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May 9, 2016

Best Marketing Resources for Notaries

Filed under: Marketing Articles,Popular on Facebook (shares),Popular on Facebook (some) — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 3:19 am

Are you a mobile Notary? Do you want to expand your business? It’s hard to get a lot of Notary business, especially in this economy. However, if you play your cards right, you can do amazingly well. Here are some of our best marketing articles for the new or veteran Notary to get ahead.

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ACTIVE MARKETING
Please consider that you need ACTIVE marketing as well as PASSIVE marketing. Active marketing involves contacting signing and title companies one by one in addition to Attorneys, hospitals, and anyone else you wish to work for. Active marketing will be more labor intensive in the beginning of your career as you do not start out by being on any organization’s list. However, once you are on the lists of at least 200 companies, then you will most likely be spending more of your time working and less of your time looking for work.

Also Read: How to start a successful mobile notary business from scratch
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=13340

Getting on board with Title & Signing Companies
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14851

Dormant Contacts
Even after you are on the list of a company, you still need to contact them from time to time to just let them know you exist and want to work. We suggest that when Notary business is slow in the beginning of the month you schedule time to call your contacts who are dormant in hopes that they might actually use you one day.

Requirements for work
* Certain big title companies like Chicago Title require 500,000 E&O Insurance
* Other title companies want 100,000 E&O
* Some Notaries show off by having a million in E&O which is expensive and makes you a target for lawsuits.
* Others want a current background check from a reputable vendor such as the NNA or Sterling, but not necessarily from the other vendors.
* Some want vast experience as a Notary while others prefer beginners who will work for cheap. If you work for companies that hire beginners they will micromanage you. If you are tired of being micromanaged, try to work directly for companies that hire experienced and reliable Notaries.

Is an NNA background check really necessary to get work?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=10385

Certifications
Many companies like it when Notaries are certified. But, there are many vendors offering certification and which one is the best? NNA certification is the most widespread and widely recognized in the industry. But, on 123notary, people looking to hire Notaries pick 123notary certified members more then twice as often as they pick Notaries who aren’t. My suggestion is to be certified by three or more agencies — that way you’ve covered all of the bases and will make quite an impression.

Printers
As a Notary, you should have a fast and reliable printer and perhaps a backup printer. Dual tray laser printers are the standard tool of seasoned Notaries. Single tray printers might be okay if you have software to figure out what size paper is for which document. Some Notaries print everything on legal although some Lenders might not appreciate that.

Professional Dress
Business casual is the official dress code for Notaries. No shorts, flip flops, tank tops, jeans or torn clothing please.

Low-Ball Offers
As a Notary, you will receive a lot of low-ball offers. Notaries complain endlessly about this. If you are not an experienced Notary, low-ball offers might be your ticket to getting experience. Personally, I feel that new Notaries do not merit high paying Notary jobs and should work for low fees. However, once you have educated yourself in the “art of the signing” and have paid your dues by accumulating an experience of more than 2000 loans, you should get paid at least an average of $110 per signing otherwise something is very wrong. The economy does change over time and wages change too, so be flexible and work for whatever people will pay you.

Related Content: Low-Ball Signing Companies? How to get biz directly from Title
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14950

Cattle Call Notary Offers
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=9841

Setting Prices
Notaries need to be flexible and realistic about what they charge. Some Notaries are too snobby to take low paying jobs and end up starving. Other Notaries take too many low paying jobs and miss out on the good jobs because they are too busy working for peanuts and then spending their profits on gas, toner, paper, and other expenses. You need a sophisticated model for pricing that incorporates the time of the month (month-end is busier and should be more expensive) distance, timing, traffic, and how many pages the job will be.

* Base your prices on how long you estimate a job to take including traffic.
* Lower your prices at the beginning of the month when business is slow
* Expect to be paid poorly until you have at least 1000 loans signed
* To get paid well, you need a constant supply of regular clients who pay well which you accumulate over time
* You need to advertise heavily to get a constant supply of new clients in hopes that some will become regulars.
* You need to be on time, be nice, not make mistakes and get docs back on time to get rehired.
* Base job time on the name lf the Lender as packages from particular banks are normally a particular (+/-) number of pages and then factor in traffic on the route you’ll take at that particular time of the day, night or weekend.

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PASSIVE MARKETING
Passive marketing involves advertising on directories. Once your ad is out there, companies can find you. However, not all advertisements attract the same amount of business, and not all Notary directories are equal. Online yellow pages are yet another way to advertise as well as Google local, however we do not know much about the results of such advertising. Passive marketing is very powerful as you get motivated buyers calling you when they really need something done. However, most Notaries are neglectful in the creation and maintenance of their advertisements and do not get the full potential of their investment. A good Notary profile has reviews from satisfied clients, certifications, and a powerful and well organized notes section. You need to do everything right to maximize your results.

Where to advertise
123notary, Notary Rotary, Notary Cafe, and Signingagent.com are the four most powerful players in the Notary advertising business — in that order. You should advertise on all four with a paid listing. 123notary offers high placed listings. We suggest that you pass our certification before investing in a high placed listing. High placed listings get you more business as well as better quality (and better paying) Title company jobs — and it means that you will be seen first before people start scrolling deep and shopping around.

How to create an amazing notes section
We have written many articles on this overlooked topic which you should read and study. If you want to get ahead, become an expert at the art of the notes section. Companies read what you have to say about yourself, and if you have very little to say, or just a bunch of fluff, you are not likely to get hired. Notaries who do well have thorough and factual information about themselves that is neatly organized into paragraphs. They cover their areas of expertise, certifications, professional memberships, equipment, notes about what is unique about how they handle business, segments on their professional history before they were a Notary particularly if it has some sort of business or Mortgage related relevance, and more.

Everything you need to know about writing a good notes section
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16074

2014 excerpts from great notes sections
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=13613

Being 24 hours helps a lot
If you want to get more business, offer service to more counties, and during more hours. It is just common sense — do the math. Some Notaries only want to service their home county during their “flexible” hours of 9-5 while others are 24 hours and cover eighteen counties. If you need to sleep, then limit your hours from 6am to midnight, but the more flexible you are, the more business you can accumulate.

Reviews are essential
We have written many blog entries on reviews and are publishing a comprehensive guide to reviews as well around the same time I publish this article. The important concepts to remember are:

* Six reviews will double your new business from our site
* After you have six reviews you will get a small marginal benefit from each additional review
* Well written reviews count more
* Don’t get multiple reviews the same day or it looks like you wrote them yourself
* Reviews that are three or more years old do not benefit you much, so always get new reviews.
* You might need to ask ten people to get a single review, but it’s worth it.
* Signing & Title companies are horrible about writing reviews since everybody bugs them to do it
* Individuals are easier to get reviews from, so do some jobs for individuals
* Ask for a review when someone compliments you on your work otherwise don’t ask.
* Email requests for reviews in addition to asking in person. Email them a LINK to your review page. That will take the work out of trying to find the page which I assure you people don’t have the time or patience to do.

Related Reading: A comprehensive guide to reviews
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16290

Company Names
It will help you to have a company name in the long run. But, think long and hard about what you name your Notary business. Names with geographical significance are recommended. Names with notorial or Mortgage significance might be good. General business names that are not relevant to this industry might not be ideal.

Choosing a name for your business license
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=7103

Keep your information up to date
Many Notaries create a listing and forget about it. Your listing is like a plant — it needs to be watered and trimmed from time to time otherwise it will wither. Login to your listing every few months, we require it, and it is good for the popularity of your listing. Browsers can see the date you last logged in. If you login more regularly you’ll attract browsers that care about how well you maintain your listing. After all, if you neglect your listing, you might neglect their loan! Update your # of signings and touch up your notes section regularly with anything new that you learned or any new way you have of expressing yourself. You can also email us for free help with your notes section — and yes, we do free notary notes makeovers.

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ADDITIONAL READING

General Marketing

Long term marketing plans
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15793

I signed up with 200 companies only to get work twice
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15445

Notary Advertising

Unique notary notes phrases from the Ninja course
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14690

7 ways to use Facebook to market your notary services
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=5396

Pricing & Income

$40 for a signing 72 miles away?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14959

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

How much more does a 123notary certified signer make?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15392

Here is another way to make $4000 more per year
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14162

Is $75 enough to print 2 sets of docs & do faxbacks?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=10369

He made $35,000 a month his first year in business
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3894

Other

Which tasks can you do which are worth $1000 per minute?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4113

123notary behind the scenes
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2499

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November 18, 2013

10 quick changes to your notes that double your calls!

Filed under: Popular on Twitter 2013,Reviews,Your Notes Section — Tags: , , , — admin @ 11:49 pm

I have been poking around and seeing how the newer listings are performing. Basically, it is bizarre. Some are getting clicks up the yazoo, while others get one click per week. So, I decided to take a closer look and see what is going on.

Obviously, notaries with reviews get tons more work simply because they have credibility from 3rd parties. But, brand new listings don’t have any reviews, so the only thing that makes them different is their NOTES section. So, what did I notice? Many notaries refuse to write a notes section, so I have to make something up for them. I write stuff like: I am reliable, motivated, and personable. These wishy-washy adjectives mean nothing to me, but I wonder what they mean to the browsers on our site. The answer is that they mean something alright! Worse! The ones with nonsense claims using a string of adjectives and commas are getting next to no clicks! So, what works and what doesn’t. The good, the bad and the ugly.

(1) Adjectives: BAD
Example: Reliable, personable, friendly, accurate, detail oriented

Result: Will get you far below average clicks just because you are saying nothing about yourself that sounds REAL to the reader.

(2) Years of experience: So-So
The number doesn’t reflect what you have actually done. Having many years of experience doesn’t count against you, but it also doesn’t count for you.

(3) NNA certification: So-So
Result: Generally, those who claim to be NNA certified do no better than the average notary. If you average it out, those who claim to be NNA certified do oh so slightly better than the average notes section of other newbies. BTW, 90% of notaries on 123notary are NNA certified, so by claiming it on your profile you might as well say, “I am no different than 90% of the other notaries on this site”

(4) Real Estate Agent: So-So
To me this is a waste of space. Those with Real Estate backgrounds fail to realize that despite their self-promoting claims, they really don’t understand the loan documents at all unless they have really studied for at least five hours from a loan signing course. It is not a selling feature because people want to hire you as a notary, and not to sell their house!

(5) Languages: Good
I encourage people to list their language first, before stating anything else. Fluent Spanish; Conversational Cambodian; Some Portuguese. In your notes section you can say how well you speak the language, but NOT in the language field which only accepts the name of the language. Those who put their language skills up front got more clicks, but nothing earthshaking.

(6) Radiuses: Very good
Example: 100 mile radius; or; Travel above 20 miles is charged an extra fee.
The notaries who listed how far they went in a clear and non-verbose way did better on clicks. EVEN if you have restrictions about how far you will go for a charge, the fact that you will go far away means a lot to the readers.

(7) Terms and Conditions: Good
Even if you have extra fees, or large charges, people like getting the facts. They are reading your profile for facts, not fluff.

(8) # of loans: Good
The number of years you have been in business says very little. But, the number of loans says a lot more. If you have done 1000 loans, you might still be ignorant of a lot of what you need to know, but at least you can measure your experience.

(9) Last minute signings: Good
Notaries who do last minute signings got more clicks. Nothing amazing, but they got a lot more jobs as well. Clicks and jobs are not proportional. When it comes down to getting a job assigned, you need someone who will jump when you say jump.

(10) Minimums: Good
Minimums are constrictive, but show that you are professional and mean serious business. We found only three examples of people with minimums. One did a lot better than average while the other two did average. It doesn’t seem to hurt to have a minimum.

Tweets:
(1) Notaries with reviews get tons more work simply because they have credibility from 3rd parties.

(2) Make your notes sound real and believable and you’ll get more clicks. That’s a fact. P.S. – They’re reading your profile for facts, not fluff.

(3) Listing your language skills can help get more clicks.

(4) Clearly stating how far you’ll travel is very good for your business

(5) The number of years you’ve been in business isn’t as important as the number of loans.

You might also like:

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

2014 Excerpts from great notes sections
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=13613

How many financial packages do you mention in your notes?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19997

Clarifying vague claims in your notes section
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4675

Notary Marketing 102 – your notes section
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19788

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February 13, 2012

Certified Signing Agent – what does it mean?

Filed under: General Articles — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 6:52 am

There are different signing certifications out there.  There are NNA certified signers, 123notary certified signing agents, and many other agencies have a similar type of test and certification.  But, what does it all mean? 
 
NNA certification is famous, and people think that they are a government agency.  You can learn a lot from the NNA certification process. It is a good use of your time.  My personal opinion is that the test covers much more information than you will ever be able or authorized to use, and that it lacks focus as a result.  I feel it is better to focus on what you will be using daily and to be good at it which is a daunting task for most notaries — believe it or not!
 
123notary’s certified signing agent process
Most NNA certified signers do not want to take another test, and they don’t take ours seriously.  What they fail to realize is that they should not take the test because they like our test.  They should take our test because the visitors to 123notary WILL NOT HIRE THEM as a first choice unless they are certified by us.  Our test is short, not expensive, and to the point.  It is also timed which makes it less popular with the notaries.  A timed test is harder to pass, and that means that you really have to know your stuff and be able to function under pressure.  Most of us can not function under regular circumstances and fall apart under pressure. This is how we separate the ladies from the girls, etc.
 
History of the 123notary certification test
We used to give the test over the phone.  We didn’t have money or technology in those days.  Notaries would say, “Ummmm, ahmmm, I know this”, and think for two minutes when we asked them simple questions about what information is where.  If you have to spend long amounts of time thinking in front of a borrower, they will think that you are an unprofessional idiot, and they will be right.  If you can pass our timed test, that proves that you are motivated, smart, can think under pressure, have a little bit of money, and know your basics.  Passing our test doesn’t mean that you know the subtleties of the profession, but most notaries have enough trouble with the basics which is why we place very little emphasis on the more sophisticated points.
 
Whose test do I take?
Want to be a loan signing agent?  You need marketing.  If you want to advertise with the NNA, then pass their test. If you want to advertise with 123notary, then pass our test.  Get certified by whichever agency you plan to be with — on their jurisdiction (their site).  It is similar to different state laws.  If you are in Ohio, get commissioned by the Ohio notary division, and if you are in Montana, then get commissioned by the Montana notary division.  Don’t tell the Montana notary department that you are ALREADY certified by Ohio, because they don’t want to hear that.

 123notary certified loan signing agents get 3x the business
We tell our clients that they will get 3x the business if they get certified by us.  Our statistics demonstrate this fact.  The smarter notaries get with the program and just do what is necessary, but we get a bunch of arguers who want to spend two hours convincing me that they don’t need the test.  Don’t tell me — tell the hundreds of visitors to our site who refused to call you because you don’t have the certification icon next to your name!

You might also like:

123notary certification gets you more clicks
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22496

Elite certification will benefit you for the rest of your life
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20770

Compilation of certification posts
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16264
 

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March 25, 2010

Popular 3rd tweet for blogs

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 11:45 am

(1) iPhone 7: Smart attorney app sues virtual attorney for claiming he’s actual attorney

New Notary Apps for the iPhone 7 that you’ve never dreamed of!

(2) Types of weapons notaries could bring to a signing: large flashlight, ring of keys, gun, etc.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=9827

(3) How much money is your life worth to you. Scheduling too tightly could end it!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=9819

(4) Most notaries would rather that the phone just didn’t ring

$30 loan signings. Is it worth it even in the best of circumstances?

(5) Most parents in NC overwhelmingly support the idea: adolescents should be able 2obtain confidential medical services.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=10165

(6) Cancellations are a real fact of notary life, but double booking can ruin your rep!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=9312

(7) 123notary can change your county & state on file in a snap. But, changing your neighboring counties?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=9339

(8) A family of Italians needs an Apostille on a POA drafted in Italy. Everything goes wrong. Find out more!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8740

(9) When you scan your work to double check, do you know what to look for?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=9291

(10) Your listing is like your front lawn. If you don’t maintain it, people will think nobody’s home.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=9286

(11) There’s plenty of fast food, but not enough fast notaries!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8699

(12) Nobody owns you or manages you unless you let them! When it comes to the worst notary jobs, “just say no”

Poo Picking – getting the best notary jobs

(13) Half of the job is knowing how to handle difficult people! #signingagent
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=9265

(14) Sometimes the worst clients are the very rich, celebrities, public officials, corporate leaders, etc.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8628

(15) I just died, my ID is with my body down there.

Witnessing the intake forms for Notary Heaven

(16) Their signing took place at The Notary Hotel & the wife requested a wakeup call after the signing was done.

Welcome to the Notary Hotel

(17) As to setting your fee; set a rate that allows you the time to earn Memorable status –
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8390

(18) Wondering if a phone # a girl gave you is legit? Get it notarized!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8781

(19) He wanted us to remove a notary. I told him we don’t remove notaries based on one-sided stories

Who really needs who?

(20) When I called the borrowers, the wife picked up and thought I was the mistress! I’m the notary!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8377

(21) She tried all day to find a notary, then gave up and had an ice cream. The guy behind her was a notary!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=7023

(22) High class co’s pick the best of the best notaries. If you’re on 123notary.com, you’ve already cleared an important hurdle.

We require notaries to be registered on our approved list

(23) Grow your client network. Do inexpensive work and pass your card out to everyone! #notary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6358

(24) I decided then and there to be the notary monster myself.

Honey, I notarized the kids (don’t try this at home)

(25) One guy met a notary in a bar & said, “I’ll buy you a drink if you stamp my God damn form!”
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=7019

(26) Live in the present & gain happiness by being indifferent to appointments being cancelled!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4764

(27) Moishe: “The land belongs to Israel.”
Fouzi: “Do you have a notarized Deed to prove it?”
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=7015

(28) A loan processer 30 year vet didn’t know the technical term for the “date of signing”

Does Real Estate experience help as a notary?

(29) Listing your language skills can help get more clicks on 123notary.

10 quick changes to your notes that double your calls!

(30) If you make over ten grand, you should get both NNA certification and our certification.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8520

(31) Be an upbeat person who gets the job done and doesn’t create obstacles for others.

He made $35,000 a month his first year in business?

(32) Realtor “I need to use the half bathroom”; Notary: “Are you going to do a #half or a number 1?”
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6609

(33) Has a signing company ever gotten you to do something for free? Ha ha, you just got played!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3997

(34) Banks have liberalized loan terms, so it is easier to get a loan = more biz for notaries!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6999

(35) The notaries who attract the most work get multiple certifications, reviews, and have great attitudes.

A great attitude gets the most jobs

(36) If Arnold Schwartzenager became a notary public, he would be known as “The Noterator”.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6461

(37) A #Jurat is a notary act requiring the signer 2sign before the notary, swear & be identified.

What is a Jurat?

(38) “We need to get rid of the witness, but I can’t tell the 2 blondes apart”

The Notary, The Mafia & The Fedex Drop Box

(39) “Young man, have you ever thought of becoming a notary public? You just might have the right stuff!”

Tomorrow’s Notary Publics

(40) U must meditate on 1-ness. Unless ur signing is for a husband & wife in which case u need to meditate on 2-ness.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4825

(41) The wife abrupty left the signing table & ran thru the house w/the husband chasing her. What a bunch of nuts!

She ran through the house like a mad woman…

(42) “Does the seal on the embossed oreo cookie have an expiration date?” Jeremy asked.

My date with Jeremy

(43) A quick guide to being a notary including: journals, seals, identification, witnesses, jurats, oaths & more…

What is a notary public?

(44) E&O refused to cover the notary since she didn’t make an error or an omission. It was the Lender’s fault!

Help, I’m being sued, and E&O won’t help

(45) When you wait for a client to show up who’s late, ur held hostage w/o waiting fees or travel fees.

The Starbucks notary wises up!

(46) The ghost of the former owner of this Victorian mansion decided to drop in for the notary signing.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3464

(47) Notaries who get ahead put hard information in their notes, not bragging or unverifiable claims.

How to write a notes section if you have no experience

(48) Want a type of loan where your rate goes down every year? Try a parachute loan!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4135

(49) 3 ways to supersize your notary business that only take a few minutes per day!

What tasks can you do which are worth $1000 per minute?

(50) We found the notary who assisted with the “abduction” paperwork, but she wouldn’t answer my calls!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3239

(51) Wife: “The next thing you will ask for is a blood sample.”
Vampire Notary: “Funny you should mention that.”

Vampire Notaries: 24 hour service

(52) It is illegal to use your seal on a blank piece of paper. Yet jails usually require this! (cross it out)

Signing agent best practices: 63 points

(53) I’m the bartender notary; I talk bar talk. It’s my trademark to serve drinks and make smalltalk before signing.”

Bartender Notary: A reverse mortgage on the rocks!

(54) You don’t need to ID him because he looks old, but you look about 18 Mr. Bartender, so we should ID you!

3 Notaries walk into a bar

(55) The notary later learned that the inmate she notarized was in prison for child pornography.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3365

(56) Many elderly signers feel they are being taken advantage of, and that they have a weakness.

Notarizing Documents for the Elderly

(57) One Texas Notary went to a signing & was greeted by a man pointing a rifle at her.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3329

(58) The (female) notary had this bad feeling that something just wasn’t right.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3178

(59) The lady expected the notary to drive around the block for an hour until she showed up!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3120

(60) California lost 44% of it’s notaries from 2007 to 2012 according to a Census count.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3230

(61) The Lender asked Shelly to notarize someone who wasn’t there & she reported him to the Secretary of State
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2961

(62) The Notary forgot that the wife had to sign & then used white out to modify the documents!

California notaries with complaints

(63) If you put a FedEx containing a cashier’s check in a drop box, that is a recipe for disaster!

Don’t put the Fedex in the drop box!

(64) How do you document an Oath that has no accompanying documentation? #Notary #Journal

How much should a notary charge for swearing in a…

(65) The police caught the hit & run driver within 48 hours after the Notary chased them down & got a plate#
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2173

(66) Our scary demand letter threatens to report the late paying signing co to the SOS, Attorney General, DA & more!

Scary results when a notary uses our letter from hell

(67) I used to make my own permission to travel for minors form with blanks for dates, names & thumbprints!

Make your own notary certificate forms!

(68) Mortgage terms are surprisingly similar to chiropractic terms. Do you know what an adjustment date is?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=1070

(69) 1 day I called 200 people & 1 called me back. When I asked who he was, he told me I should know cuz I called him!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=973

(70) It is common for signing companies to pay on time, but then start paying late the minute they have financial problems.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=968

(71) Many notaries fear bad reviews as dangerous, but the real problem is not having any reviews!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=811

(72) Read real stories about four low-ball signing companies.

Low Ball Signing Companies

(73) The notary profession is easy to get into which means there’ll be lots of low priced competition!

Pricing for notary work: different strokes for different folks

(74) Many notaries just don’t answer their phone or email after a signing which can cause a nightmare.

Things that get notaries complaints

(75) The signer could barely move her arm, so the daughter grabbed it, put a hen in her hand & moved the arm around!

Dragging the person’s arm

(76) You could spend up to $3000 for a really good mobile office. Don’t forget to start w/an inverter!

Mobile Offices from A to Z

(77) Many notaries miss half of their job offers because they refuse to answer the phone during a signing.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=443

(78) Some notaries save time by notarizing before the signer signs! This is illegal!

Notary Public: Just Say No #3

(79) Learn the finer points of journal entries: where credible witnesses sign, thumbprints & notes.

Everything you need to know about journals

(80) One signer asked, “Are you allergic to cats or snakes?” What kind of signing is this going to be?

Funniest things that happen to Signing Agents

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June 10, 2021

Comments on good journal entry procedure

Filed under: Journals — admin @ 3:09 am

I have written thorough information on journal keeping in other articles. But, here is a summary of some of the more critical points.

1. KEEP A JOURNAL – or else. Even if your state does not require you to keep a journal, it is your only evidence if investigated by the FBI or if summoned to appear before a Judge. This happens more than you think to Notaries so be prepared and keep records in a journal.

2. Don’t forget to enter the type of NOTARY ACT that you are performing in the journal. This is generally a Jurat, Acknowledgment, Oath or Affirmation. Copy Certification might be considered a Jurat in some states, but you could put both names to be thorough.

3. Obviously enter the ID INFORMATION in your journal unless you live in a state that forbids that. Otherwise you have no evidence that you looked at their ID. Make sure the photo looks like them and that the signature on the ID matches the one in the journal and the document. If you want to get cute, ask them their sign and see if it matches their birthday.

4. THUMBPRINTS are almost foolproof. ID’s can be faked, but all thumbprints in the planet are unique to a particular individual. To deter fraud and help the FBI catch very very bad people (and yes we have stories from 123notary members about exactly this.) then keep a thumbprint for all notarized documents in your journal. NNA sells a nice journal with room for thumbprints and you need an inkless thumbprint pad too which is not expensive.

5. DOCUMENT DATES
Most people don’t know what a document date is or what it means. It is an arbitrary date inscribed within the document which normally corresponds to the date the document was drafted or signed. It is yet another indication of which document you are dealing with, just in case you notarize two documents from the same signer with the same document name.

6. SIGNATURES
Signers must sign all journal entries that pertain to documents that they are being notarized on.

7. PRICES. The price you are charging the signers should be indicated in the journal. If you are charging a travel fee, or a flat fee for a mobile signing, indicate this somehow in your records, perhaps on the top entry of a particular signing.

8. ADDITIONAL NOTES? The NNA journal has a section for additional notes. If you have credible witnesses, they sign there. If you notice anything unusual about the signing, write it down as that could jog your memory when you are in court several years after the fact. It is hard to remember all of your signings and roughly 15% of our full-time Notaries who have been around for several years have been to court due to Notary related reasons.

9. STORAGE. Keep your used journals in a safe and dry place. You might get a query for an old journal entry and you need to be able to find them. Your Notary division might want your journals if you quit your commission or you expire, so keep them where you can find them where nobody will steal them.

That’s all for today!

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June 2, 2021

New Notaries vs. Veteran Notaries

Filed under: General Articles — admin @ 10:36 am

The behavior of the newer Notaries doesn’t match the older Notaries on 123notary.com.

THE OLD NOTARIES
The old Notaries have been around for ten or twenty years.

Certifications
Many passed our certification test in the old days, but did not bother with the audit retest which consisted of a few Notary questions which are not easy, but you need to know it anyway. Older Notaries tend to be NNA certified which is the easiest of all the tests from prominent agencies, but they rarely pass the LSS, 123notary, or Notary2Pro tests which are hard.

Social Media
The old Notaries used to be very active on forums, linked in, facebook, but not so much on Twitter. But, in the past few years, the older Notaries got tired, died, quit, or stopped being so active on social media.

How They Maintain Their Listing
Additionally, the older Notaries do not do much with their profiles on 123notary. They let the profiles sit and collect cyber dust instead of asking for reviews. 123notary has a lot less online reviews than several years ago because people are not being proactive as much anymore.

THE NEW NOTARIES
The new Notaries are generally in their first or second year of business as a signing agent.

Certifications
Roughly 30-35% of the newer Notaries are LSS certified and close to 90% are NNA certified. A handful are Notary2Pro Certified and we get a trickle passing our 123notary online test as well every month. There seems to be more motivation to prove themselves so that they can make a name for themselves. This was not the case as much with newer Notaries even a few years ago.

Social Media
Newer Notaries seem to not do much on social media. NNA figured out how to get good interaction on their Facebook and a large proportion of the Notaries on there are new ones. The posts that good high quantities of interactions had yes/no answers. So, the quantity of the answers might look good, but the depth of the answers doesn’t compare to the veteran Notary crowd who have volumes to say. Not all oldsters are like this, but the people with long and thorough posts tend to have 15 years or more of experience, sonny.

How They Maintain Their Listing
Unfortunately, I have to get after most people to make their listing complete at least by my standards. A good presentation is life or death, but our Notaries don’t seem to have the motivation to do a quality job of their notes section on their own. This is sad. Even the people paying $400 per year need to be babysat in terms of their notes, reviews, and other aspects of listing maintenance.

SUMMARY
So, things have really changed. My wish is that people will put more effort into their career. I feel happier when people take life more seriously. I am not saying that people are not serious, but they tend to shirk what I consider to be reasonable responsibilities.

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April 14, 2021

Signing Agent questions answered

Filed under: Best Practices — admin @ 7:42 am

Here are some basic questions that people have with quick answers.

1. Should I start a notary website?
Quick Answer: No!
Commentary: It’s very expensive and time consuming. Probably not unless you’re really serious.

2. Should I sign up on Notary directories?
Quick Answer: Yes!
123notary, NotaryRotary, Snapdocs, and NotaryCafe are the best, but they are all different and attract very different clientele and varying amounts of business. 123notary gets more title work, while Snapdocs gets a high quantity of low ballers.

3. Do I need to understand the documents I notarize
Quick Answer: No!
Commentary: Your job is to fill out forms correctly and identify people correctly. The document doesn’t need to even be in English in most states. But, the signer should understand it.

4. Does 123notary have quizzes with yes/no answers
Quick Answer: No!
Commentary: We prefer multiple choice or open ended questions

5. Should I get certified?
Quick Answer: Yes!
Commentary: Notary2Pro has the best teaching. 123notary’s has the highest testing standards. LSS is the most up to date as to the current market conditions. NNA is the most widespread but their graduates do the worst on my test. We like the NNA in most ways, but not in terms of their testing standards.

6. Should I backdate?
Quick Answer: No!

7. Should I read Notary Blogs?
Quick Answer: Yes!
Commentary: Read your state notary manual and take some courses as well.

8. Should I put care into maintaining my notary profile?
Quick Answer: Yes!

9. Should I sell my van and buy an expensive high spot on 123notary?
Quick Answer: Yes!
Commentary: We prefer to wait until you have signed at least 500 loans, have a good notes section and a few reviews or 123notary certification before you invest big bucks in a high placed listing. That way you will be likely to get a good ROI and be happy with our service.

10. Can I notarize a photograph?
Quick Answer: No
Commentary: Notaries notarize signatures on documents. Even if a photo had a signature, there is no document making any type of statement.

A final note — you also cannot notarize your cat unless it is an oral statement of meao!

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April 12, 2021

10 things you need to know as a Signing Agent

Filed under: Best Practices — admin @ 7:28 am

Most people are confused when they begin their career as a Notary signing agent. They don’t know what they need to learn or do, or how to get clients. Those in the business for many years have the opposite problem. They think they know everything while they know very little — at least when I test them. Here is what I think Notaries should learn and how to learn it.

1. Be a good Notary. What does that entail?
You need to know the rules for each notary act and how to fill out forms. You also need to know how to administer Oaths correctly and few Notaries do this well or take it seriously. You can lose your commission if a judge finds out you didn’t give an Oath on any particular Affidavit, Jurat or sworn statement that you notarized. It is easy to learn how to do this, but few make it their business to know their job. Read your state’s notary manual regularly. You can also read blogs from NNA, 123notary or other Notary agencies. But, your state notary division is gospel, and the agencies are sometimes wrong — so treat their information as commentary. Keeping a journal is also imperative, because when you are in court, and 15% of serious Notaries end up before a judge sooner or later, your journal is your only evidence. The more thoroughly you keep your journal, the happier the judge will be with you. If you identify someone incorrectly or carelessly you might be empowering an imposter to steal a house from someone or commit fraud. We teach all of these points on our blog on Notary Public 101.

Summary of point 1.
Understanding All applicable Notary Acts, Identification procedures, Journal procedure, and Oaths are the bedrock of being a good Notary.

2. Understand The Right to Cancel
Residential owner occupied Refinances typically have a Right to Rescind document. Understanding how to date this document properly is not rocket science, but experienced Notaries flake and goof and get the dates wrong when I test them on a regular basis. It is not rocket sciencem, and no, the NASA website doesn’t cover this, it is a matter of counting to three and not counting Sundays or Federal Holidays.

3. Understand FAQ’s about loan signing.
When is my first payment due?
Where is my rate, APR?
Do I have a prepayment penalty and where is it?
Where are my closing costs and fees itemized?
Do I have to send a check or other documents not included in the package?
How long can I read my borrower’s copies before rescinding
How do I cancel my loan?

Many Notaries feel that they need to be experts at all of the documents. As a general rule, you should know the difference between the Correction Agreement LPOA and a Compliance Agreement, although there are so many variations in these documents that they are all different and you have to read each one — but, being familiar and knowledgeable about these document variations pays off as this is a FAQ that people are concerned about. Most loan signing courses go over this information and you should memorize this as people at signings will ask about it.

4. Understanding Reverse Mortgages, TRID, Helocs, Purchases, etc.
LSS’s course seems to do the best job teaching these types of loans (or documents) that are new in popularity over the last few years. Most signing courses were written ten or twenty years ago when Reverse Mortgages either didn’t exist or were not a popular item. Since as a Notary, you are not allowed to explain the terms of a person’s loan, but only allowed to help signers find information within the loan, it is NOT critical to understand these loans or documents, but make you look good if you did. So consider point four to be a plus, but not a necessity.

5. Explain or don’t explain
In our various blog courses we go over point by point what a Notary should explain or not explain. The 30 point course discusses this in detail. This is critical because otherwise you might get yourself in trouble talking about what you have no business of talking about. Or you might talk about something you know nothing about. Or, you might not answer a question which you should know the answer and express the answer about. Boy, this is complicated.

6. How to find new clients
There are many ways. We write about this in the marketing section of our blog, but you might have to scroll.

7. How to background screen clients
Not all clients are pleasant or pay on time. Use the 123notary or Notary Rotary forum to see which companies are worth working for. Please be informed that in the last two years there has been a drastic decline in forum commentary on our forum and on NotaryRotary’s, although theirs is much more well trafficked than ours. There is less quantity of reliable information about the various signing companies. But, still do your research.

8. How to collect from clients
Some people don’t pay on time, so you have to know how to keep records, how to bill people, and how to threaten them the right way if they keep you waiting for payment. We go over this in our courses.

9. Where to learn about general information
You should read the various blogs out there. NNA and 123notary have interesting blogs where you can learn and source information from antiquated entries on particular topics.

10. How to handle tricky situations
In Notary Public 101 we go over many sticky situations and explain how to think about them and how to handle them. Understanding this content makes you a more confident, trustworthy and safe Notary! It’s like a vaccine made out of knowledge!

Further Reading
As a general rule, I recommend getting certified by various entities, not just one. I recommend Notary Public 101 and the 30 Point Course in our blog as well as reading our blog articles about marketing and notarial issues in particular. LSS offers a very practical course that is more sensitive to what is going on in the industry now. Notary2Pro seems to churn out the best trained Notaries of any certification. 123notary has the hardest certification test and passing it will prove yourself better than the other certifications.

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February 2, 2021

Expressing yourself as a Notary for marketing purposes

Filed under: Your Notes Section — admin @ 1:34 pm

Business is booming for us after seven slow years. What a relief. We are getting a lot of new blood finally and it feels good. The newbies seem to have the same problem describing themselves as the people who preceded them.

Many Notaries want to tell the world things that count against them. Here are some:

1. I shadowed with such and such a Notary.
If the only experience you have is shadowing Penelope, then perhaps the person looking at your profile should hire Penelope, and not you. Shadowing is best left unsaid unless that is in addition to certifications from known agencies.

2. I became a Notary two months ago.
This makes you look like a real novice, wastes space, and counts against you. If someone asks, you can tell. But, you need to give people why they should use you vs. reasons why they should avoid you.

3. I am working on the Notary2Pro course
Notary2Pro is an excellent certification course. We recommend them highly as they do well when I quizzed them several years ago. Carol gets back to people fast with answers to their questions. But, let the world know once you have finished it. Nobody likes a half done job. We sell ten certification courses for every person who attempts the test, let alone who passes it. Buying a course doesn’t make you valuable, passing the test does.

4. I have 25K E&O but will soon be upgrading to 100K.
Don’t tell us what you will be doing, tell us what you have now, and then edit your listing once you have the higher Errors and Omissions policy.

5. I am background screened
By whom? Some companies like NNA and Sterling have a good reputation for background screening, others are relatively unknown and the procedures vary from company to company.

6. I am a Certified Notary Public from the State of Maine and I service Waldo County and do Refinances.
Once again, being “certified” means nothing unless we know who certified you. The testing standards and courses vary. 123notary has the hardest certification test. Pass ours and we will really respect you and you will get more clicks. The next problem is that you are mixing information about certification, your state of commission which is not necessary to put, as we assume you are commissioned in your state otherwise you can’t work. You next list your coverage areas in the same long drawn out sentence. I prefer to put certification(s) in one section with background screening and E&O. Then, in another section I put counties.

7. Hi, my name is Mary Smith
We already know your name is Mary Smith, it says that on the top of your listing. Why tell us twice? That takes up space when you could be telling us something else. The top of your notes section shows up in the search results. Tell us something that makes you stand out.

8. I travel
Everyone on our site travels, well almost. Maybe not the UPS stores and we have a few of them. But, the other 99% of Notaries do travel. People will assume you do.

9. I am reliable, responsible and punctual
Save it. Coming from you, that translates to — I am a novice, I have nothing to say about myself, so I will make unsubstantiated claims about how great I am with the hopes that the reader will believe me even though I have not demonstrated one ounce of credibility to anyone in this industry. Stick to the facts and let your clients put how great THEY think you are in your reviews, or pass my test.

10. I do all types of loans
Most people on my site claim that they know how to sign every type of loan. When I go through my list of 30 common types of signings most of which are Mortgages of one type or another, they typically do anywhere from 20-80%. I have yet to meet a 100%. So, basically, you are being vague, and deceiving the reader into thinking you really are experienced with every type of loan. List them one by one.

WHAT YOU SHOULD WRITE

Cold hard facts
Warm fuzzy “about you” descriptions

When you write about your skills, don’t omit the types of loans you know how to sign. It doesn’t hurt to mention you do refinances, Helocs, purchases, etc., But, 99% of Notaries out there can do those. Do mention it, but focus more on what you do that makes you special. If you are familiar (define familiar) with REO, USDA, Annuities, Applications, Reverse, and Debt Consolidations, that makes you more unusual. Most Notaries have either never done a Reverse Mortgage, or a Debt Consolidations, and the ones who have, typically don’t like doing them and half of the ones who have done them say they don’t want to do any more of them.

We think you should write briefly about your certifications (mention by whom you are certified), memberships, background screening, E&O insurance, and professional background. Don’t write a novel on your award winning Real Estate career. If it is so great, why are you a Notary in the first place? Wouldn’t you be busy selling houses unless you got tired of it? Mention that you do Real Estate, but not more than a sentence or two maximum for best results.

Warm and fuzzy descriptions are hard to teach. But, anything unique that has a nice feel to it about you will look really good. The readers are tired of cliche sounding notes sections. Seen one seen them all. If you have a classy line or joke, that sometimes can do well — it depends, but is worth trying.

We have many good articles about notes writing in the “your notes section” category of our blog. It is well worth investing a few hours taking notes on our suggestions about notes!

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January 24, 2021

What to emphasize in your notes in 2020

Filed under: Your Notes Section — admin @ 1:27 pm

Things change; people change; The only thing that stays the same is that you need a good notes section on your listing on 123notary. But, what should you write about?

Certifications
Most people have the generic information. NNA Certified (good to have). LSS Certification (will get you clicked on), and Notary2Pro Certification (in our opinion the best one.) 123notary certification (hard to get but proves yourself and will get you more clicks.) If you mention your certifications, emphasize the ones that are harder and more in demand when you write notes. It is also really good to have three or four certifications if you want to stnad out.

Memberships
Anyone can get a membership just by paying. It doesn’t make you special. But, if you have five memberships to notary agencies, four certifications and some empowering notes on your professional background, that is impressive.

RON & Pavaso.
There are more and more Remote Online Notaries out there. Not all states allow this, but they get clicked on. Having an IPEN designation (whatever that means, sorry I’m old) helps you stand out too. Everyone on our site does notarizing, but how many do RON or can use Pavaso? Personally, I feel that if you are female you should be a RONDA — just my opinion.

Less Common Loans
Everyone does refinances, but how many do Debt Restructuring, demolition loans and time shares?

ME: Do you do time shares?
NOTARY: When I have time!

Focus on what makes you stand out, and write about the other stuff too, but put the jazzy stuff where it is more visable.

Unique Phrases
I scoured our site looking for unique notes sections and found a few somewhat good ones. But, we basically have hardly any notes sections I would give an A to which is sad. But, you can work on writing something unique and classy or funny about yourself and it might draw attention. Put something on there and see how people react.

As usual, if you need help with your notes, ask me! Email us.

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