Posted by Anonymous on 8/17/05 1:05pm
Msg #59655

Mtg. with Signing Co.

I just want to run this by you all and see what you think. Last week I had a meeting with someone who came out to my area who owns a small based signing co. and the purpose of us meeting was for me to take on some of the signings in my area since they have a contract with a few tc's in my area.

We met at a coffee shop and everything went well with our meeting and we agreed on a fee that i would be paid etc.

At the table next to us was a gal who was all on her own sipping an iced coffee drink after work just relaxing. Towards the end of our conversation - the one between myself and the owner of this company, the gal next to us pipes up that she is a notary as well and works for a mortgage company. I was thinking...this is not good! She's my competition and i don't have all the experience that she does. Well, the gal goes on about herself and has the audacity to pull out her biz card and hand it over to this signing company owner in my presence. The owner seems impressed that she has so much experience etc., but here i am thinking...this was MY meeting and she has no right to infringe on MY business with a potential opportunity for business with this person. I was just flabbergasted at her brazen approach to steal my opportunity!

I had to leave the meeting as i had another appt. therefore, it gave time for this gal and the company to talk when i left.

I wrote the company owner an email and thanked her for coming out to meet me and told her i looked forward to hearing from her soon...no response.

Any thoughts? Should i contact this owner again even though i've had no response to my email?

TIA

Reply by anonymous on 8/17/05 1:33pm
Msg #59660

Always control the meeting and becareful what you discuss in public. If you deal with him is off, then go after his clients. I use to travel on planes. I picked up useful information from the competition that was sloppy in their discussions. They never new. I never made the mistake of discussion valueable info in public for their benefit.

Reply by Anonymous on 8/17/05 1:46pm
Msg #59664

I'm not sure if the deal is off...like i said, i haven't had any response to my email. I guess you do have to be careful what you talk about in public. This person was not sitting next to us when we first arrived and anyone within 3-5ft. could have overheard our conversation as the shop was small and quiet. I just never even gave it a thought that another notary would be in close proximity, let alone try to steal my opportunity...just blows me away.

Reply by TitleGalCA on 8/17/05 1:50pm
Msg #59665

No you don't have to be careful!

That restaurant was a FINE place to meet, she was in the right place/right time is all and you had some bad luck. Shake it off and keep your account!

Reply by TitleGalCA on 8/17/05 1:45pm
Msg #59663

Wow - that sucks, really. Yes, your competition is brazen, and yes it took some audacity to do what she did. But it worked. She saw a golden moment to get business and took it, right from under your nose. And I doubt if she's losing any sleep over it, probably instead congratulating herself. It's just the way it is.

I think you should let it go (I mean your outrage, not the opportunity) because there's nothing you can do about it after the fact EXCEPT contact that SS again, and regularly. The other notary was a barracuda, and that's probably why she's successful. But the meeting was yours and don't make the same mistake TWICE. If you just roll over and play dead, you're handing your account to her without a fight.

I think I'd put together a package with your marketing materials if you have any, maybe a letter of recommendation (get one if you don't have one) and send some sort of thank you gift for the meeting. Concentrate on what YOU have to offer and I'm sure you'll get business from the SS (I'm sure they noticed the barracuda too, and fully knew what was going on). I bet they'll end up admiring you if you take the high road instead of just going away.

Reply by Anonymous on 8/17/05 1:55pm
Msg #59667

Yes, you are right...not to let this opportunity go. I was thinking about contacting the SS again even though i have not heard back yet. The recommendation letter is a good idea and i know a few who would do that for me. Thanks for the advice! This is just not something i would do to someone else, that's why it blows me away.

Reply by TitleGalCA on 8/17/05 2:07pm
Msg #59671

Schoolyard bully's grow up and become business people - you just can't let 'em beat you up!

Reply by MaggieMae_CA on 8/17/05 3:48pm
Msg #59695

Be positive and approach the Signing Service as thou it's a done deal between the two of you. I can't fault the over zealous notary for seizing the opportunity to make her mark. I would have done it differently if I were her. Like not in front of your face!

You can always plant a seed in the brain of the Signing Service by saying that you noticed the other notary seemed aggressive in the way she piped up during your meeting. It may be an indication that she would go after the Signing Service's clients the same way she went after your business opportunity.

The Signing Service might think twice about her then.

Reply by TitleGalCA on 8/17/05 5:04pm
Msg #59726

Good defensive move, MaggieMae!

Business is much like sports...that's why I like it

How's the kiddo now you're closer to September?

Reply by MaggieMae_CA on 8/17/05 5:15pm
Msg #59727

Thanks for Asking TitleGalCA...

We've had a good summer and I'm dreading September 6 (first day of school). My son still doesn't know he's not going back to the school he's attended the past 2 years. I told my husband I want a ticket to Hawaii from August 22 to September 12 and I'll leave it to him to break the news to my son and to handle the first week of school.

I can't go into everything here, but my husband leaves the dirty work to me when it comes to the kids and when I emotionally can't handle all that's on my plate, he tells me I have a problem.

Look for an email from me in the next day or two and I'll let you know what's going on.

Reply by TitleGalCA on 8/17/05 5:17pm
Msg #59728

Re: Thanks for Asking TitleGalCA...

oh jeez...

I'm off work for several more days...medical leave. See my link for home email. Hang in there.

Reply by my thoughts by Peg on 8/17/05 3:49pm
Msg #59696

i would do the same, i am no bully

I am a person trying to make ends meet with my business. Anyone with a business sence of mind would have done that. That person was, not brazen or wrong, she was just able to recognize an oppertunity, (probably how she got in this business to begin with) and ACT ON IT. Tell me, if you were sitting there, and you saw this go down, would you offer up a business card as well? DONT BURN FROM HER/ LEARN FROM HER!!!

I would have asked her for a card as well. know your compitition and it keep it close to you, so you always know what its doing. DONT BE SCARED OF IT...

If you can get a bit more brazen yourself you might find a bit more work come your way.

Reply by TitleGalCA on 8/17/05 5:00pm
Msg #59722

Re: i would do the same, i am no bully

Well...it's all a matter of style really. Even from a business point of view - it rates pretty high on the tacky scale (if it happen as described), but VERY effective. (I would have hit on the SS too, just a little differently). She got what she wanted and this guy wasn't brazen enough.

Competition in business IS WHAT IT IS. The ones that work it, get it!

Reply by Jenny/CA on 8/18/05 12:14am
Msg #59824

Re: i would do the same, i am no bully

My husband is in advertising, now that is competition! I admire and respect him so much for he is often in rooms full of competitors for media buys ( the $$$) and until this day he has never earned a penny from being malicious, greedy, backstabber, a shark , etc.

He is well known and respected among his competition. As a matter of fact he received a " Man of the Year" award from another media outlet . It doesn't always have to be ugly.

Reply by SarahBeth_CA on 8/17/05 3:57pm
Msg #59697

I imagine your jaw was pretty much on the floor. But thank you for sharing your shark story. If this ever happens again when the "shark" intoduces herself take control, reach out to shake her hand, introduce yourself, let her know that you are in a business meeting and would love to discuss networking oppertunities with her another time if she would be interested in any overflow that may occur as you require an interview with those whom you network with. Tell her it was nice meeting her and tell her to have a nice day.

Of course in a perfect world that would work. Hopefully it would.

Reply by Peg on 8/17/05 4:19pm
Msg #59707

bravo!

awsome response! see thats what he needs a thinker on his side!