Expert-ism
Brenda Stone - June 24, 2006


You can become an "expert" and sought after to do work if you think and study your business. This is not, however, the end of it. You must be dedicated and willing to put continually put extra effort into being all you can be.  This is my approach.

While I recognize that not every person in the world is bent toward writing articles like I am, it would strengthen your internet presence if you would put forth some time to learn to write a few short articles that will create web content for your website. Through those articles you can "show" that you do know about "how to do" what you do. Don't just put a disclaimer on your website to show you know you are not an attorney not licensed to practice law in your state. While that is true, left alone this is a stark reminder that you might not be a truly experienced closer and you are just a "sign here" notary. Put other information in your website that shows you do understand words like "escrow" and "mortgage" and in general to show you know what being a notary closer is all about.

You must ask yourself what you really want to do with your business and if you are dedicated to making it a true business. The market is becoming full of others just like you who would like to be a at the top of the heap. How will you put yourself at the top of that heap and stay there? Determine what you are willing to do for your business. It will require an investment of your time and effort.

Education about the how-to's of signing procedures is not enough. Carve out some time to learn how to develop a simple web page of facts and information. If you cannot develop this and if that is too much trouble for you, you will be lost in the scramble and you will not acheive the degree of success you desire. The internet is the way I find most of my local business. I don't mind a quick trip into town to earn $45.00 to notarize the signatures on important documents like durable powers of attorney or Wills for a professor about to go abroad. With good web content, my customers in town find me easily.

They punch in "notary college station texas" or "notary bryan texas" on Google.com and there I am at the top of the list. The proof is here:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=notary+college+station+texas
     and here:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=notary+bryan+texas


Pretty marketing brochures will get tossed into the trash 90% of the time, but there are ways around this if you have a website!  

Write something useful about your business, explain how you do it, put it on your website,  share it with others via an emailed newsletter and you'll become an expert in your field. By putting it on your website (adding content) those that need you for jobs will find you.

Using this technique ensures that people will recognize that you know enough about what you know to put it in writing.

One of the most thrilling moments to me has been recently when Andy Le of First Courtesy Signers Network (http://www.1csn.com  ) wrote on NotaryRotary.com that he had talked to a title company in California about reverse mortgages and what their needs were from his position of perspective as a signing agent and signing service..

They knew enough about me to know I was carving out my reputation based on my knowledge of reverse mortgage closings.

Andy said "notary in Texas" and they said, "Oh, we know Brenda!" Here I am in Texas doing signing appointments for them, and they remembered me!  What thrilling incident for me.  I achieved this through a simple procedure of forwarding them a review copy of my book on reverse mortgages for notaries. (Find my Reverse Mortgage Notary Notebook for sale here: http://texnotary.com/package.htm ).

The other side of the coin about writing about what you know in a format which is useful is self-education. You will run into questions to ask yourself and this will assist you in learning.

This technique will not only make you "seem" an expert, you will "become" an expert.

Another way to acheive "Expert-ism" is to link yourself with other experts in our trade. Knowing this,  I have put my time and effort into the careful cultivation of an elite group of notaries who are the best of the best in Texas. We can be found at http://texas-signing-agent.com and we are well-experienced in the closing of a reverse mortgage.  All of my associates there have a copy of my book.


 

 

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