Posted by Dana Salerno on 7/8/13 1:02am
Msg #475893

N.C. Notary Signing Agents: Referrals

I recently received a referral from a Charlotte NSA who could not get to my area. I sent one back to him the following week (I couldn't get to Charlotte). This is a reasonable way to exchange work: QUID PRO QUO!!!
If you are interested in referrals, email me at [e-mail address] or fax your contact information to (828) 894-0552; PLEASE include your range of travel !! DANA

Reply by jojo_MN on 7/8/13 7:49am
Msg #475896

Advertising. Your best bet would be to go to NotRot

If someone is looking for a NSA and my normal referral contacts aren't available, I either have them look on Notary Rotary, or I will personally look up a few notaries to refer to the requester. I have gotten reciprocity in the past.

If you want someone to contact you, the best way is to have them send you a private reply. We could have thousands of notaries tying up the forum with messages such as yours. JMHO

Reply by ananotary on 7/8/13 9:25am
Msg #475904

I disagree that this is advertising. ok, maybe technically

but the OP did not intend it to be. Networking is a huge part of my NSA business. I'm glad the OP has realized that.

Reply by 101livescan on 7/8/13 10:07am
Msg #475906

LIKE!

Yes, I think it is networking too. And my hat's off to you, OP, for taking the initiative to do this so openly and generously. It's a great way to do business, I do it all the time!

Reply by MW/VA on 7/8/13 10:59am
Msg #475914

Ditto! :-) n/m

Reply by NVLSlady/VA on 7/8/13 12:11pm
Msg #475924

Re: Ditto! :-)

I believe if notaries did more "referring" and networking like this, there'd be less "tie ups" on the forums with SS involved complaints.

Refer the best; collaborate & learn from each other; become a unified voice of experienced professionals - and the calls will come to Us.

Reply by ToniK on 7/8/13 1:56pm
Msg #475938

Re: Ditto! :-)

My thing with referrals is my neck is on the line if that referral screws up. Im a bit hesitant to refer unless I had some contact or knowledge of the person and their work ethic if Im referring them. But then again, I dont know many notaries in Va aside from the few Im networking with now. lol

Reply by 101livescan on 7/8/13 2:12pm
Msg #475940

Network with the Best!

I'm networked with the best in this business. Whenever possible I'm extremely comfortable with referring my best clients to them. Reach out and find the best in your area. Paying it forward pays high dividends, IMHO. It's good to have a networking family. Not just for referrals, but questions that might arise re. documents we're signing with the clients, etc.

Reach out and build your networks. It will pay off big time. Been doing it for quite a while now.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 7/8/13 2:20pm
Msg #475941

Re: Ditto! :-)

You make a very good point. When you refer someone, their work product becomes a reflection on you, so you need to do so with care. Unless I'm comfortable that someone will handle a job right, I refer people to this site.

Those posters who link their profile info have made themselves available for direct contact via phone and/or email, plus we have the capability to send PMs. These are great tools to facilitate getting to know other notaries here. I'm among those who would hate to see this forum be reduced to folks using it to cast a wide net in their networking efforts. Good networking takes time and effort and involves building relationships, one at a time, over a period of time.

I would especially not like to see people new to this board decide that this would be a good shortcut to reach out to other members, perhaps overshadowing or cutting out notaries who have been contributing to this board for a long time. By all means, network (that's a big part of what this forum is all about), but please do it right, and please be considerate of all forum members. Let's not get carried away with that approach.

Reply by NVLSlady/VA on 7/8/13 3:02pm
Msg #475946

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but

doesn't referring the "best" mean recommending the "notaries who have been contributing to this board for a long time" and thus have the experience to "screw up" less?

Not too many would hopefully refer an unseasoned notary - unless they didn't think too much of the client; although I'm glad that a seasoned notary took a chance on me more than once

I was saying that the nsa's HERE on the forum would get the calls instead of the SS (who gained a foothold in the industry due to no one having the time to weed out & babysit the knuckle-headed notaries, no?)

Reply by JanetK_CA on 7/8/13 5:51pm
Msg #475969

Re: Please correct me if I'm wrong, but

"doesn't referring the "best" mean recommending the "notaries who have been contributing to this board for a long time" and thus have the experience to "screw up" less?"

Not necessarily, as much as I hate to say it... I suppose it depends on what your personal standards are, but IMO, referring "the best" means just that - and it involves more effort than just reading this board. I suspect Cheryl would be among the first to say that there are no short cuts to productive networking.

I think it's great that Dana found an opportunity to exchange a referral with another notary. But IMO the most effective way to do that is not by casting out a wide net, but by extending a line, one at a time. All things being equal, however, if I couldn't refer to a fellow member of the organized, exclusive network I belong to, my next choice would be someone from here. But that assumes that I know of someone in that area with a linked profile who I've either spoken to personally or have a good idea about from their posts over a period of time. Short of that, I just refer people to this site.

Reply by NVLSlady/VA on 7/8/13 11:13pm
Msg #476025

Extending a line . . .

<<"But that assumes that I know of someone in that area with a linked profile who I've either spoken to personally or have a good idea about from their posts over a period of time">>

I assumed this was the only way to build a valuable network ("one at a time"); if a referral doesn't have the character or expertise (as can only be demonstrated in the ways you mention), WHY would you refer them?? In fact, I learned a long time ago, NEVER to refer someone to an agent (real estate or otherwise) who doesn't do his or her FULL TIME! Takes lots of focus and dedication to do an effective job.*

But as I said, I am probably assuming TOO MUCH. As for me, I'd want the tried and proven - not a network that "sucks" (pardon me). And from what I read on this and other forums, it's relatively easy to see who "gets it" and who doesn't


*I maintained my real estate license for 10 years and can count on my hands the deals I did; years 2-10 were spent as a referral agent, and it was the easiest money I ever made! Plus no expensive licenses, e&o, sales meetings, assoc. dues, blah, blah . . . but since I was a licensed agent in the R.E. firm, they HAD to pay me - as an "equal." The win for them was only agents in my office could be picked to work with my "clients." The whole office could readily assist/mentor anybody really. That was true "productivity" in that context, anyway (at least the Broker thought so).

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 7/9/13 10:29am
Msg #476063

Re: Extending a line . . .

"In fact, I learned a long time ago, NEVER to refer someone to an agent (real estate or otherwise) who doesn't do his or her FULL TIME!"

That's a shame - you cut your market as, trust me, there are MANY very experienced and smart people out there who do their job part time, for whatever reasons that may be their own. To NOT make referrals to them is failure to give them due credit for the expertise they have culled over many years of hard work and study.

JMO as a part-timer.

Reply by NVLSlady/VA on 7/10/13 2:29pm
Msg #476224

Msg. 475237

My statement should actually have read: I never refer someone who is already working (another job) Full Time. LOTS of PT people are very professional and very committed. I, too have worked PT and that status didn't diminish my work ethic a bit.

PT nsa's are terrific referral sources - as long as they aren't squeezing it in between a FT job; employers are becoming more and more demanding and expect workers to do 2.5 jobs instead of 1.

(Linking: I'm SLOW. I think one of the veterans posted how to do last month)