatural about it. As hockey great Wayne Gretzky explains, "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been." The same is true for the Go-To process servers. They just prepare more and process faster. As a result, their reactions become unconsciously instinctive and the end result is a proper service of process done right every time.
The Go-To process servers are more afraid of missing out than making mistakes. More than anything they want to own the outcome. Go-To process servers take responsibility and assert themselves when others shrink back. They learn from challenges when serving legal documents and they embrace opportunity to step in and take this difficult service of process that no one else wants.
Winners know that the distance between winning and losing is often a matter of inches. Go-To process servers are humbled by the knowledge that they can always fall short no matter how far they came. Despite any setbacks, successful process servers don't dwell on the moment or feel sorry for themselves that they lost that contract or missed that client. Go-To process servers know that learning entails a lot of losing. It may be losing a contract. It may be not charging enough for that hard service. But they never lose their stamina, confidence or will.
What separates them from other process servers is accountability. Go-To process servers do not make excuses or blame someone else. They don't play the victim or wallow in anger. They realize that they set the standard. Top professional process servers get back on their feet and lift their heads high.
Go-To process servers forge relationships. To succeed, everyone must believe in each other. Top process servers build connections with others, whether they are clients or peers. They look for ways to keep everyone involved, helping and finding ways too constantly become better at what they do.
There is one trait that unites top process servers and that is grace under pressure. They have mastered their emotions. Clients have confidence in them and are relaxed because top process servers stay calm themselves, even when the deadline is short. It is exactly what earns them the respect and loyalty of both legal professional clients and their peers. Do you have the perseverance to be the Go-To Process Server in your area? The Process Server Center is here to help you every step of the way in your journey to the Top! Do you feel you have what it takes to become a Go-To Top professional process server?
Author: Brani Andreev, MBA, expert in nationwide management of process service, consultant, speaker, and developer of the breakthrough Management Model of the 4Ps™ that ensures the consistent quality of process service.
Personal service of process has been the hallmark for initialing litigation for nearly 100 years primarily because it guarantees actual notice to a defendant of a legal action against him or her.
The author further argues that for the reasons set forth above, while electronic service of process may hold promise for the future, and until adequate technological measures are engineered that (1) satisfy constitutional Due Process requirements for the parties in a manner substantially identical to those provided by physical service of process, (2) more closely approximate the reliability of physical service of process and maintain a presumption of validity generally free from wanton and frivolous challenge, and (3) ensure that the security profiles, retention and validation capabilities of any such proposed system are engineered with true longevity in mind, personal service of process remains the most effective, reliable, and trustworthy method for providing notice of a pending lawsuit and an opportunity to be heard.
To learn more about how this process has worked with real cases and to see if it really was that simple, we inquired about service by Facebook with the team at Statewide Process Servers out of West Jordan, Utah, who affirmed that: “...We have had it happen 3-4 times in the last few months. They are divorce/custody cases in which they either do not have an address for the respondent or we are unable to serve the respondent at the addresses they have. Our client will file a motion for alternative service with the court in which they ask to serve the person through their confirmed Facebook page. Once the Judge signs the order granting it they send it to us. I then create image files of the documents and send them to the person through Facebook messaging. I take a screenshot of each image being sent through the Facebook messaging app and include them with an Affidavit of Service indicating that I served them via Facebook Messaging per the judge's order to do so.”
Author: The Process Server Center | PROServerCENTER is a legal professional organization whose mission is to set a national standard for the process service industry in the United States.
What is Process Service? - Process service also known as “service of process” is the procedure employed to give an appropriate notice of initial legal action to another party (such as a defendant), court or administrative body in an effort to exercise jurisdiction over that person so as to enable that person to respond to the proceeding before the court, body, or other tribunal. Notice is furnished by delivering a set of court documents (called “process”) to the person to be served. The above definition is the legal definition applied to service of process. What is Process Service in reality then? It is the simple complicated occupation. It is simple because Process Service is simply the delivery of legal documents to a person or a business. Simple enough, right? Not so fast! It is also complicated because Process Service must be done right the first time or the service may be deemed invalid and even the legal case may be dismissed. It is this done right part that makes service of process complicated. To deliver the legal documents correctly, a process server must navigate through the myriad of federal, state, local, municipal, and county rules, laws and regulations. He or she must correctly understand the methods of service prescribed to this one particular service of process, and then apply them while serving the legal documents. The process server must be well-informed and well-prepared in advance of the simple task of going to the person's address and handing the legal documents. That's why Process Service is the simple complicated job that process servers do on a daily basis, in rain or shine days. Of course, service of process does not have to be hard. All it takes is preparation, so learn more on how to jump start your career as a process server and get certified through the only one nationwide Certification Program for Process Servers.
Author: The Process Server Center | PROServerCENTER is a legal professional organization whose mission is to set a national standard for the process service industry in the United States.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New York, NY – Associated Services, a nationwide process service management company, today announced that the company is partnering with the Process Server Center (PSC). PSC is a legal professional organization that has successfully developed the first platform to self-regulate the process service industry throughout the United States. Through this partnership, Associated Services and PSC aims to: · Implement the nationwide certification for process servers in order to upgrade the professional quality of services provided · Encourage the continuous training and education among process servers to support the orderly administration of justice · Facilitate the administration of Pro-Server List, the only Directory of Pre-Screened and Certified Process Servers in the United States to enhance confidence in the integrity of services provided by process servers · Provide a hassle-free solution for legal departments of government agencies, law firms and pro se clients to find professional and reliable process servers The process service industry has a huge market of process servers who constantly come and leave this industry. Process Servers are drawn by the ease of entry to this profession and the excitement to build their own business, all for less than 100 dollars. Self-regulation through certification, feedback incentives and a constantly updated directory of process servers is critical to ensure the consistent quality of service of process and eliminate hassles from improper service of process. PSC survey has proved that legal departments at government agencies, law firms and pro se clients will greatly benefit from advancing the training of process servers and utilizing a database that is constantly being updated to reflect the education, experience and real-time feedback for the quality of work and performance of process servers. “We are excited to support PSC in the much needed regulation of the process service industry”, says Brani, Andreev, CEO of Associated Services. “Providing the Know-How and Pre-screening of certified process servers in order to provide legal professionals the fast and reliable access to qualified, certified, pre-screened process servers is the most exciting opportunity the process service industry has seen in a long time.” Ultimately, Associated Services aspires to enable process servers to distinguish themselves from other process servers while providing clients with a reliable source of hiring the best process servers in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently about 15,000 to 20,000 process servers in the United States. Only 9 states now require initial statewide licensing for process servers and the responsibility to obtain sufficient education and training falls on each individual process server. "Both national and state associations, like the National Association for Professional Process Servers (NAPPS) require some proof of affiliation with the process service industry for one year in order to become a member”, says Richard Farrell, Program Director at PSC. “Aimed to solve problems in service of process and upgrade the quality of process servers’ directories, we are thrilled to partner with Associated Services to bring to the industry a results-driven approach to ensure the consistent high quality of service of process. Pro-Server List incorporates both entrance and continuous education and training requirements to maintain membership. This Exclusive Directory further differentiates between certified and pre-screened process servers in order to encourage members to get relevant education and also to implement the 4Ps™ Management Model in order to sustain service of process quality in the long run” About Associated Services Associated Services is a Nationwide Process Service Management Company. What ensures the consistent delivery of service of process is the management approach the company has developed and implemented based on more than 30 years of experience. Associated Services selects, trains, and oversees process servers throughout the country in order to streamline the process and save you time and valuable resources. Brani Andreev, CEO of Associated Services, has created this breakthrough management model that provides the framework that every process server must follow to ensure proper service of process every time. The 4Ps™ Model is based on relevant experience actively managing process servers and represents a breakthrough know-how for the process service industry. Associated Services is headquartered in Syracuse, NY. For information, visit www.Associated.Legal About the Process Server Center (PSC) PSC is a legal professional organization whose mission is to set a standard for the process service industry in the United States. The organization’s approach provides specific, actionable solutions to process servers and legal departments, the development of relevant training solutions for process servers and the administration of Pro-Server List, the first nationwide Exclusive Directory for Certified and Pre-Screened Process Server. The Process Server Center Team has 20+ years of experience in working with individual process servers, process service agencies, government agencies and law firms. PSC helps process servers build and maintain successful process service business while ensuring proper service of process and highest quality is provided to legal professionals. PSC is headquartered in Boston, MA. For information, visit www.TheProcessServerCenter.com Media Contacts: Brani Andreev, Associated Services Tel: 646-828-7748 B.Andreev@Associated.Legal Richard Farrell, PSC Tel: 917-409-7046 Richard.Farrell@CertifiedProcessServer.com SOURCE: Associated.Legal Related Links: www.Associated.Legal www.TheProcessServerCenter.com www.CertifiedProcessServer.com
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