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July 25, 2019

New Notary app helps you find an eNotary in Virginia or participating state

Filed under: Advertising — Tags: , , — admin @ 5:02 am

Yes folks, usually articles like this are written in jest, but I had to get this new information off my chest about a new Notary company that is the best in the West (actually East, but that didn’t rhyme). I just found out that there is an actual company in Boston called “Notarize” (“A” for being an industry specific name and “F” for uniqueness) that can help you find a Notary in Texas, Virginia, or Nevada, that specialize in remote eNotarizations.

This startup’s new COO is Elizabeth Graham, and she has worked for Wayfair and HubSpot as an executive (and is probably not to be messed with, but I speculate, and I digress.)

Notarize is signing up large institutions one by one, and trying to get them change the way they think so as to indoctrinate them into hopefully enjoying the convenience of their new online offering.

Notarize, founded in 2015, is a platform just like SnapDocs, but specializes only in the online aspect of the profession. They have 100 employees and look like they are making it big already and growing rapidly. So, you will be hearing more about them as time goes on for better or for worse. All I can say is let’s pray to God they don’t low-ball.

See original article
https://xconomy.com/boston/2019/02/07/notary-startup-notarize-wayfair-hubspot-chief-operating-officer/

You might also like:

Notarize app lets you use your iPhone to get notarized!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19186

A Notary orders pizza at a signing using an app
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19292

New Notary apps for the iPhone 7 you never dreamed of
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=10977

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July 9, 2019

A list of things you probably did not add to your notes section

Filed under: Your Notes Section — Tags: , — admin @ 3:08 am

Every Notary profile has a notes section, but Notaries are notoriously sloppy about what they add to their notes section unless they are very seasoned Notaries. So, I compiled a quick list of things you need to add.

1. Uniqueness – What is unique about your service? Do you speak another language, go to hospitals, have an advanced degree, or are Fidelity approved? These things should go up top so that people can see this on the search results. The top of your notes section once again does show up on the search results.

2. Loan Types – What types of loans are you experienced with? Just saying that you do them all doesn’t say much. It is better to make a thoughtful list of the loan types and types of documents that you have signed before.

3. Equipment – Do you have a particular type of printer, scanner, fax, or a mobile office? Make sure to share that with the world.

4. Other Information – Do you have E&O insurance, how much? Are you certified by any particular agency? Are you background screened and by whom?

5. Coverage Areas: How many miles is your radius? What particular counties do you cover? Make it easy. If there are too many if-then statements about you only go to Horry County on an empty stomach if it is before 8pm, unless it is Summer in which case perhaps 8:30pm but only if you feel like it… That is too complicated. Just say you go to Horry County.

6. About You – It is hard for most Notaries to write about themselves. The tendency is to reduce yourself to some cliche adjectives that are identical to have 10,000 other notaries would describe themselves. Avoid this and paint a realistic picture of your style of doing work, about you, your professional background and what is unique to you.

7. Minimums – Some Notaries have a minimum of $100 plus eDocuments. If you stick to particular prices and are not wishy-washy, then publish them in your notes section. That way your calls are pre-filtered. But, if on Monday your minimum is $100, and then on Tuesday you are desperate and lower it to $80, then keep it verbal.

8. Professional backgrounds – Don’t be vague and say you worked in the financial industry. Say what positions you held and what types of work you did. People want specifics not vagueness. Don’t say you worked in the legal industry otherwise we will think you were the window washer at Hartman, Smith, and Stone.

9. A catchy phrase – Most Notaries do not bother to put a catchy one liner in their notes. It might take hours to think of. Good business names are equally hard to think of. People who search for Notaries are bored reading boring notes sections. If you can make up something interesting and catchy to say, you will inspire people to call you. If you are serious about the business, it is worth your time.

10. Organization tips – Don’t write a notes section that is a jumble. Keep each section well organized and separated by a line of space. It is easier to read and more pleasant too. Please remember that those reading your profile read hundreds of profiles and will be more likely to use you if you come across as being organized.

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

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July 7, 2019

Notary vs. Hitman: Dollars per minute

Filed under: Marketing Articles — admin @ 2:47 am

Have you ever stopped to think about the pay differential between a Notary and a hit man? Notaries are always complaining that they don’t get paid enough and don’t get any respect. You would get respect if you were a hit man though. You could even advertise on one of those hit man websites.

Hit man profile (fictional… of course!)
I am responsible and reliable. Once you hire me the job is as good as done. I always confirm my appointments, show up on time, and hire a professional cleaner who I call, “Da cleanuh.” All I ask is to be paid on time, otherwise you might end up being on my list of assignments… capiche? Just make sure you include a return FeDex package with every assignment, and let me know if the job has any special considerations or if you want me to do the job in a particular special way. I’m experienced with guns, knives, clubs, bats, maces, machetes, numchucks, strangulation (for an additional fee), and more. Long distance no problem and we specialize in bilingual hits. Hablamos Espanol y Italiano. Additionally, if you hired the wrong guy to save money and he left work uncompleted, I do clean ups as well.

If you don’t pay a Notary, they just sit and whine. But, if you don’t pay a hit man, guess what happens. Hit men get respect — Notaries don’t. Of course Notaries spend less time in jail in general unless you are like Harry who engaged in Real Estate fraud using his Notary seal – don’t be like Harry.

A Notary can make $20 to $40 average per hour doing signings depending on what the job is, and how far it is. But, a hit man might get $50,000 for a job that might take a few hours to plan and an hour to “execute.” There is more risk involved, and probably more skill. But, look at the bright side, as a hit man, you don’t have to deal with the county recorder or the IRS! A hit man’s salary could be computed as $100 per minute if you work out the math. A good hit man only needs to do two or three jobs per year and the rest of the year can be taken off lounging at an Italian villa, or in a not so Italian jail cell. Such an efficient use of time.

So, the basic break down is 50 cents a minute being a Notary vs. $100 per minute being a hit man with possible jail time. Which do you choose? But, there’s more. Hit men end up in hell making it not worth it no matter what they get paid. Notaries go to whiners purgatory where they whine about not getting paid, but at least don’t get burned in scalding oil every day. So, you are better off being a Notary, so try to learn to be good at it.

You might also like:

How far do you push for payment terms?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22590

Payment for jail notary service
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22145

Notarizing the Mafia at a gelato place
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22163

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July 5, 2019

The evolution of American commerce and Snapdocs

Filed under: Advertising — admin @ 2:41 am

In the old days, America used to have lots of mom & pop stores owned by regular American families. As demographics changed, these stores more and more got bought out by Jews, Koreans, Pakistanis, Palestinians, etc. And then as the chain stores took popularity due to their centralized and efficient management, the mom & pop stores had a harder time staying in business and most got absorbed or put under by the chain stores.

SnapDocs is doing the same thing. They have provided a very efficient way of doing business where inefficient service providers are being weeded out. Additionally, other directories like us are losing a lot of market share. Our search results are still vastly superior to SnapDocs, but the millennial users care tremendously about convenience and don’t care about quality probably because they can’t comprehend what quality is, especially if it takes more than three (consecutive) seconds to think about.

On a brighter note for those of us competing against SnapDocs, I have been hearing that their members are getting almost no work. So, maybe there is hope for the rest of us. Maybe they will fizzle out and live, but live small.

Additionally, SnapDocs has weeded out a lot of Notaries who are not that bad, who are just not as fast on the draw as the others. SnapDocs rewards you for being an iPhone slinger. If you are the Jesse James or Clint Eastwood of the Notary industry, you might cut it with SnapDocs. But, if you have to think before you draw — forget about it. Remember — the next signing is for Indio and his men. You can listen to the twangy melody from an antiquated music box as you imagine finally slaying Zapata as you draw for your iPhone the next time you get a text. The same melody that Zapata forced you to listen to as he slayed your family — remember that movie? Drop your iPhones and reach for the sky hombres!

The main thing to remember is that if you don’t want to be phased out, be a quality notary. Be at the top of your skill set, put a lot in your notes section, and do your maximum, not your minimum like the other 99.5% of Notaries who hide behind their years of experience instead of being evidence of real knowledge.

You might also like:

123notary vs. Snapdocs, Verizon vs. AT&T
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21258

What Notaries don’t like about Snapdocs
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21246

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June 24, 2019

A lot of info I knew but forgot about says one 123notary client

Filed under: Marketing Articles — admin @ 12:18 pm

One Notary was reading one of my instructional tutorials on 123notary. He claimed that there was a lot of information that he used to know but had forgotten about. He was very happy that I had published Notary Public 101 as that was a great opportunity for him to review his Notary knowledge. Personally, my brain is not good at acquiring new information. I have to read over information again and again and again, and then review it periodically over time for the information to solidify and sink in. I very rarely forget Notary information that I have learned unless it is very technical, and California notary law can get very technical.

But, other people are not like this. Other people learn their stuff and then forget most of what they have learned slowly over time. This is why I think it is critical to maintain your knowledge and keep studying and reviewing your technical knowledge. So, the minute you think you know it all, that’s the same minute you need to review!

You might also like:

Beginner Notary 103 – gaining industry knowledge
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21118

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

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May 31, 2019

Your number of loans signed just went down?

Filed under: Marketing Articles — admin @ 10:30 am

When I do welcome calls, I will spend the better part of a day offering our newsletter to people and asking them how many loans they have signed. It is so hard for people to think about how many loans they have signed. Don’t they keep some sort of count? When I was a Notary people used to ask. Of course that was back in what I call the “Pre-Instagram Age.” That is a time not far after the horse and buggy went out of style.

When I ask people by phone how many loans they sign, although the answers are awkward, at least I feel I am getting an honest, but not necessarily accurate number. People are more comfortable telling me how many years they have been signing. But, if you signed one loan per year for ten years, that is equivalent to someone who signed ten loans per day in one day. Which experience is worth more and what does it all mean?

But, when I go through people’s profiles and look at their number of loans signed and it says 5000, and then I call them and ask them how many loans they have signed, the answer usually goes down. I ask because I assume they didn’t bother to update their numbers for a year or two… or six. But, I uncover lies, deception, and deceit when I ask this question. How did we go from 5000 loans down to 1500. Did you sign negative loans over the last six months?

Maybe I should keep track of who the liars are. Hmmm. That might be a longer list than I care to know about.

As always, keep your number of loans signed up to date and if possible — honest and accurate, or as accurate as humanly possible.

You might also like:

Number of loans vs. number of years using “since”.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19270

What types of loans do you know how to sign?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16712

A list of things you probably did not add to your notes section
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22287

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April 3, 2019

Do you invest in your notary business?

Filed under: Marketing Articles — admin @ 10:00 am

Some people who are Real Estate brokers invest heavily in licensing fees, insurance and other expenses to maintain their Real Estate career. But, how many Notaries invest heavily in their career? People who advertise with us often do, but not all of them.

E&O Insurance is not for free, but can make you look like a serious contender, especially if you get a lot of it. The irony is that when you try to collect, they might not pay if the situation is not a notary error. A signing agent error on a non-notarized document is not a notary error. Read the fine print.

High placed listings on 123notary get a lot more business than the rest. Smart people get it that they need one if they want their business to grow.

Asking for reviews is free, but an investment of a small effort on a regular basis. Smart Notaries understand that asking for reviews is investing in credibility and nothing beats credibility. If you have no credibility, then you are reduced to being one of those notaries who brags about how great they are when none of their customers think they are good enough to write a review for. Food for thought.

123notary certification gets more clicks and more title work. Most people think that knowledge is not important. But, the cost of screwing up a loan and losing a client is heavy. And the cost of not getting clients in the first place because you have no credibility is a problem too. Investing in knowledge pays off day after day for decades. So, why not invest in knowledge?

Writing more in your notes section takes very little time. It is an investment of minutes that can pay off for decades. Smart Notaries get it that they need a really comprehensive notes section. The others just write a one liner about how great they are. Do you think title companies are dumb enough to fall for that? Think again.

There are other ways to invest in your business. Websites, business names, education from other entities, and more. Those that take Notary work seriously typically do a lot better than those just winging it. Choose the path of solidity and you shall prosper.

You might also like:

Nice things people said about 123notary in the blog comments
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=22401

How does pricing for top placements on 123notary work?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19355

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March 24, 2019

Feast or famine in the Notary industry

Filed under: Marketing Articles — Tags: , — admin @ 10:26 am

For Notaries out there it is feast or famine.

Notary Cafe is a prime example of this. They publish stats on who is getting jobs and how many how recently. It is normally about 7% of the notaries give or take who are completely monopolizing the business while the others are going hungry. I guess people want to hire the good Notaries and forget the rest.

Our Facebook posts are the same. Certain posts get all the publicity while others get ignored.

On 123notary, the Notaries who are doing everything right get tons of business. But, how do we convince the newer Notaries how to get reviews, brush up their notes, and get certified? Few people listen, but those who do often prosper.

I just wonder what would happen if the industry picked up. Would companies have higher standards for Notaries and also pay more? Would the work be more equally spread out? Unfortunately, the way this business works, 1% of the notaries are experts, another 2% are not bad, 10% are somewhat reasonable, and the rest get a D or F. These are bad odds and create a type of pyramid where only the top of the pyramid gets lots of work and everybody else complains that they are not getting what they deserve. But, if you are a D or F, how much can you possibly deserve. Getting work at all is amazing if you don’t have solid industry related knowledge.

You might also like:

How does pricing work for top placements on 123notary?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19355

Letter to Trump about the state of the notary industry
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19908

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A list of things you probably forgot to put in your notes section

Filed under: Your Notes Section — Tags: , — admin @ 4:34 am

Most Notaries write a notes section for their listing on 123notary. However, many do not know what to write. Here are some things you should write about. Take this as a check list.

Experience
Write about the types of loans or documents you know how to sign. Write about the type of work you did before you were a Notary or what distinguishes your experience as a notary. How many loans as well as how many years would also help the reader get an idea of what type of experience you have. Read more by clicking the link below…
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19052

Additional Information
Your certifications, courses taken, E&O, background screening, etc., Don’t forget to write about this because people do care.

Equipment
If you have special equipment, portable printers, scanners, fax machines, inverters, etc., people want to read about this. But, don’t put it up top as this is supplemental information. Experience and selling features go up top.

Special Skills
Are you bilingual? Do you visit hospitals or jails? How about a wide radius? Are you on the white glove list somewhere? Do you take credit cares or square? Put this up top as it is a selling feature.

Areas Covered
Your radius, counties or cities covered go at the bottom and there are 12 boxes to put your counties covered which includes your home county. We discourage putting zip codes as the list gets very long and messy and nobody wants to read it.

About You
This is the most misunderstood aspect of notes writing. Most people cannot write about themselves other than a long string of adjectives. Any idiot can write about how responsible and reliable they are and the more they claim these adjectives the less true I find them to be. However, describing yourself with specific facts is more helpful as well as credible. The fact you have an MBA, worked with the elderly at a nursing home for ten years or are ex-military are real facts about you. The fact you triple check your work and have your local FedEx stations memorized is fact vs. fluff.

Catchy Phrases
It is hard for most people to write a catchy phrase, but it can really pay off. People are bored with reading 1000 notes sections that all seem very similar. It sometimes looks like the same person wrote all of the notes sections on Notary Rotary… “I am reliable, background screened and have 50,000 E&O. I have signed many loans and do a lot of refinances.” After you see this a few thousand times you start seeing double. Put something unique and organized for a change. We wrote a few articles (that I linked below) on catchy phrases in notes sections and you should read those.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14690

Buzzwords to avoid
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19054

You might also like:
Examples of great notes sections
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18862

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

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December 19, 2018

Beginner Notary 103 — Advertising on 123notary

Filed under: Advertising — admin @ 1:23 pm

Beginner Notary 103: Advertising on 123notary
Return to Table of Contents – Beginner Notary 103

123notary is the sole most popular source of title company jobs in the industry. People get more high paying jobs here than from any other site simply because we systematically scrutinize our site to provide the highest quality possible.

Top Place Listings
It is common knowledge that those who do the best on 123notary have a high placement (generally in the top three spots) and have a well filled out profile. Top spots are not always available. However, if you get the highest spot that is available, and get certified by us and get reviews, if something does become available, you are likely to be promoted to that spot. 123notary promotes the best to the top of the list as much as we can. So, don’t worry about how fast it takes to get to the top, worry about being the best and proving it.

Certification
123notary certification has been around since around 2004. We have made it a lot harder and those who have this certification get an average of 25% more clicks to those in similar positions who don’t have the certification. However, newer Notaries get more than double the clicks by having our certification as it represents credibility for a Notary who does not yet have a name in the industry. You need to prove yourself and bragging doesn’t cut it. Having 123notary claim how good you are means a lot more as we are a highly experienced and impartial judge of quality. Your title companies reviews also speak louder than words (well, at least louder than your words.) Third party credibility is the way to move forward, so put your efforts into getting it through prudent means.

Listing Costs
We price listings based on a complicated formula. You will need to ask for a quote for particular spots. Let us know what city and county you are in as prices depend on your particular location.

What Can You Expect?
Most people who fill their listing out thoroughly on 123notary claim that their listing pays for itself quickly. Many of our clients have been with us for more than a decade which speaks volumes about our quality. Results vary from Notary to Notary. Additionally, some Notaries have multiple listings where one listing will perform well and another will perform sluggishly. There is an element of trial and error, so I hope you give us a legitimate try and only judge us after you get some reviews on your listing.

For information on listings, call Carmen at 310-210-6319 or email us at info@123notary.com

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You might also like:

When did Notary Cafe become decaffeinated?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21091

How does pricing for for top placements on 123notary?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19355

Compilation of posts about Snapdocs
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21531

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

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