If there's one thing I've learned in life and business, it's that you can't avoid the problems and challenges. You have to face them head-on. 

As we approach 2024, I see a few problematic areas for our industry. We can't ignore them, even if we wanted to. 

At best, we adopt and adapt. 

At worst, well, maybe it's back to the call center we go. 

Three Blindspots for Notaries

1. Relying on a single source of revenue. We can't keep pretending that loan signings will come back, looking the same, and with the same volume we had during the pandemic.
2. Giving up your voice. Not participating in legislative movements and government affairs.
3. Ignoring tech trends. We must keep tabs on emerging technology and not only how it impacts our role as the notary, but how it may impact our clients. 

Rather than stick your head in the sand, shine a light into these three blindspots. I know it's overhwelming, especially if you're just starting out. But it's better you have one eye on the future of yo...

My friend Alison just published her book, The Art of Selling, and I think you should check it out.

If you're like me, one of the reasons you probably love the notary business is it isn't too "salesy." We're an essential service, and it's easy to hide from sales behind that label. 

But "sales" is the lifeblood for a small business like ours. 

We can call it pop-in, pop-by, networking, outreach, or building relationships, but it's sales. 

And we have to get good at to thrive as an entrepreneur. 

If you've struggled with inner demons, or systems for reaching out and following up, I think Alison's $5 book could help.

Get it here

I asked Alison to lead a special training just for the notary community. So grab the book, read it (and don't forget to leave a review), and then watch the replay of the training at the link below. 

Watch Sales Training Webinar here 

Between you and me, my inner critic can be a real bitch. 

 In my younger years, it was worse. Much worse. 

Nothing was ever good enough, and it was always catastrophizing one thing or another, causing paralyzing anxiety that kept me up at night. 

My inner critic, whom I’ve named Art, would obsess about conversations I had earlier in the day (or throughout the week). You shouldn’t have said that! You should have said this! I couldn’t win. 

If I was feeling cute and wore a shirt that was a little tighter than usual, Art would make sure I knew everyone in the room was whispering about how big guys like me shouldn’t wear tight clothes. 

Having a bitchy inner critic doesn’t serve you (or me). The good news is, you can tame your inner critic. 

Three Suggestions To Help Tame Your Inner Critic:

• Name It 
  

  This sounded ridiculous to me too, but I can’t believe how much it’s helped me laugh more at myself, and exercise some compassion for Art. I’m a fan of National Lampoon, and Christm...

You may say I am a dreamer. 

But I'm not the only one (wink, fans of "Imagine"). 

You likely have some big goals and dreams too. That's why we're in this business together. 

The Next Five Steps

A good "big goal" should straddle the line between obtainable and overwhelming. You want to be able to hit it, but it also should require growth and a stretch beyond your current capabilities. "Becoming" what you need to be to get the goal done is what makes goals powerful-not just simply accomplishing them. 

Today, I'm sharing my "Next Five Steps" strategy for goal accomplishment. I use it as a planning tool, both for goals I set for myself, and also for ideas I'm noodling around with. Knowing your next five steps can help you choose projects or get stuff done. 

The Next Five Steps is super simple and helps turn giant endeavors into bite-sized chunks. Let's look at a couple of examples. 

Putting the Next Five Steps to Work

Let's say you wanted to land five new estate planning attorney c...

Reviews play a big part in making sure you get hired by your prospects that search for a “notary near me.” 

Reviews are “social proof” that demonstrate that you’re a real business, and there’s less risk in hiring you because others already have. 

Plus, search engines use positive commentary, like reviews, to help them decide which profiles to highlight on their coveted “first page” of search results. 

So, the question often is, which platforms are better for customer reviews? 

Sometimes you don’t have any control over this. A customer that is compelled to give a review will simply post on whatever platform they want to. Nothing wrong with that!

All reviews are good reviews (even the bad reviews, if you respond correctly).

But, if you’re a smart small business person (which you are), and you’ve implemented a review-getting strategy, you’ll likely be able to guide some of your customers to the platform that serves you best.

Here are My Top Four Platforms For Customer Reviews:

Goo...

Do you ever wonder why online customer reviews mean so much for your notary business? 

It’s not some narcissistic desire for attention (usually). 

Reviews are important because…

Reviews = Revenue. 

Let me show you how.

Why Reviews Matter

There are two main reasons you should become a review-getting guru for your business.

The most obvious is social proof. Somewhere around 90% of consumers choose a business to work with based on reviews. 

I could end the article here because numbers like that, even if they’re skewed by 40%, are enough to put a period on the sentence. 

Reviews matter. 

People care what other people think. That’s why social proof works so well. When your prospects see that other people have taken the risk and tried you out, and were pleased with the results, it blazes the trail to booking your services. 

When you have great reviews (and lots of them), your prospects don’t have to think as hard. And that’s a good thing. Decision-exhaustion is real. Great reviews...

Why do you resist following up with your prospects? 

Ugh, we've all been there. You finally muster the courage to send the emails or the direct messages, or finally pop-in to an escrow or attorney office, and then...

Nothing. 

Zip.

Zilch. 

You wait for that phone to ring...

Even though you know it's probably going to take more than one touch point for a prospect to get to know, like, and trust you enough to hire your services.

And then... the shame cycle happens:

• I coulda...
• I shoulda...
• Even if you found the courage or discipline again to finally follow-up, six weeks has passed and now you're embarrased, so you don't. 
• Repeat

Sound familiar?

Relax...you're not alone.

Let's stop the shame cycle today. 

Run the Numbers

Most salespeople (that's you! Yep, you're a self-employed solopreneur wearing all the hats) don't follow-up. Me included. I have had to work hard to remind myself of it's importance. 

"The fortune is in the follow-up" is not a myth. It's just facts. 

Even the most dedicated notary can't answer the phone every time it rings. At some point, a notary has to:

• Sleep.
• Take appointments.
• Spend quality time with loved ones.
• Take vacations.
• And otherwise enjoy your life and service your clients.

Answering the phone during your chosen business hours is, of course, critically important, but it's just not possible that you can answer every single call. 

That's okay! 

And...

If you can't answer the phone, it's imperative that you have a system in place that let's your customers and prospects know that you're a business that is still interested in serving their needs, even if you can't answer the phone at the time. How do you do that? 

3 Easy Systems For Being Responsive, Even When You Can't Answer the Call

I've written extensively about how to answer the phone promptly and professionally (read "Hello…1876 Called and Wants Its Phone Greeting Back here). 

But if you can't answer the phone, make sure you one or more of these system...

When I played football in high school, our coach had a slogan above the door that led to the field that said, “Go Forth With Reckless Abandon.” 

Coach explained that only one game matters-the one you're in. Will you choose to fully engage in such a way that leaves it ALL on the field for that one? And then the next? And the next, until you’re on a winning streak?

A streak gives you the momentum of a racing train, nearly unstoppable. 

In my blog today, I'm going to help you get on a S.T.R.E.A.K. of your own.   

Six Practices to Ignite a Winning Streak 

What I’ve learned through the years is that staying engaged with your goals and dreams with reckless abandon does NOT mean wild, careless, random, or desperate activities done with your fingers crossed, just hoping something works. 

The freedom we seek is found through discipline. Not all willy-nilly, but with intention…daily. 

That’s how you get on a S.T.R.E.AK. 

S- Set SMARTER Goals

You have probably heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals: ...

Repeat Customer Success is Guaranteed When You S.M.I.L.E 

If they needed a notary once, they’ll need one again…and again…and again. 

And if they don’t, they’ll know someone who does. 

This exponentially increases the lifetime value of your customers. 

It works for any line of service you offer under the “notary umbrella” too. If they needed: fingerprinting/apostilles/field inspections/trust delivery/medical facility work, they’ll need it again or they’ll know someone who does. 

That means the person you notarize today might be the person you fingerprint next month. And next year, that person might inherit land in Italy from their grandparents and need international document authentication services like an apostille. Then they find the love of their life and decide to get married right there in your town, and need a wedding officiant. 

Maybe that’s an extreme example, but maybe it’s not. When a customer loves working with you anyway, all you have to do is stay in touch with them (...