One of the things I love about this business is the daily surprises that await you when you are out doing your signings.

You never know, for instance, what the houses look like both outside and inside until you actually get there.  For me, one of the fun things has always been to peak into people’s private lives to see how they live.  How is their home decorated?  Is it clean or dirty?  Organized or disorganized? And of course the troublesome question, do they have a table to use for the signing?

Here are a few tips with regard to the homes we visit.

When you are setting up the appointment with the borrower’s, try to get some idea from them what you should be looking for to help locate their home.  GPS systems are great but sometimes finding a house number can be very difficult.  We are heading into shorter days now so a lot of our signings will take place after dark.  In the area we live in the developers here are idiots in one respect.  They think it looks great to have the house number the same color as the exterior of the home.  Try to find those numbers in the dark.  A large flashlight (which you should always carry) is terrific but even with one finding those house numbers can be next to impossible.

So sometime during your confirmation conversation, ask if there are any distinguishing marks that differentiate their home from their neighbors.  Ask what lights will be on and what will be parked in the driveway. Sometimes they will have a crazy mailbox at the curb or a statue of an animal on the lawn. Every detail helps.  If all else fails, don’t hesitate to call the borrower when you are on their block and ask them to come outside and hail you down.

Coming soon,   “IN WHAT CONDITION IS THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSE?”

If you have any topics you would like to see discussed in these blogs please send an email to:  carol@notary2pro.com

Use today to explore all of your opportunities. You may have to knock on a lot of doors before opportunity will come knocking at your door.  Have a wonderful day.
 

Occasionally you may encounter an individual who is physically unable to write a signature. In these instances, it still may be possible to perform a notarization as long as the signer can make an ‘X’ or similar mark. This procedure is called signature by mark.

I had a young man who could only make his mark by placing a pen in his mouth and applying it to the document. I visited him once a year for 5 years and we used this rule only the first time he signed.  After that I knew his signature and watched him sign in this fashion.

With two witnesses present, have the signer make the ‘X’ or similar mark on the document in place of a signature. The witnesses should not be relatives, or have any connection to the transaction. The witnesses then sign their names on the document, and one witness writes the signer’s name next to the mark.

Normal certificate wording is still used for the notarization. Only the signer’s name should be included in the certificate. The witnesses’ names and signatures should be included in your journal entry. You also should check your state law for any additional requirements.

Sample: (witnesses sign, witness)

_____X____                                        Jim Evans, witness                                       Susan Brock, witness
George Drake

Mark affixed by George Drake in the presence of Jim Evans and Susan Brock, and undersigned Notary Public, pursuant to Subsection C of Section 7 of the Notary Public Act.

State: ________________________
County: ______________________

This instrument was acknowledged before me on ________________(date) by __George Drake_______________________.

 

_____________________________(notary signature)
print notary name, Notary Public under line

Apply your stamp/seal

Let’s talk about person to person marketing and the few key items you should have to become more successful.

Person to person: I stated earlier that I created a networking group. What made the group unique was I opened it to women owned businesses and only allowed one from each category; that meant there was no competition within the group. We also, as a group, agreed to market each others business.

Now I am not saying that everyone should do a networking group. Some of us, including myself, aren’t natural born sales people. It’s hard to recruit people and encourgae them to join your group when you aren’t the best at selling. That’s okay you can do one of two things; one, ask others to help you market or two, you can get outside your comfort zone and get out there. I went business to business. Personally I was outside my comfort zone but I did it and it has made me a better business owner. I can now address those “difficult” customers without jumping under the covers and hiding.

Person to person advertising is sometimes the BEST method of advertising if you have a strong group of people behind you. You have to make sure that your friends and family are doing this for you and not for their own agenda. Once you establish that group hand out (business) cards, brochures, or whatever else you need to market yourself.

Here are a few items you will need to market yourself successfully:

·         Get yourself a website to show your wares or what services you offer.  The website will show that you are serious about your business. DO NOT get any of the “free” websites as they have ads and they also scream “I’m not professional.” {I create great sites at a great price and I can help you.}

·         Get a business “trade” name. This helps you because you are able to open a business checking account, and it also helps you to obtain a better domain name for your website.

·         Get some marketing material (I can assist you with this as well) and make sure that you carry them at all times. You just never know who you will run into.

·         Get some portable “credit card” plan. I use Square. They charge a percentage (around 3%) from the total sale and no other fees at all. PayPal is another one that takes out fees but don’t charge you on the back end. What is nice is that they give you a card reader that you attach to your Android or iPhone, through the earpiece, and you can swipe the card or you can manually enter the payment. They also keep track of what you bring in. Square allows you to send an invoice via your phone plus they (generally) place money in your account within 48 hours, sometimes faster.

The most important thing to remember about marketing yourself and or your business is FOLLOW THROUGH. Don’t just call a company once then forget to follow up. There is that old saying, “Out of site, out of mind.” That is true…you need to let people know that you are out there. You need tomake sure that you are doing EVERYTHING you can to get yourself or your business out there to get noticed and to be successful.

If you need any marketing tips, a website or marketing materials contact me and we can discuss the best option for your business. You can contact me at either: barbara@notary2pro.com or everythingelsemarketing@gmail.com