October 2018 - Notary Blog - Signing Tips, Marketing Tips, General Notary Advice - 123notary.com
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October 29, 2018

Fix for – Your Phone Stopped Ringing

Filed under: Ken Edelstein — admin @ 12:28 pm

Fix for – Your Phone Stopped Ringing
To understand why it’s not ringing you need to understand what makes it ring. Calls come from three basic origins. Repeats, Advertising, and “where you are known”. Repeats are great, and you will have them if you did a good job for a fair price. People like to deal with a known entity – especially when the prior work was great. Ads cost money, but wisely done have a good ROI
(Return On Investment). However “ads” can be free – the following link: http://kenneth-aedelstein.com

will be “picked up” by many internet “robots” – including Google. It costs noting to
post a blog, just some time to create content that is worth the readers’ time.

Now on to “where you are known”. I have often suggested the distribution of several hundred business cards. Sure, it’s work – but has the advantage of making a good face to face impression. Well, to be honest it can take a lot of low result legwork. But, it can also be done with a strategy for low effort and high return. One good potential future caller source is doctors. They often need their statement about a patient’s health notarized. You could plan a route to cover 50 doctors in one trip. It would be an inefficient plan. Sure you would leave a card (and perhaps a brief letter about your services) with the doctors; but the narrow focus would miss other potential clients – in the same building.

A better, perhaps more efficient approach would be to visit an area. Doctors might be prime candidates – but the hardware store adjacent to the doctor should also receive a visit. Think of everyone as a potential client – why not visit an many as possible, as efficiently as possible?

This is a very generalized approach. It works for notaries, realtors or plumbers. They might not need you now, but might require your type of service in the future. Can you picture them thinking “now where did I put that card” – I vaguely recall that person seemed competent.

Don’t feel like making a special card distribution trip? You don’t have to. Just be sure to carry about 50+ cards with you at all times and distribute them where you go, and to places nearby.

It’s a numbers game – the cost is very low, and to be frank – the response rate is also low; initially. But some will call, perhaps becoming repeat customers. Unlike the hated “spam” email, you are delivering your card personally; perhaps starting a relationship.

One final tip. Be sure to use the back of the card to make your card a “keeper”. I have a street guide to finding buildings in Manhattan. Some have conversion charts between English and Metric measurement, some Federal holidays. Whatever you choose make it a “long term” keep. Probably the worst is a calendar – into the trash you go on New Year’s Day.

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You might also like:

Notary – what would you do?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21037

Situations where you can ruin a loan out of stupidity
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19987

A list of things Notaries goor (or might goof on).
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19427

Life at the bottom of the food chain
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19419

Get off your butt — and start marketing yourself
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19408

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October 21, 2018

Index of best comedy posts from 2015 to present.

Filed under: Best Humorous Posts — admin @ 11:49 pm

THESE POSTS ARE IN ORDER OF QUALITY AND POPULARITY

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COMPILATION

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Best Virtual Notary Comedy Compliation!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15957

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NEW

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George Lopez Notary Public
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19889

Psych Notary Episode
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19397

Vietnam War Notaries — A POA for a POW.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19445

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POPULAR

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Notaries in cars getting coffee
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18945

Disney Notary World
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18880

Jane the Virgin Notary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14899

Trump – Making American Notaries Great Again
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17023

Black Notaries vs. White Notaries: The Notary Manual (link a string)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19322

How Carmen dealt with some Alt-Right customers
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19092

Notary with Tourettes Syndrome
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18999

The Noterator
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19116

Sharktank — self driving Notary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19104

Notary Hell — yeah, but it’s a dry heat
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=13196

Notary aptitude test 2
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17065

A Notary from Florida travels to India
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19636

Shark Tank — 123notary wants to sell 10% of its shares
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16021

Are you a Yes-tary or a No-tary?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16626

Shark Tank — Notary Escrow Pal
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16009

Can I bring my 12 year old to a signing?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15885

How Notary work is similar to online dating!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15763

Welcome to the Notary Zoo!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15994

You know you’re a Notary when…
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16038

Notary Ed similar to Driver’s Education
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19132

Notary Psychic Tarot Card Reading
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19126

Flashpoint — Notary job for a hostage with a multimillion dollar contract
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18798

Noternity Court
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14091

Notary space station — in space, nobody can hear you sign!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18920

The Notary Train
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18928

Honey, you can kiss my app!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14902

Can you sign in your sleep? What would that be like?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18874

A new acknowledgment form for transgender people
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19658

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October 17, 2018

When are Notaries rude to title companies?

Filed under: Etiquette — Tags: — admin @ 11:42 am

I wrote an article a few months ago stating that if you are rude to Jeremy (that’s me) that you are probably rude to title. I got lots of hateful responses. The point is that Notaries used the excuse that since I was not paying them, that they had the right to be rude to me and also that I was rude. But, I am only rude to people who provoke the hell out of me — which includes a long list of people.

But, this week, I talked to a few people who worked at signing and title companies to get the truth from their point of view. Here is what I found out.

Company 1.
A person who used to work in title for years told me that Notaries were regularly rude to people working in title, but that problem was no greater than any other problem they had.

Company 2
Another person who had worked in escrow as an assistant claimed that she had not heard of Notaries being rude to title officers. Hmm. A completely different story.

Company 3
This third person owned a small signing company in Arizona. He claimed that Notaries were rude to him, but only when he confronted them with something they did wrong that they were unwilling to take responsibility for. He confirmed my complaint that Notaries by and large make claims to be amazing, and are very unwilling to acknowledge their flaws or mistakes.

Summary
It seems to me that the reason for rudeness on the part of Notaries is coming from the same place as the self-promoting lies that Notaries tell. Most Notaries I deal with go on and on about how great they are, how much experience they have and how they never make mistakes. This is not only phony sounding, a pain in the neck (and ear) but a snow job. People who hire Notaries can see through the nonsense very quickly. When I ask people how many loans they have signed, 70% of people will give me a very long story about their career without answering my question which is a headache that I have to endure every time I do welcome calls. This type of bragging and not following instructions by answering the question the way it was asked is coming from the same place that the rudeness is coming from. A lack of modesty and a childish and confrontational attitude.

It would be better if Notaries would just answer questions as they were asked, adopt a more modest attitude about their work, study harder, and accept the fact that they are not perfect and that others in hiring or evaluative positions will scrutinize them. It is childish to assume that you are perfect and immature to get hostile if someone criticizes you. Expect criticism and accept it. In fact, you would be a better notary if you would hold yourself to higher standards.

If Notaries would scrutinize themselves and spend more time learning in a cautious and meticulous way, there would be less for others to criticize about them. This is a profession and there is no reason not to study. Only about 1% of our Notaries on board are willing to study on their own initiative. It should be 50% at least. Accepting the fact that even though you might have a lot of years on the job that there might be a lot you don’t know that you need to know would be another act of self-honesty and modesty.

I am not saying you should go through life berating yourselves, but the attitude of most Notaries is that of an immature show-off who cannot tolerate criticism. That kind of behavior and attitude is not professional and not attractive to hiring parties. If someone in a higher position than you says that you did something wrong or don’t know something you need to, rather than fight with them, accept their words as valuable input — because it is valuable input that might keep you from getting fired or locked up one day. Try to see things from a bigger perspective. And if you don’t like me berating you, then most of you need to act a lot more professional. If you acted professional as a group, there would be no reason to berate you in the first place.

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You might also like:

The way you treat Jeremy might be the same way you treat title
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19590

Attn. Title Companies – what you need to know about 2018 123notary certification.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21065

If you were hiring a notary, what would you look for?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16750

If Donald Trump hired you as a Notary, would you get fired?

If Trump hired you as a Notary, would you get fired?

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October 16, 2018

A guide to notarizing documents with blanks or multiple signatures

Filed under: Technical & Legal — admin @ 1:04 am

Don’t notarize documents with blanks!!!
That’s the end to the guide!

Dealing with Blanks
However, the main thing to understand is that as a Notary, you have many responsibilities. You have to identify people, keep a journal, staple things together, give Oaths, fill out certificates. You are so busy, that you might not have time to scan a document for blanks. But, you need to scan every single page.

If you spot a blank, you can put a diagonal or horizontal line through it. The main thing is to make sure that no new information is added to the document after the notarization.

You can also refuse to notarize and make the signer or document custodian complete the document before submitting it to the Notary.

Notarizing Individual Pages (or not)
Additionally you cannot notarize particular pages of a document separate from the document. Sometimes a particular page needs to be fixed or changed in a document and you might get a request to notarize just that page. You simply notarize the entire document as a whole.

Multiple Signatures
However, sometimes you get a document such as a health directive which has multiple notarizations within a very long document. I have seen health directives or living wills with fifty or more pages. Sometimes at a notarization you are notarizing signatures in the middle of the document as well as at the end of the document when the certificate is at the end of the document. I have also seen cases where there are multiple signatures in the middle of a document and a certificate in the middle of the document. This is confusing. Affidavit of Support forms have Jurats in the middle of the form too, and not enough room for your stamp (dumb government workers.)

The 1003 is a great example of a document with an entire page intentionally left blank. But, that is a signed document, not a notarized document.

The main point of this quick article is to remind you that you have to scan documents for blanks.

You might also like:

Cross out and initial, or use a fresh form?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19933

Affirmations – pleasing the politically correct while offending all others
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19606

Five things a Notary must do
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19583

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October 15, 2018

Testimonial from Frank Tabacca

Filed under: Social Media — Tags: — admin @ 11:47 am

Hello Everyone

My name is Frank and I have been a Certified Signing Agent for over 9 years. Compared to some people out there that’s not a lot, but my point is this, after doing the same thing for a long time, many of us could get complacent. Well, I sure did.

I thought I knew more than most people in this business. I lost that excitement, like when you first started out. My desire to learn wasn’t like it used to be.

At first, I really did feel like reading the material, but once I started, I couldn’t stop, because I was learning things I should have known. I began to feel the desire to read more and learn more. As corny as this may sound, I feel like I’m back again. I feel like it gave me the jump start I needed that I didn’t know I needed.

I am self employed. This is my business and my company and if I don’t treat it as such, it will not produce the way it should or could.

We are all captains of our own ship. We have to lead not follow. I shouldn’t need someone else to get me motivated. We should all have the self desire to read this material and continue to review and search for any information that could help us increase our bottom line.

Since then, I have been vigorously pursuing the desperately needed updating of everything related my business, including my 123notary profile, other profiles with my clients, my own website, marketing, business tools and more.

I needed this.

I am glad 123notary decided to retest everyone. Especially ME!!

Thank you 123notary.

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October 14, 2018

INDEX — Best Notary Comedy Articles 2010 to 2014

Filed under: Best Humorous Posts,Compilations — admin @ 11:42 pm

These posts are in order of popularity and quality.

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Funniest things that happen to signing agents
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=55

The signing from hell
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=765

A social media site for Notaries — Affiant
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6410

Seinfeld episode about a Notary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=10208

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

Vampire Notaries: 24 hour service
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4094

3 Notaries walk into a bar
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3660

Family Guy — Peter joins ISIS by mistake & needs Notarized conversion
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=10507

The Notary, The Mafia & The Fedex Drop Box
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6867

My Date with Jeremy
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4473

Two and a half Notaries! A Notarization experience
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8974

Witnessing intake forms for Notary Heaven
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8832

Welcome to the Notary Hotel
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8822

Honey, I notarized the kids
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=7030

Two and a Half Notaries — detering Notary fraud
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=10452

Notary Cheers: Sammy gets a name change form notarized
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=10016

Two Notaries assigned the same job
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=1060

A 2nd date with Jeremy
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=7074

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October 10, 2018

Title companies use the top three on 123notary

Filed under: Advertising — Tags: — admin @ 11:39 am

I talked to a few title companies in the last week. And Carmen has been talking to them for years. What I am hearing from all available sources is consistent. Title companies love 123notary, but they don’t use all Notaries on our directory. They typically either start at the top and work their way down, or only pick from the top three or the top several on any search result.

Some of you are in the top several placements on 123notary, but some of you are not. It is not always possible to get a top spot on 123notary. However, we recommend getting the highest spot you can get and then hope for an upgrade. I control who can rise on our directory and I base this on merit. If you have good reviews. 123notary certification, a good notes section, answer your phone, and are generally good in most respects, you would be very likely to move up the list. You don’t even have to do anything. Just display merit, and I will do the rest.

When someone drops out of a high spot, I look for someone downstream who has demonstrated merit, but also shows that they are willing to pay for a top spot. If someone is only paying $99, I might give them a higher placement for a few months at no cost if there is nobody paying who also merits the spot. But, if a candidate has paid $200 or above, I would choose them even if their track record is not as great as someone paying less.

I need long term candidates for high spots. Since high spots are not for free, they have to be willing to pay, but they also have to be good. That narrows it down a bit as you can see. My suggestion to you guys is to develop merit. Don’t just pay yourself on the back and tell others how great you are. Your self-praise and inexpensively earned credibility means nothing in the real world. Reviews from title companies and my personal seal of approval means everything. So, stop bragging and start studying and asking for reviews. Good luck.

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You might also like:

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

Which notary directories get high paying signings?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19201

Do you compare yourself to others in the 123notary search results?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18882

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October 7, 2018

Index of best posts about Notary Marketing

Filed under: Compilations,Marketing Articles — admin @ 2:48 am

Here is our index of best posts about Notary marketing

Notary Marketing 102 — a comprehensive course
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19774

Best marketing resources for Notaries
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16322

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

Links to posts about Snapdocs
http://blog.123notary.com/?tag=snapdocs

$300 in 13 minutes. How Carmen cleans up in the Notary business
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19284

Which notary directories get higher paying signings?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19201

Strategies for efficiency in the Mobile Notary business
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18913

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

For background checks, NNA & Sterling come recommended
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18835

A comprehensive guide to Notary pricing
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16504

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

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

Answering the phone and then not wanting to talk
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19640

Names for Notary businesses that can get you into trouble
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19064

Following directions – what’s the big deal?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19600

The 24 hour icon and what it means
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19455

How to make a good first impression
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19130

You want to get paid well as a Notary, but do you merit a good rate?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16687

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October 5, 2018

Index of posts about Notary Acts

Here is my index of posts about various Notary acts including Acknowledgments, Jurats, Oaths, Affirmations, and more.

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GENERALLY BEST ARTICLES

Notary Public 101 — Basic Notary Acts
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19500

Oaths — how notaries completely screw them up
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19369

Airline meals versus Oaths & Affirmations (very interesting and informative)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19549

How do I get an Apostille or Authentication?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=1793

Notary Public 101 — quick review pointers (includes notary act info)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19679

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AFFIRMATIONS & OATHS

Affirmations — pleasing politically correct people while offending everyone else
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19606

Should you use book wording for Oaths or improvise?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19660

Oaths and the art of improvisation
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19367

Notary perjury and Oaths
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6917

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Notary Acknowledgment Wording
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18858

Notary loses $4000 because fraud adds name to Acknowledgment certificate
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19477

California Acknowledgment Wording explained
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8459

Optional information on Acknowledgment Certificate
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4407

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OTHER

Interesting and uncommon Notary acts
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=483

Information about various notary procedures
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2268

Which Notary act does not require the personal appearance of the signer?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19668

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