November 2021 - Notary Blog - Signing Tips, Marketing Tips, General Notary Advice - 123notary.com
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November 28, 2021

A reverse mortage at 8pm – the signer fell asleep

Filed under: General Stories — admin @ 9:57 am

The Notary got to the appointment. They started signing as usual. The signers were elderly people as you might expect with a Reverse Mortgage. But, the signer fell asleep in the middle of the signing.

This brings me to ask myself a new question I have never asked before. Should Notaries who deal with the elderly be compassionate, patient, or funny? Because it is harder to fall asleep when you are laughing, especially if you have a lung condition.

Have any of the rest of you had interesting Reverse Mortgage stories? Comment on this post if you have!

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November 27, 2021

I heard that NY notaries may no longer offer 24 hour service.

Filed under: General Stories — admin @ 9:55 am

I don’t know if this is true or not. But, someone told me it is now illegal for New York Notaries to offer 24 hour service. I would expect this type of BS from New York with all of their fascist rules and Covid protocols. But, people in hospitals and nursing homes (who Fox news claims that Cuomo murdered via his Covid policies) might need 24 hour notaries.

Will someone please straighten the record and let me know which end is up.

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November 26, 2021

Being a new signing agent vs. wannabe player

Filed under: General Stories — admin @ 9:53 am

It is a sad state of affairs when I make this comparison, but yet there are many parallels.

The new signing agent who is on solid ground studies from the best, passes tests, writes nice notes sections on his/her/their listing, and never misrepresents themselves. There are people like this who come across as very professional even though they have no experience to speak of.

Then there are the phony sounding Notaries who try to hype themselves up. They say words about themselves that make them look like they are — all that, but the way they come across is as an amateur and a phony. It is a shame. I deal with people like this all day and I am tired of it. Keep it real please.

Here is what the new signing agents say and what the wannabe players say.

I have a zero percent error rate
Baby, I got what it takes. I could satisfy you.

But, if I do make a mistake — in that unlikely event, I will fix it right away.
Baby, I’ll love you forever, but if something happens, I know how to deal with it. I’ll figure it out.

I have signed every type of loan
Baby, I’m down with all the flavors, and I’ve had them all. Every description, every type, girl.

But, in real life the ones who claim they have signed every type of loan have only signed every type of loan that THEY have heard of which is very far from the ones on my list. I have 40 financial package types on my list. The ones who said they do all average only about 35% of the loans. But, one of 5000 notaries on the site got almost all of them, so when you say all, there is a sliver of chance you might be telling the truth.

But, why come across as phony when you can be helpful and factual with the information you give to others? Facts impress. People who deal with notaries all day long not only see through the fluff, they are a lot less likely to deal with a fluffer, in fact. Is there such thing as a fluffer?

If you are new, just answer questions, and don’t try to impress people. The minute you try to impress, you blow it. Just be helpful, without trying to help.If someone asks if you are still in business — don’t ask when the job is, and don’t tell them you are on vacation – just say yes or no. Being factual is easy – just stick to the facts. Answer numerical questions with numbers, yes no questions with yesses and no’s, and keep it real. Don’t tell people about your zero percent error rate — nobody believes you and nobody has time for that.

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November 24, 2021

Notary loses NNA certification due to speeding tickets

Filed under: General Articles — admin @ 9:17 am

I think I have heard it all now. But, to get NNA Certification, you need to successfully complete their background screening. Apparently, we no longer live in a free country. Big brother is constantly watching you, and the citizens like this — at least most of them. If you fail your background screening you can lose your certification as well.

I heard that another Notary suffered the same fate.

In real life, the way our industry works, is that the newer Notaries typically go for the NNA Certification and LSS and perhaps some of the other certifications. As Notaries progress in age and experience they drop the other certifications and keep the NNA as that is the biggest name in the industry.

But, many Notaries when they have ten or more years of experience think they no longer need to keep up their certifications. I learned this by going through people’s notes sections and contacting them regarding omissions of what I think belongs in a notes section.

The most important thing you can discuss in your notes is your notary experience, and the second are your designations — assuming you have any. Fidelity, RON, other title companies, signing agent certifications — they all look good on your listing. I recommend having as many as possible, especially the less common ones because that will get you more clicks.

I study what gets Notaries ahead, and designations are part of it.

So, for God’s sake — don’t speed, or you could lose your designations (certification).

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November 22, 2021

Several signers told me they would not be in biz without 123notary

Filed under: General Stories — admin @ 9:12 am

We had a signer in the Northeast named James who has several listings with us. He told me that he would never have gotten his business off the ground ten years ago if it weren’t for 123notary.com. He had just retired from Mortgage and wanted a fresh start. Several other Notaries told me similar stories as well.

This makes me see 123notary in a new way. We are not only useful to Notaries, but indispensable to many. All the grueling hard work I do has a purpose, and a higher meaning.

123notary really works for the seasoned notaries who have experience, reviews, and well filled in notes sections. It doesn’t work consistently well for newer Notaries who leave their notes blank, have no experience, aren’t really trying and have no reviews.

So, who am I really working for? In my opinion, I am working for Notaries who really are trying — I will give them a lot more of my time. And I am also working for title companies who I never get to speak with. I want them to get the best Notaries in town.

But, it makes me feel good to know that some people’s lives have been very powerfully and positively impacted by my hard work. Because I used to get a lot of complaining and not as many compliments.

Come to think of it, even on the blog, the comments are a lot more polite. I feel that people are being more polite and appreciative to me this year than in previous years. That is good for my health.

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November 20, 2021

123notary’s social media took a dive

Filed under: Social Media — admin @ 9:11 am

Our social media used to be very popular. 2015 was our best year if I remember correctly. We were getting thousands of clicks from Facebook and more from other mediums too.

But, then things slowed down. Our posts were not getting as many views. And then a few years later Covid hit.

For those of you who do not know, I was going to specific spots to do Feng Shui for my social media. For most people, feng shui is something you read about in a book that might be real or might not be real. I studied it and had analytics for which places impacted my income for the next day or two, and which places impacted my social media.

I would go to Warner Brothers studios and pay for a tour that I was not even interested in. My Facebook would go crazy when I did that. I would go to certain bars where I didn’t even like the people, or at least not that much, except for Brad — he was cool. I would get a lot more Facebook clicks after that due to the energies. How mystical!

But, those places are not doing much business now and have no buzz. Furthermore, with the Covid vaccine rules, I might not even be able to go to a bar for a long time.

So, I cannot do much to spice up my social campaign. But, the newsletter is doing okay which is something I control myself which is nice. I could post on Twitter too. That never got that much traffic but was fun.

I don’t know if I should continue doing much other than blogging because it just isn’t working out. I’ll have to think deeply on this one.

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November 18, 2021

Notary almost loses commission over botched Oath

Filed under: Notary Mistakes — admin @ 8:50 am

A Notary in Maine was talking to me a while back. She said that she gave an Oath rather than giving a choice of an Oath or Affirmation. The Maine Secretary of State threatened to take her notary commission away if she made that mistake again.

I learned this because I gave her a phone quiz. I asked her to give me an Oath for a document that said, “I love starbucks double shot” (which incidentally is not sold in stores currently due to supply chain issues.)

She offered me a choice of an Oath or Affirmation after I had requested an Oath. That is similar to a customer ordering coffee, and then the waiter asking if he wants coffee or tea. He just said that he wanted COFFEE.

The signer has the legal right to choose the Notary act, not the Notary. So, if someone chooses an Oath, then give them their Oath. Most signers are clueless and don’t know what to choose – in that case, offer them a choice.

Would you like an Oath or Affirmation?
Affirmation

Would you like cream or sugar in your affirmation?
Soy milk please.

See how easy that was.

What most people do, including in court these days is to say, “Do you solemnly swear or affirm that…..” This verbiage includes both acts in one, so you don’t have to offer a choice. However, if someone asks for an Oath, and then you say, “Swear or affirm” you are overriding their choice of an Oath, and still offering them a choice after they very clearly made their choice.

But, take this seriously, because if you goof, you could lose your commission.

SUMMARY
1. Give the signer a choice of notary acts if they haven’t chosen.
2. Don’t override their choice if they already chose.
3. Bring soy creamer just in case.

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November 16, 2021

Your photo is worth 1000 words… misspelled words

Filed under: Advertising — admin @ 8:43 am

As I go through the other directories looking for Notaries to add, I notice a correlation between the quality of your photo and the quality of how you do in real life on my site. I cross-reference data on my site to photos on Snapdocs for example. Here is what I noticed.

1. A good photo shows your face clearly. Some mediocre photos show a person far from the camera, and perhaps with other people.

2. A good photo has a good background. If you show a photo of you in your messy house, or in a neighborhood with lots of trees, cars, and buildings, it is disorienting to the person looking at the photo. If you show the wall of an attractive building behind you, or one where the background doesn’t distract from the main point of the photo (you), then that is a good point. Those with professional photos often have a solid color background behind them. Additionally, if you are wearing a dark shirt or have a dark skin tone and have a dark background, you blend into the background. If you wear dark, have a light background. If you wear a white shirt, perhaps a darker background.

3. Some people come across as very beautiful or sexy. That might be nice for a dating app. Remember, you are on Notary apps, and your clients probably don’t want to date you, and probably don’t want to date them — although you never know. After a few drinks the game changes completely. Try to look professional.

4. Try to look like someone who works in a bank or office who handles paperwork. Some of the people on SnapDocs look like lowlifes, or like people who work at the corner store. People who are serious about hiring a Notary want someone who looks like a professional clerical type. You don’t have to look that smart, but you do have to look responsible and conservative. So, if you drink a lot, or do drugs, or are tired, don’t have your photo taken until you can appear sober, alert, well dressed, and presentable.

SUMMARY
Most of the Notaries on Snapdocs and NotaryCafe look like people I wouldn’t hire even if it were to save my own life. Many people look like they have attitude problems, or look unprofessional, or worse. People who don’t eat properly or who take drugs or too much alcohol develop an air of haziness and have a faded appearance. You can spot these types very easily. They look like people who are mentally slow, and who will not get things done correctly or on time — and above all, will not care. If you want to get hired — don’t look like that.

I can sense a lot by tuning into people, and their photos. Some women look like they have anger problems. Others look depressed, terrified, or something else. When you are handling half million dollar loans, you need to look like a methodical clerical type who is pleasant, but not too emotional. Try to fit the part so to speak when you are having your photo taken and in real life.

People with good photos have a one in three chance of being acceptable to 123notary after we are done talking to them and quizzing them. Those with no photo or a mediocre photo are in my experience not worth adding as they are more like a less than 10% chance of worth keeping.

SUGGESTIONS
If you want to do well as a Notary, most sites have the option to post a photo. 123notary does not do this as we focus on information and not a fashion show. However, a photo reveals a lot about your soul and who you are, or at least who you are pretending to be.

1. Investing $100 or more on a professional photo shoot makes sense. Being well rested, wearing professional attire and having someone top notch take 50 photos of you in different poses and backgrounds makes sense. You choose the best ones and work with those. I did this for dating apps and got tons of responses from my top notch photos. The photo worked miracles, although I didn’t meet anyone compatible. But, married life is like a prison I hear, so I am happy that I have my freedom. But, as a Notary, you want clients, not freedom, so get a photo taken by a pro.

2. Spend time having photos taken of you with different professional looking outfits and backgrounds and then compare them. You will do much better with photos if you can pick the best one out of several dozen or several hundred. The average guy just takes some sub-par photo and upload it and then wonder why nobody calls them. Don’t be that guy.

3. Spend some time looking at photos of people who do look like professional clerical types and try to see how they portray themselves. I find that they are not too happy, not sad, not too fashionable, but neatly kept. They dress like they work at an office, but not too fancy usually. They keep their hair neat. Most of all, they look like they get work done in a timely manner.

4. SigningAgent.com has a much higher rate of professional looking people. Whether they are good Notaries or not remains to be seen, but most of the photos look like people I would not have an issue with at a minimum.

5. How you present yourself in general really matters. Having a clear photo where you can see your face easily when it is a thumbnail photo, and with a clear background is key. Most Notaries do not give much relevant information in their notes section. Having reviews from clients about your service is also critical and very few new additions to our site have even one review. Lastly, being certified by 123notary, Notary2Pro and LSS really helps a lot. If you have all the bells and whistles, your phone will probably ring.

But, if you have a bad photo, just remember this:
A mediocre photo is worth 1000 words — misspelled words.

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November 14, 2021

The atmosphere of evil

Filed under: General Stories — admin @ 8:41 am

During the shutdowns, or more specifically from late 2019 until about early April 2021 there was an ominous and evil vibration in the atmosphere. I realize this is part of the Armageddon process and needs to happen. It is part of a global spiritual cleaning. But, the spiritual vibration in the air was really oppressive and got to me no matter how positive I tried to stay. I had many nightmares with vivid symbology about this Godless energy that seems to fuel communist thinking.

The worst dream was of a high rise where I was in the basement, and the walls were all concrete with high ceilings. It was very dreary and spartan. I went in the elevator and of the 12 floors we normally have in my building there were only two floors with buttons (the other floors were shut down), and those two floors were controlled by the government. This was a nightmare about society turning communist and evil. Fortunately, we got through this period only losing some of our local businesses. Most are still open and although business is slower than normal, they are surviving.

I feel that there was an evil consciousness, and it influenced the majority of Americans and people overseas to be fearful, evil and insane. I saw so many paranoid people clutching onto their facemasks with the thought that a tiny piece of cloth was the only thing that could save them from their worst nightmare — Covid!!!! So many atheist governors stripped their citizens of constitutional freedoms, all in the name of this stupid disease that God invented to torture the wicked. People who were normally okay became mean and pestilent. Covid brought out the worst in us — but I don’t believe it was the disease that did this — it was the evil consciousness. Whether or not this was the “antichrist” I am not sure, but it seemed to have a good control over non-believers or religious people who had no faith but valued belonging to a community of like minded pretenders.

I learned from my psychic and a Rabbi what was going on. Those people who are not honest live in a state of Sheker. It means lie or falsehood. But, people who are not honest with themselves, or perhaps not decent, live in a spiritual state where they will believe other people’s lives.

Sweden did not practice the use of face masks and their death rate per million was half of that of NY and similar to CA. However, people still believe this nonsense that facemasks save lives. This is a lie that people believe even though readily available numbers on worldometer show truth. When truth is staring us in the face, the majority prefers to live in delusion. It is mass insanity.

Why do so many people choose to live in terror and insanity? It is because they don’t believe in God or nature. Nature provided us with a good immune system. Nurturing your immune system with healthy foods, sunshine and social interaction makes it much more healthy which keeps you safe. Making yourself miserable locking yourself in your basement and wearing a facemask makes you depressed which lowers your immune system by 80% making you MORE susceptible to death from infectious diseases. Most people choose the option that superficially looks like it is keeping them “safe” while it actually is deadly. Being around these insane lunatics that think like this is very disturbing and also dangerous.

As the spiritual environment shifted in April 2021, politicians in many parts of the states started loosening restrictions and acting more reasonable. Even Biden got more reasonable about the whole border issue.

I used to think it was annoying that so many people are atheists, or lack true belief while claiming to be a God follower. After seeing how dangerous atheists can be to the rest of us — I see them as a threat to mankind.

Atheists not only are a bad influence on the rest of us — they shut down businesses, schools, and churches for very long periods of time. It has been more than a year since California students could go to school. Children don’t die of Covid in any significant way. How long will this insanity last and why do the parents tolerate this without daily protests across the state? The only conclusion that I can draw is that the lack of faith in God is dangerous and deadly. The fact that I am surrounded by faithless immoral people puts my life in tremendous peril. Yes, God protects me but I am not immune to group punishments and there is a limit to what he can do for me.

If religious people had fought to keep churches open, all of the prayer could have been a weapon against the evil forces in the atmosphere. But, these forces of the devil were what led to churches being closed down. But, the Christians and Jews did not stand up for God — they sat passively and took this oppression because they are not fervent believers. I get the feeling that nobody stands for anything these days except for wokism which is based on stupidity and self-deception.

I am happy that the 16 or so months of spiritual darkness is over and that the ominous vibration has lifted. However, I am reminded that Armageddon has started and the war will probably get out of control soon. I hope we survive relatively unscathed by this. Israel is having tremendous turmoil with the Jerusalem and Gaza crisis. How long before Iran and Russia get seriously involved and WW3 begins? Even if America survives, with the rest of the world probably blown to shreds, what will life be like.

On a brighter note, the Messiah has been born (I think), and will reveal himself in 2034 according to my guru. So if you can survive until then, the spiritual environment will be like heaven. The sky will be a richer shade of blue, the flowers a little more colorful, people a little more happy, etc.

The moral of this rambling essay is:
If you like spiritual light, pray more — it makes a huge difference not only for you but for the entire atmosphere. When God thinks you value him, miracles can happen.

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November 12, 2021

High placed listings on 123notary — the current climate

Filed under: Marketing Articles — admin @ 8:34 am

123notary has always specialized in selling high placed listings. We are the most popular directory with Title and Escrow and they like the top rolling Notaries as a general rule. However the landscape has changed. Certain places used to be popular, but those spots are not as popular anymore.

In the old days, Miami, Broward, Palm Beach, Tampa area, Jacksonville, Southern California Bay Area, Phoenix Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, and Houston were booked solid in terms of top spots. New York was also somewhat busy but not as much as these other areas.

Now, the Florida and Texas areas are still popular. But, California has almost fallen off the map in terms of top listings. We have so many availabilities. Did people pack up and leave the state or did they just get depressed and stop trying? Chicago lost of a lot of steam as well. Seattle area lost some steam too. We had a top spot for a while and still might. Note — that both the Democrat areas lost steam while the Republican areas held their ground. I am a Libertarian so I don’t like either party, but at least the Republicans function which is a lot more than I can say for their competitors.

But, now Idaho has its top listings booked up in many areas. That never used to be the case. So, the Californians moved to Idaho and the New Yorkers to Florida.

But, for some reason, the top spots in New York City are still taken despite that New York is a disaster area. So, NY is the only democrat state to hold its ground in the Notary industry on our site. Hmm. I’ll have to reflect on that one. New York has always been an odd ball as far as Notary marketing is concerned.

SUMMARY
To sum it up:

Which areas are doing worse:
CA, IL, WA

Which areas held their ground:
AZ, FL, NY, TX

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