Four Ways Notaries Are “Quiet-Fired” Without Even Realizing It

One of the benefits of owning both a signing company and an active notary directory is having a direct line of communication with hiring parties for notaries. 

Almost daily I am speaking to estate planning attorneys, real estate agents, lenders, and escrow officers to showcase the world’s best notaries on Gotary.com. 

One of my favorite questions to ask in those conversations is, “what challenges have you encountered with notaries in the past?”

You might think “mistakes” was a popular answer, but it wasn’t. In fact, aside from several nightmare stories about how notaries have responded to their errors, mistakes didn’t even make the top ten list. 

When asked how they resolved issues with notaries, most people I talked to said they love working with notaries that are professional, with a great attitude. With these two qualities, nearly any adversity can be overcome. 

That said, there are four behaviors that these hiring parties said are hard to overcome, especially early in a relationship. 

Top Four Notary Dealbreakers

These top four concerns (listed from most commonly heard in my conversations) lead estate planning attorneys (and others) to simply never call a notary back again.

There is rarely a confrontation about it. Very few attorneys or other clients are going to use these situations for “teachable moments” to coach you to success. 

They simply vanish. 

And that's quiet-firing, the frustrating death of a notary business. Below,  the biggest issues your prospects have had with previous notaries:

1. They showed up late without communicating. 

2. They Dressed too casually.

3. They copped an attitude or acted unprofessionally (especially with mistakes).

4. They didn’t know what they were doing. 

For many attorneys, their reputation can make them or break them. That’s why they may be hesitant or resistant to trust a mobile notary to handle appointments. 

They need to know that the credentialed professional they hire for their clients is going to represent their brand and firm professionally at the table. 

And that's where the opportunity comes in. You now know some of the biggest concerns we're hearing direct from the attorney's mouth. 

That means you can address their concerns in your outreach, content, and marketing. 

And, you can be sure to elevate your game to help avoid situations that may get you quiet-fired.  

Six Ways Notaries Can Avoid Quiet-Firing:

• Be impeccable with your schedule and your word. If you’re going to be late, communicate. 

• Dress up a notch, both for appointments AND for marketing, pop-ins, networking, and prospecting of all kinds. Wake up, Dress up, be ready to meet your dream client.

• Answer every call professionally, as if your dream client was on the other end. 

• Take 100% responsibility for outcomes & mistakes. Drop everything and fix it. Don’t argue, especially in front of a client. 

• Accept that your state minimum requirements to become a notary public are probably not going to include all the skills you need to better serve your clients. Get more training. Read more books. Take courses. Get the certifications that help you stand out.  

• Study emotional intelligence, personality structures, communication, and character development. Grow yourself, grow your business. 

Remember that what your clients don’t say to you can destroy your business and your relationships. 

One way you can open the door for communication and clear the air is to ask. One of my favorite ways to ask privately is, “Thank you for the business. I love feedback. Is there anything you’d like to see done or said differently?” 

First, make sure that’s true for you. Don’t ask for feedback unless you are prepared to receive it with a simple “thank you, I’ll consider that for next time.” 

Second, just because you ask for feedback doesn’t mean you’ll get it. People are weird. Attorneys are too. Most people avoid confrontation and uncomfortable situations/conversations. 

But the magic is in the asking. 

Sometimes simply asking is enough to deflate the energy of a situation and demonstrate your commitment to a win-win. 

This one question could earn you the chance at a call-back the next time they need a mobile notary or trust delivery agent. 

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