We have a new Elite certification textbook that accompanies the elite test. We will soon be using a 30 point test to evaluate the skills of our higher level notaries. But, what is this new textbook like? The ORDER of the information is subject to change as we re-edit the course and add content later on.
119 pages of riveting information!
This course integrates ancient Zen Buddhist philosophy, Ninjutsu strategy, and exciting stories with higher level notary & signing agent knowledge for the refined notary public! Here are some of the topics covered in the course.
(1) Presentation
Learn the art of interacting with prospective clients. Learn what to say and what not to say. How to answer questions gracefully, and how to stand your ground. Show your knowledge without seeming like you are trying to. Operate like a professional and negotiate like a professional.
(2) Strategy
Learn which type of advertising pays off and which should be avoided. Which certifications to get and which to skip. How to craft your advertising for maximum results; Which additional services to offer such as Apostilles and Livescan; How to choose your clients well; Picking company names; Contracts. E&O insurance; Getting paid; Handling difficult companies; Hiring other notaries to expand your empire; Handling low-ballers with ease; Marketing with Facebook and Web Sites; Researching companies; When to say no;
Scheduling strategies: Learn about the
Timed appointment strategy
The spring-it-on-ya strategy
The no surprises strategy
Business models that influence scheduling strategy
Dealing with late e-documents
End of the month scheduling strategies
Beginning of the month scheduling strategies
Tight scheduling strategies
High-brow scheduling strategies
(3) Business analysis
Advertising allows you to pick and choose; Analyzing where your calls are coming from; Assessing the companies you work for; Late Documents; Dealing with cancellations; Dealing with late payers; Managing contacts; Optimizing your client base; What do the statistics that 123notary keeps really mean?; How well do you communicate and how does that translate into clicks?
(4) Mastering the ancient art of the notes section
Which adjectives help, and which hurt? Does mentioning years of experience help? Which quick facts will win you clients and which are a waste of time? Overall recommended structure of a notes section; Analyzing your best selling features; What not to put at the top of your notes section; Expressing your personal style of doing business; 19 examples of great personal information used in notes sections; Specialties expressed in detail; How to use bullet points for your additional information; Where do you write about coverage areas, and how detailed do you get? Radius verses counties? Closing statements — call me whenever you are ready! Spelling and mistakes; Example of a bad notes section; Example of a nearly perfect notes section; Commentary on 16 notes sections; Selling features compared in detail;
(5) Miscellaneous points
Smelling good; How to dress; Calling people back; Professional answering machines; Company names; Complaining; Asking too many questions; Call back etiquette; Asking about specifications before price; Negotiating with people who won’t meet your fee; Evolutionary path to success; Charge less to get experience; The close job strategy; MOBILE OFFICES; Don’t call until the e-documents are ready; FULL-TIME or PART-TIME; 123notary’s 30 point test; Last minute appointments; The A list strategy; Precautions; Embossing; Journal thumbprints; Answering the phone at signings; Refining your notes; Dual state commissions; How many certifications; Does Facebook help; How do you let people know you are a notary; Can you afford to be expensive; Get reviews or perish; Are you available enough; Do you keep all of your paperwork; Emergencies are where you shine; Errors with bad seals; Showing up late; Complaints; Wrongful complaints; Rebutting complaints; Being selective about working for companies with potential.
(6) Zen and the art of teaching others to be on your team
Master the ancient art of: Selection, training, scrutinization, and comparison.
Choose people with the right: Attitude, pre-existing skills, ability to learn, reliability, and personability
Where do you start training? Scrutinizing the work of your new notaries. Comparing them to your other trainees.
(7) Comparing notaries
People change over time; Examining your local list of notaries to see the differences in each service provider; Elite certification; Skills verses presentation; Online presentation verses life presentation; Thinking about comparisons while you are working; What did you forget to think about?
(8) Impressions, dreams and nightmares
Where the money really is; How long does it take to do each type of signing; How do you analyze traffic; Should you charge by the minute; How much ROI do you need on your advertisement; Making an impression; The borrower comes first; Meeting at a nearby cafe; Cancelling nightmares before you get involved; What to know about a culture so you don’t get in trouble; Fedex and drop boxes.
(9) Following directions
When to call the loan officer; Sample questions; When not to coerce the borrower into signing; When to continue the signing; Listening exercises, communication exercises, following orders without a fuss.
(10) Notary knowledge revisited
Acknowledgments discussed in detail; Jurats; Official wording and cross-outs; Loose certificates; Backdating; Document dates verses notarization dates; County recorders & recorded documents; Copies of a document; The names must match; Credible witnesses; Errors on the Acknowledgment; Oath wording; Signature by X; Journals; What the OPTIONAL information section is for in Acknowledgments & deterring fraud; Embossers; Thumbprints; Seals; 10 Grant Deeds in a single session; Notary Fraud; Notarizing the elderly; Notarizing a dead person; The 4 parts of an Acknowledgment certificate; Misdemeanors.
(11) Signing Agent knowledge revisited
Understanding: The 1003, The 4506; Apostilles, Attorney States; Changing a name on Title; Checks in packages; Cross-outs; The Deed of Trust; Elizors; Identity Affidavits; The HUD-1; Initials go where? Letter of instructions; The legals; Maiden names; Prepayment penalties; The Right to Cancel; Rescinding; The security instrument; Signature Affidavit; Spousal signatures; The Subordination Agreement; Thumbprints revisited; The three magical phone numbers; Signature variations; Witness states; When to call the loan officer; Witness closings; Documents that are typically notarized.
(12) The APR & First payments
Yes, an entire chapter about the APR in detail. Learn typical incomplete descriptions of the APR that even the most experienced Loan Processors, Title Agents, and notaries use on a regular basis. Learn a professional definition and learn all of the components that go into computing the APR one by one. Show the world how knowledgeable you really are!
When is my first payment due.
(13) Interviews with our finest notaries and title companies
We get amazing points of views and endless new information by getting input from others in the industry. And then we share it with you on the forum, blog, and in our courses! We interviews many title companies. Many of these companies will be working with us on crafting and endorsing some very relevant signing agent questions. Notaries often ask why it is important for them to learn particular facts. But, if a title company who hires notaries and pays well tells you that you better learn it, then there is no excuse not to learn it,right?
We have some information from Title companies as of April 2013. We will be adding more information every month including statements about things that notaries did wrong that caused a lot of trouble. We will also be adding multiple choice questions endorsed by specific Title companies over time.
The interviews with the notaries this time were about topics of concerned to regular notaries. How do you handle low-ballers? How do you handle people who don’t meet your fee? What is your best attribute as a notary? What made you become a notary? Could you describe your evolution in business and how you became successful? Hoe do you introduce the documents and do your loan signing presentation.
The answers given by the top notch notaries interviewed were truly inspiring, unique, and fascinating. You will love this section the most of all the sections partly due to the great information, and partly because it is the most light hearted section of the course.
(14) The 30 point test
This section goes over the 30 point test. Notaries who pass this grueling and difficult test can elect to have their scores published on their listing. Test topics will include not only notary and signing agent competency, but other areas as well. We learned that following directions and communicating are huge problem areas even for the most experienced notaries, so we will be focusing on those during the test. The test will be timed and might be over the phone or online — or both! Retesting will be allowed, but we do not know what the retesting fee will be. Purchasing the Ninja course / Elite certification gives you one chance at the test providing you take it within (60) days of your purchase date. Good luck!
(15) Apostilles and Loan Types
Learn what our best notaries have to say about Apostilles, Authentications, FHA, HELOCS, Investment loans, Loan modifications, Purchases, Reverse Mortgages, VA loans, and more!
Thanks for your interest and ENJOY our Ninja course!
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Notary Public 101 – a free notary course
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19493
Unique phrases from the Ninja course
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14690
Elite certification will benefit you for the rest of your life
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20770
Signing Agent Best Practices: a 63 point guide to being the safest and most thorough notary.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4315
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You could get sued if you don’t have a business license
Legally, you might need to get a business license
Did you just get your Notary Commission? Good for you! Do you want to start a business doing notarizations? unlikely unless you have gotten huge without a business license. However, there is a small chance that someone else might register that business name somewhere in your state or county and sue you for damages. After all, you were Legally, you might need to get a business license. But, most notaries don’t get one until they want to use a particular business name. Some even advertise in the yellow pages without having a registered business name. What is the risk in not doing so? Will the state government come crashing down on you? That is using THEIR business name and they could claim to have lost money!
Changing or removing your business name
The problem is that once you put your business name in print on the internet or in printed advertising, you might find it very difficult to get change it or remove it. Google keeps a cache of old pages for months as well, so that information you posted on the internet could haunt you long after you remove it!
Notary Business names that change every month?
We have notaries on 123notary who change their business name every month. Each time it is a different variation. In October it is MG Notary Service, and then it changes to MG Properties, and then in December it is Mary’s Notary & Apostille. Which one is it? Notaries cannot change their personal or business name on our site without my intervention. But, when I see that they are changing their business name every month, I begin to think that “perhaps” their business name is not really registered, and that they don’t have business licenses. Hmmm. Once I asked someone to send me proof of their business license and they sent me a copy of a newspaper ad they had used to publish their business name. The text was different sizes and on different lines, and I couldn’t tell which part of the name was commentary and which part was the name on their business license. Good God!
Be safe and get registered
It is better to think long and hard about what your business name should be. Then, register your business name, and get a company bank account. Then you can advertise, and do business as a DBA without “as much” risk of being sued due to your business name. There can always be some clown who still wants to make trouble with you who has that same business name registered in another county, but if you are playing by the rules, it will be harder for someone to question the legitimacy of your business name and probably less likely that they can sue you for “business name infringement”. Your name on your notary commission is registered, why shouldn’t your business name as well?
Tweets:
(1) Did you just get your notary commission? Good! You need to get a business license now.
(2) Once your business name is registered & in print, it is not easy to change it. Think it over first.
(3) We have notaries on 123notary who change their business name every month. Doesn’t sound very legal.
(4) You might be held liable for “business name infringement” if you don’t register your biz name.
You might also like:
Stealing a business name
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2660