Posted by Jill/Calif on 1/6/05 11:44pm
Msg #15666

How to get signings being a newbie

Hi,
How did everyone get their first signings when they were newbies? I am trying everything and am told that it's kind of slow right now, it takes time. Are there any secrets that I should know about starting out?

Reply by Sally/California on 1/7/05 12:44am
Msg #15669

My sons let their friends know that I was a notary and passed out my business cards to them.
I also went to different banks and left cards as some of the banks around here don't have notaries on staff. Good Luck Jill on your new business.

Reply by kmnotary_CA on 1/7/05 2:12am
Msg #15675

Jill,
What part of CA are you in? Guess this business is like a lot of others, ie: takes time to get experience, and many SS want experience. This site is great for new signing agents as there is a lot of info available by searching the old posts, as well as SS looking here to find Notaries.

Good Luck, it will happen.
Kathy

Reply by Jill to kathy on 1/10/05 1:36pm
Msg #16100

I'm in Saugus , california and I've been to escrow companies, lenders, real estate and title companies and Have decided to go mail box to mailbox in the private areas all in one week.
I have faith that something will happen soon. When I took the loan signing course, they told me to sign up with loan signing companies, only to find out they all want experience. I was a notary 16 years ago and am starting again on my own. Thanks for the encouragement!

Reply by Simone E. Lewis on 1/7/05 1:05pm
Msg #15719

If you don't mind signing for 40.00. Notary Direct may be a place to get some experience under your belt. Watch Them, they will include Acknowlegement to be filled by Notaries with no form to correspond to. I had a great big argument with these people a long time ago. They call me when they are stuck and I charge them 100.00 for my neighborhood. Good Luck and keep applying with different SS.

Reply by CaliNotary on 1/7/05 2:49pm
Msg #15740

Bad, bad, BAD advice. Why on earth would you be recommeding that any of us do work for $40 signing companies? Especially for one that does something as stupid as including a blank acknowledgement for no reason?

Anybody who works for $40 companies is doing the entire signing agent industry a disservice and is directly contributing to the reduction of rates for all of us. Shame on you Simone for encouraging this.

Reply by lesia on 1/7/05 10:11pm
Msg #15797

I agree!!!!

Reply by CarolynCO on 1/8/05 5:26pm
Msg #15873

I agree with Cali. Anyone doing or encouraging $40 signings is doing a disservice to every signing agent. It's no wonder that signing services are lowering their rates because they know they will find someone that will do it at the ridiculously low rate. I'm fighting a similar battle with my secretarial service -- there is a newbie independent legal secretary/paralegal/bookkeeping that's advertising for $19.50/hr. When it's all said and done, if they aren't working under the table, they will probably clear $9-$10/hr.

Reply by Judy Cobb on 1/7/05 1:35pm
Msg #15726

Jill: Go to the National Notary Assn and sign up. Take their Certified exam. While it will cost you about $200, to become a Certified Signing Agent, you will notice the phone ringing right away because you will be on the web page where companies go to seek notaires in the area that their customer resides. I did this and the very next day the phone began to ring and hasn't stopped! I have developed repeat business from several of the top signing companies. Remember this from an old sales trainner...the best person to invest in ...is yourself. seek excellence, it will pay off in a big way. Much Success, Judy Cobb, C and H Mobile Notary Service, Oregon.

Reply by CaliNotary on 1/7/05 2:58pm
Msg #15745

There are lots of secrets buried in the old messages on this board. You'll never know until you read them.

Reply by Donna_CA on 1/7/05 4:49pm
Msg #15758

My first signing came directly from this site. In fact I just received my first check today. Business really picked up in December but I have only had a couple of calls this month so far.

Trust me, the work will eventually find you. Be patient, persistent, and professional. But above all, be sure you know your stuff so you'll be ready for that first job when it comes. This will bring you repeat business which is invaluable. Good luck.

Reply by Toots on 1/7/05 6:49pm
Msg #15777

Jill, get ready to burn the midnight oil. There may be large numbers of signing agents all over, some states more saturated than others. But the ones that rise above are the ones that market well and do error free jobs. Start marketing on this site. Go to the Signing Services section and start clicking on to the liks. Have lots of paper ready to print out New Agent packets. Fill them out and fax them back.

Read this forum from start to finish and you'll learn a lot. The NNA certification may have given me a boost, I don't really know, there's no proof. But I've learned quite a bit from the course. Read up as much as you can and be prepared to be quized on the phone by SS.

Tip: Just because you're new, don't feel compelled to accept $40 assignments. Don't let anyone insult your intelligence!

Good luck!

Reply by Simone E. Lewis on 1/8/05 12:16am
Msg #15805

This was not meant as advice, but a suggestion. My experience in life has not come from walking on roses bushes, but a lot of thorns. And that is not a bad thing. She is a Notary Signing Agent who has not had any work. First, one would hope that she has been a Notary for more than one day. She knows what to do, at least she should have taking enough classes, test, mentoring to be able to do her job. She will become sharper, more experience and knowlegable with a few curve thrown her way. This is the real world and so is the work of a SS at time. This work is not babysitting the broker, title co, lender, or escrow offices who wants you to backdate, sign for absent borrower, etc. So why not do a few 50.00. ( P.S. Now they want to pay 40.00) The company mentioned above will quide you as much as needed, along with a lot of faxing, and one may need to go back to redo a signature. The faxing along cured me in a hurry. I did 4 signings with them at 50.00. I did a few more signing for the same fees for other SS. From that point on I never referred myself as a Newbie. I was off and running. I had references and that is all they want. Everyone starts somewhere, and it will not be the lender calling her the first time out. Bless All

Reply by CaliNotary on 1/8/05 2:40am
Msg #15810

Giving a suggestion IS giving advice.

Nobody is saying that she shouldn't work for signing services. Most of us would be broke if we didn't accept work from signing services. But you specifically suggested that she work for a signing service that pays $40 per signing. I don't care how much the company is willing to help her, NONE of us should be working for these companies as it's hurting all of us and devaluing the work that we do. There are plenty of companies that will pay reasonable rates and give jobs to new signing agents.

Reply by Ashok on 4/2/05 1:52pm
Msg #29267

Can u give the names of those Signing companies