It all started when someone signed up for a listing many months ago. I talked to her on the phone and the phone call lasted for seven hours she was so interesting. I gave her lots of tips, and she read my blog tutorials on Notary work. When she took my new and more difficult quiz, she got 84% while the others averaged about 35-40%. My new quiz
has many following directions, handling situations and tough notary questions which most people just cannot handle.

The last time I called this lady, she said, “I can’t talk, I’m at a signing. The listing is really working out well.” Then we talked later on that evening and she said she had been getting a lot of work. Something like eighty signings in the last two months which is amazing for someone brand new with no experience.

So, this is an example of someone who listens to our advice, studies hard, and puts attention into their listing. The result is success and happiness!

You might also like:

He took Jeremy’s advice and got new title companies
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22277

What is the secret to Carmen’s success?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20059

Originally published June 30, 2018

I talked to a bunch of Notaries who were Fidelity Approved. Most of them were a lot better than average in terms of knowledge, but not all. Apparently, Fidelity scrutinizes them in particular ways, and asks a few questions, but not that many of the questions are Notary questions. I would like to know what their screening system is.

Fidelity approved Notaries do a little bit better on 123notary quizzes, but rarely score high grades because their notary and document technical knowledge is rarely proficient. In my opinion, a certification or approval means very little unless it is specified what qualifications or knowledge it is verifying.

My recommendations are that if they have any individual company type of requirements, that makes sense. But, there should also be requirements based on general notary and document knowledge, otherwise that is a risk to all parties involved. Can someone fill in the blanks for me about what their requirements are?

You might also like:

Studying to be Elite Certified is worth $533 per minute
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20774

I heard that someone lost their Fidelity approval because…
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20061

Excerpts from great notes sections
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=1043

I am always pleased when I get positive feedback. A Notary in Northern California had a long pep talk and review session with me two years ago. After the pep talk he started studying a lot. He studied about 15 hours. I made him retake his certification test. I was tired of people who passed long time ago who were not sharp on their information any more. He failed his original recert test, but after the long period of studying got an A on the retake. He also redid his notes and started putting in some work to get reviews.

The result is that for the first time in years he started getting a lot of title company work. All of his extra consciousness, conscientiousness, and newly polished skills attracted more work on a tangible and also metaphysical basis. His old clients dried up for the most part due to the sluggishness in the industry. Without that new work, he would have been out of business. Thank God I believed in him and gave him a generous chunk of my time.

What do I have to do to get the rest of you to do some serious studying. Most of you think that studying is a joke, and that you don’t need to do it. But, to do well in this business you need to be serious and to be serious you need to study. Yes, you can learn on the job, but there are certain things you only learn from written materials in courses. Our certification keeps getting more and more cleaned up to the point that people are valuing it more and more. If you put some work in, you can benefit from having it. It is a lot of effort but worth it if you plan on being in business for the long run.

You might also like:

Your number of loans just went down?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21236

Do you invest in your notary business?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22129

Recently I have been putting more notaries on 123notary.com. Our popularity went up as a result even though the quality of the notaries I added was not good. However, Notaries in very populated areas who were at the bottom of the list did not do well.

In counties (or subcounties in parts of California where we use that division) where we have 30 or more Notaries, those at the bottom of the list who were newly added hardly got any calls.

On the other hand, in other parts of the country where areas have zero to twenty Notaries, newly added Notaries were getting a generous quantity of clicks comparable to Notaries who have been with us for years.

If your market is saturated, that is not necessarily a problem. It just means you have to stand out and be listed higher on the list. We can help advise you on all of these matters. Remember – Notaries are plentiful, but Notaries who are experts at their game are rare and stand out.

Over the years we have heard many approaches to marketing to title companies. Obviously having a good online presence is the most time efficient because using that method they would come to you. But, what if you took a more aggressive approach?

1. Calling title companies
If you make a list of title companies and call them, that is a great way to get business. Keep in mind that there are different reps. They all say that they will share your info with the others, but they hang up so fast that how do you know that they will. It is good to talk to as many reps as possible, potentially on multiple phone calls to each companies.

2. Mailing title companies
If you want to do a nationwide campaign, focus more on companies within 90 minutes of you. But, you can contact title companies throughout the nation by mail. A few Notaries have done this. The response rate is low, but you contact so many companies, that you will get clients. You could mail them a card with basic information, rates, areas covered, etc.

3. Online presence
You are already doing this. But, there are more effective ways to do online advertising than just being online. Ask me how. More listings in more areas, higher placement, more certifications, better notes sections, more reviews, etc., all help.

4. Lots of E&O.
Some title companies require lots of E&O and the amount can vary. 500K E&O will help make you stand out from the other Notaries and might help attract title companies.

5. If you work for a particular title company, pass out cards to the various reps. If you have to go to a particular branch, get to know them as individuals. Title company people are not the most friendly in the world, so try to keep it quick.

6. Visiting title companies in person is time consuming. But, you can see how it works and let us know.

7. Be willing to take those out of the way jobs. Getting in with title is hard. But, once you are in, they might give you regular work. So, be willing to go wherever or whenever for that first job so they can sample your work.

Let us know if you have any other tips in the comments.

This is easier said than done. Different people have different experiences climbing to the top of the food chain in this business. As a general rule, you start out working mainly for low paying signing companies who micromanage. Some of those companies might not pay at all. Working for companies that don’t pay is a great way to rack up experience, but not a great way to pay your rent. As time goes on, you will gradually get a higher share of higher paying title companies.

Title companies like experience. They also like it if you in addition to claiming to have a zero percent error rate, actually have not made any errors, at least not on their work. A professional disposition also helps and that is hard to explain. The Notaries that get mostly title companies tend to have 5000-10000 loans under their belt. It takes time to get that much experience. At a rate of 1000 loans per year if you are a busy Notary, you need five to ten years of experience and then you are at the top of the pyramid.

Please keep in mind that most Notaries average about 200 loans per year, so they never accumulate this type of experience. Please also keep in mind that only about 5-10% of the Notaries listed on 123notary.com have 5000 loans signed and only 1-3% have 10,000+. Yes, it is lonely at the top.

Basically, the name of the game of Notary fame is to be a scarce commodity. If you have more experience, more knowledge, better professionalism, phone etiquette, etc., you will get paid more. People with 123notary Elite Certification are part of the top fraction of a percent and they get paid a lot more. Anything you can do to differentiate yourself from the others will help.

So, get more experience, more certifications, more reviews, maintain your listing better, and learn to be an expert at seeming professional over the phone. Then, you will get more title companies…. eventually.

Here are some of our better marketing related articles that have been
published. Many of these got buried in the list, so this is my way of
reviving them.

Index of best posts about Notary Marketing
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20284

Compilation of posts about Notary Business Names
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21760

Five things a notary can do worth $1000 per minute
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20521

How to write a notes section if you are a beginner
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16698

10 rules for negotiating notary fees
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19620

Getting paid, a comprehensive timeline
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22643

He took Jeremy’s advice and got new title companies
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22277

A lot of information he knew but forgot about says on 123notary client
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22225

Your number of loans signed just went down?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21236

Do you invest in your notary business?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22129

Why you should consider getting 123notary elite certified
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20094

Does knowledge matter any more as a signing agent?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19887