When I ask the Chad question to Notaries, I reword it sometimes to give some diversity the question (If wanted diversity why am I using a name like “Chad?”) The main point of the question is that I give instructions, divert the conversation with some other commentary about the situation, and then put the Notary in a situation where they will have to regurgitate the instructions.

Instructions:
Chad says, “If there is a problem, call me and only me. If I don’t answer, send me an email.” (Sometimes I say text or leave a message.)

You get to the signing. Jesse is the signer. You arrive at 11am. Jesse signs half the documents, but refuses to sign the flood disclosure until he can talk to someone. You call Chad. Chad does not answer. What do you do now?

Wrong Answers

1. You complete the signing and inform the borrower about their three day right to rescind. Of course, not all signings are refinances on personal properties, so there might not be a right to rescind. Commentary: This is not a bad way to proceed, but it is not following directions. Chad will fire you.

2. You call Title because that is what you normally do and it makes sense. Commentary: Yes, that makes sense and ordinarily you should call all contacts that you can call. However, your instructions were to call Chad and only Chad. Chad will fire you if you divert from exact instructions.

3. You leave the signing. Commentary: Bad idea. You need to give Chad a little time to get back to you. How much time is reasonable can vary. I would allow sixty minutes total for an appointment as a general rule. I would allow twenty minutes for a call back as a general rule. Give Chad a chance to call you back, and send him that email and leave a text too.

Correct Answer
Chad asked you to send him an email, so send him an email and do not call anyone else because he is the one paying you and told you not to. Doing what you are told will gain you many repeat clients. Disobeying them the minute they ask you to do something that you do not normally do, or something that doesn’t make sense to you, can get you fired. Just because an instruction doesn’t make sense to you doesn’t mean it does not make sense to the person giving it to you. If you don’t like an instruction, take that up with your boss at the moment the instruction is given, and not at the moment you wish to disobey the instruction. However, if Chad tells you to do something illegal as a Notary, you cannot and should not obey him. A Notary obeys the law first and then their client. If there is a conflict of interest between client and law, side with the law. If there is a conflict between client and best practices, side with best practices as a safety precaution for the Notary.

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You might also like:

Following directions is more important than you think.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19608

Marcy overlooks the instructions in the 30 point course.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14379

The green pen question revisited.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20146

Return to Notary Marketing 102 Contents

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Notary Education

Many Notaries want to get started in the loan signing industry. What they forget is that to become a successful loan signing agent, you first have to know how to be a good Notary Public. Being a good Notary is not rocket science, but there are a few things that could trip you up. Many states have insufficient requirements for Notaries. Some of the lacking requirements could present Notaries and their clients with legal dangers.

Being a good Notary means being knowledgeable and safe. Being knowledgeable means knowing your state notary laws inside out. But, being safe means limiting your exposure to liability. We cannot teach you your state notary laws here, but the handbooks for most states are online and easy to access by searching on Google.

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Notary Knowledge References:

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(1) Your state’s official notary handbook. Search for it on Google.

(2) The NNA has a Notary Essentials Course which many people like.

(3) 123notary has a much shorter brush up course called Notary Public 101 which is about best practices and does NOT cover state specific laws.

Please be advised that Notary safety is as important as making money because you want to stay out of court and not get in trouble. Safety precautions include:

(1) Keep an official journal of Notarial acts whether your state requires it or not. That is your only evidence in court of what you notarized and more important — what you did NOT notarize if impostered (yes, it happens.)

(2) Keep thumbprints in your journal to assist the FBI in catching identity thieves. You will probably never run into one in your career but many notaries do. The FBI might name you as a suspect if you do not provide an adequate paper trail, as a bad paper trail looks like a cover up.

(3) Be wary of elder notarizations. If someone is in a hospital, not fully with it, or on morphine, they are more likely to be cheated in a transaction which means that you will be likely to end up in court or investigated.

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Signing Agent Knowledge

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Once you are a commissioned notary as well as being a competent notary, it is time to study your signing agent knowledge. You will need to know most of the attributes of common loan documents, signing and initialing procedures, how to fix errors in notary forms, and how to date a Right to Rescind correctly. At 123notary, we only recognize our own certification as well as Notary2Pros. However, there are many places you can receive signing agent training. We recommend:

(1) 123notary’s loan signing combo course. This course goes over loan signing from A to Z as well as marketing help and how to run your operation and keep good records.

(2) Notary2Pro offers more personalized care and their graduates have a better knowledge of loan signing than other sources.

(3) NNA offers signing agent certification at many different levels. Theirs is the most recognized of the various courses, but the test results of people with the NNA basic signing agent certification when taking 123notary quizzes is not as high as the other contenders.

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Please also read:

Loan Signing Courses For All Budgets
http://www.123notary.com/loan_signing_courses.html

Notary Public 101 — Notary Procedure from A to Z
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19493

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Return to Notary Marketing 102 Contents

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If you advertise on online directories, you are well aware of how important and effective it is to have online profiles advertising your Notary services. However, there is a difference between an effective advertisement and one that merely collects dust. I am going to gear this section towards those advertising with us on 123notary.com. However, many of the principles I am going to teach could apply to any online advertising on any medium. Basically, there are a variety of reasons why an advertisement might attract large amounts of business, and reasons why it might not. Here they are.

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High Placement on 123notary
High placements on 123notary not only attract a lot more quantity of business, but a lot more title & escrow business which typically pays a lot more than average work. Email us for a quote for a particular county at info@123notary.com

If you advertise with 123notary, but your listing is buried at the bottom of the list as is the case with free and economy listings, you might find that you do not attract much business simply because clients do not easily find you. Being buried is not a good business strategy for growing your business, but is a good strategy for those who want to maintain a presence while their business slows down little by little. The Notary business has those starting up, maturing, slowing down, and quitting. Your business strategy should be appropriate to your stage in the business.

For those who are starting up in business, the first step is education. Studying to be an expert Notary and expert Loan Signer should come before investing in advertising. 123notary can help you become an expert Notary, so don’t be afraid to ask how. After you have proven your knowledge to us at 123notary, then a high placed listing is the next step in my prescribed route to Notarial success.

High-placed listings are for sale in all counties on 123notary.com. We sell placements based on county, and not based on zip code. We sell fixed high spots in all counties of the United States and prices are customized based on what area, what spot, and how good your overall score is in our algorithm, which matters a lot to us. By being high on the list, clients can see you without trying because your information will be in their face which is highly effective. But, there is more…

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Creating a Great Notes Section
You also need to create a well-organized and informative notes section on your listing. Read about that in the next chapter in this course.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19788

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Getting Reviews on your Notary Profile
Getting reviews on your listing is a matter of doing great work, waiting for compliments and then asking for a review. Please read our section on getting reviews.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19760

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Additional Related Reading

What is a high placement on 123notary worth?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16720

What is the difference between a listing getting 16 clicks / month & 100+
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=13185

LINK: Notary Education; Signing Agent Classes
http://www.123notary.com/loan_signing_courses.html

LINK: Notary Public 101; A comprehensive FREE course about Notary best practices.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19493

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