Posted by NNJNOT/NJ on 2/29/12 4:27pm
Msg #413539

TCs not using a recommendation from a trusted notary

To begin, I'm literally asking a question. This is not whining or complainin so please don't come onto this post and bash it for the question I asked, thank you all very much for your input in advance.

A friend of mine used to live in my general area (North-Central NJ), but he has since relocated to Florida, and is going signings there. We would both sign up with the sign company, and while he has much more work experience in the notary business, I have a solid portfolio (300+ Closings, no mistakes). However, when a company, be it Title or SS, has a closing in my area, they would call him. He lived 25+ miles north of me. The closing could be 3 miles from me, but they would call him.

Now he lives in Florida, as mentioned previously. Sometimes some of the companies that used him in NJ call him in Florida, not realizing he moved. He'll give them my number, but I never hear anything.

The reason I bring this up is because Notary Work is one of my businesses. I also do Home Theater Installations as a result of my experience working for Best Buy and the Geek Squad; I learned early on, or so I thought, that people are more likely to use someone recommended that someone they don't necessarily know...so if someone they worked with extensively is saying "Hey, I know another notary whose work is top notch, just like mine was when I worked in NJ.", why wouldn't they call me?

Why don't these companies call me? Does anyone know why they wouldn't?

Reply by Yoli/CA on 2/29/12 4:41pm
Msg #413543

My first thought would be this. You say you have several businesses. Do you have just one phone for all your ventures? Is your phone always busy? If so, many TC's or SS's will only call once (especially if they've no experience with you). If that phone is not answered or if they get a busy signal, they'll move on to the next person.

Reply by NNJNOT/NJ on 2/29/12 4:44pm
Msg #413545

I can appreciate the thought behind this, but my other business isn't exactly booming. I'm not SO busy that my phone constantly has a business signal. I get the occasional call or text for the Home Theater Installs, and then the phone is open, but I can promise that this isn't the problem, otherwise I wouldn't be involved in the Notary stuff. Any other thoughts?

Reply by NJDiva on 2/29/12 4:42pm
Msg #413544

hmmm

maybe cuz we're in the same area...tee hee...just teasing! Maybe they already had people in their database that were back ups to him and want to stay loyal to them. Hang in there. Eventually you'll get your foot in the door.

Also, (don't really know WHY the hell I'm assisting a competitor...lmao) you may want to contact them and make a personal connection with them.

Reply by NNJNOT/NJ on 2/29/12 4:45pm
Msg #413546

Re: hmmm

Hey NJDiva, I appreciate that. That's what I did awhile ago, made several phone calls and sent several emails, showed up to a few TCs, but to no avail. And I'm not your competition because chances are, you're getting the work that I want Thanks again...if you don't mind my asking, where are you more specifically?

Reply by NJDiva on 2/29/12 10:25pm
Msg #413582

Of course I'm getting the work that you want Jason, because

we service the same areas. It took me years to get established. And you may want to consider that if you're taking lowball fees, there is no room in your calendar for decent, fair paying companies. It's kind of a double edge sword, I know, but they're paying you what you're allowing them to pay you.

The problem with taking those fees is that you're keeping them in business. If you want business from the reputable, good paying companies, then stop patronizing the losers. Pretty soon they'll be gone so that hopefully the good ones will be able to take over their territory.

Ya can't build a business on desperation!!! If you need money that bad then you might want to consider another line of work.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 2/29/12 6:03pm
Msg #413554

I have referred some companies to a fellow notary when I have been booked or if the job is out of my travel area, and when I ask him about it later he sometimes says no they didn't call. Who knows? Maybe they already have a back-up notary they like in your area and if your friend is not available, they call that person instead.

Reply by Lee/AR on 2/29/12 7:35pm
Msg #413561

Your only mistake is thinking this biz is logical n/m

Reply by Natacha Joseph on 2/29/12 8:55pm
Msg #413574

Right on Lee/AR! 8-)

You are so right; the business is unpredictable in many aspects.

NNJNOT/NJ - the scenario you described happens to me regularly. I have two other gal pals who sometimes refer me when they are unable to cover an assignment. I reciprocate and do the same for them. We've all been in this line of work well over 5 years so we're established. I'd say about 25% (probably less than that even) of the time we refer one another -- the company we made the referral to will actually call. I think yeah, like CopperheadVA said, the companies probably have other notaries in your area they've used (more than you) in the past so they consider that a better route to go. Come to think of it, several times I referred NSA friends; I've actually been told "If she’s not in our system, we cannot use her...please let her know to sign up with our company."

So - best piece of advice is to do what you have been. Hang in there and persevere. Sign up with as many as you can and bide your time until you luck out and score a few *good* accounts. Sorry, there's no magic formula that'll get you there quicker. -Else I'd be selling it.

To tie this into your other post -- please don't sell yourself short. Expenses are on the rise. Accepting the low ball offers pigeon hole you into a place you don't want to be :-(. Once you accept a low fee, that's how you're typecast. It's hard as all get out to glean a decent fee for your services in the future if that's how you start out. Rethink your approach to that end please. Get into yet another line of work to carry you thru until such time your NSA work reaches goal.

Best of luck -- may you be prosperously blessed in the very near future -- or like, yesterday!

Reply by JanetK_CA on 3/1/12 2:56pm
Msg #413637

Re: Right on Lee/AR! 8-)

"If she’s not in our system, we cannot use her...please let her know to sign up with our company."

I think this pretty much covers it. In any area with any decent volume, they're likely to have back-up(s). It makes sense to me that they would go with a known individual who has already been through their screening process, rather than just taking a referral from someone. Their criteria for selecting the people they hire might be very different from the criteria one of their notaries might use to recommend a friend or family member.

To the original poster, having someone recommend you can be a plus, but it's not a substitute for doing the legwork to apply to various companies you'd like to work for. If you WERE already in their system and they knew you met whatever requirements they might have, that might be a different outcome. But then again, they probably have a number of other people with whom they have a track record who they would prefer to call before they try an unknown - recommended or not. At some point, though, if you're in enough databases with enough pluses in your favor (like a friend's recommendation) sooner or later you're likely to get a call.

BTW, their requirements might also be for more than 300 signings, for all you know. And with all due respect to those who claim to be error free, you have no way of knowing that. I'd venture to guess that the vast majority of the time that a closing agent or loan processor finds an error, they "handle it" without notifying the notary.

Reply by desktopfull on 3/1/12 12:52pm
Msg #413624

Ditto that! n/m

Reply by Scriba/NM on 3/1/12 2:17pm
Msg #413632

At the base of this entire operation are simply people. In the 12 years, and over 8,500 loans that I have completed I have learned that a relationship with the people who are making the assignment calls is important. I am always called first from six companies who tell me I am easy to deal with, my work is superior (error-free) and no matter what they assign me, they know it will be done correctly. But, even if they are in a hurry, we always exchange some pleasantries, and this means a lot, so much so that we are on a first name basis. Getting on top of their call list for your area depends upon your work AND your communications skills when speaking with them. I even have them specifically asking "if there's any way you can do this for us, it would be really appreciated."

A caveat, if you work for companies like FASS, forget anything I've just said, especially if you want to converse in English - they could care less about you or your work. However, your really good title companies will have many of the same people calling, and they will take a few minutes to talk with you (if you have something intelligent to say, of course). It isn't an overnight process, but it does work.