Noble has challenged me with his response to my missive and I curiously appreciate his words. I’ve asserted that there is simply too much whining on this site and Noble’s response is essentially, “Well, big mouth, what have you done for me lately?” He’s looking for community and sharing. Fair enough. That’s one of the reasons I come to this site. So let me share a little something with y’all. It’s called your “Raison D’Etre” or Reason For Being. In other words, why in the world are you in the business of being a notary? Consider the following:
What is it that you do that you’re the absolute best at?
Consider that:
You offer a product / service you didn’t invent. . .
You use a formula you didn’t invent. . .
You use a delivery method you didn’t invent. . .
Have you truly branded your concept?
Have you identified and/or isolated a market segment?
What do you do that creates a unique user experience?
Why would an investor put serious money into your business?
Do you fully understand your business’s raison d’etre?
As a business person (not just a notary) do you want to go to the health club, the hospital or the morgue?
Think of it this way: You’re not a Notary Public – you’re a business person that has selected notary work as your endeavor. Are you suited for this kind of work? Can you earn enough to be satisfied at whatever level you set for yourself? What if things don’t go your way (no assignments, too little pay, too many errors, oppressive competition, etc.); can you withstand it? Do your skills and attributes sync up with the demands of the work?
Are you and Achiever or an “Achievist”? (Achievist is trade marked)
An Achiever is defined as:
“One who attains by following a predictable
academic route, knowing only the known.”
An Achievist is defined as:
“One who transforms unknowns into knowns
to boost productivity and profits.”
Achievists as Leaders
Now, if you’re thinking like a true entrepreneur, which type of leader sounds best to you, an Achiever or an Achievist?
Which one will most likely WIN?
Which one would YOU rather hang around with or work for?
Which would you rather BE?
Lotsa questions, huh? Well, as a businessperson, you’d do well to write them down and begin to answer them, honestly. Get input from a spouse or trusted friend. Push for honesty and clarity.
Now, take a look at these questions:
What am I trying to achieve? What specific results am I seeking?
What are my major successes and failures?
What are my major challenges and opportunities?
What things work well? People – Process – Technology
How do I measure performance?
You can’t manage what you can’t measure.
What gets measured, gets done!
How do I define the difference between “I can’t” and “I won’t”?
What things would work if I took them more seriously?
Where have I become lax, complacent, unfocused, smug?
What should be abandoned?
Is inadequate financing a problem? The only problem? The real problem?
What should I be saying “NO” to?
What is absolutely essential to the success of this business?
Sharing. That’s what I’ve tried to do above. Give y’all some grist for your mill. Make you think about what you’re doing. This, Noble, is what I call getting up off your arse. Building your personal success pathway with bricks made from the answers to these questions. Don’t whine. . . THINK!
What would/could you come up with to improve the notary field if the first prize was tax-exempt $5,000? Ahh, let’s make it an even $10 grand. How hard would you work to make it come to realization?
Well, kids, that’s what’s at stake. $$$ You want some? I know I do. So I got off my funky arse and did some things NOBODY else is doing and I’m beginning to make some money at it. Not bragging. Not boasting, nooooo. Just using the grey matter God gave me and making the most of it. So, you want my inside tip, hmmm? Here it is, and don’t turn up your nose. . .
BE MEMORABLE!
That’s right, be memorable. When people remember you kindly, they’ll use you, connect with you, call you, like you, refer you, tell others about you, laugh about you, care for you. That, my friends, is how you get work. Of course, your work has to be good, that’s a given. But when you and your work are memorable, well, that’s something else again.
I am memorable. My business cards are memorable; my writing instruments (not “pens”) are memorable; my signing boards are memorable; my entrance when I arrive is memorable. My goal is that nobody— nobody forgets their encounter with me. Our interaction is favorably memorable.
I have answered all the foregoing questions to my satisfaction and I’m ready for anything the business world throws at me. I may not always win, but I seldom lose. I am prepared and I am memorable. It’s not signings, kids. It’s BUSINESS. And I’m in business to win. And I do. So can you.
OK, by now you might have guessed that I teach this stuff. I’m not a enthusiasm guru or anything like that. I teach business people how to expand and accelerate their enterprises to make more money. I am intolerant of whiners and complainers because I know that they haven’t tried hard enough.
So, here’s my challenge to you: get up off your arse and think about your answers to the queries I’ve posed. Do it now! What have you got to lose?
I’m anticipating fascinating feedback and I’m hopeful you’ll share your thoughts so we can all learn something and Noble will get off my back and be my friend (Sorry, dude 
)
God bless you all.
. Unlike you, I use this forum to learn as a new notary. Most every post I’ve made has been to learn more. Unlike you, I give back. I made a whole thread with THOUSANDS of views and appreciative posts/likes, helping other notaries like me go direct. I shared what I knew and others shared what they knew. Together, we all benefit.