information technology solutions - closerhub...3 information technology solutions table of contents...

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Information Technology Solutions

Table of Contents We hesitated to include a table of contents because of the temptation to jump ahead and not go through the complete process we have carefully laid out in this course. However, there is A LOT of content in here, so we do believe it will be helpful to have a guide to easily find something in the course to review after you’ve completed the entire course. We cannot stress enough the importance of walking through this course step-by-step. Each section builds upon the last. If you truly want to Create a Business Name and Web Address That Attracts More Signings Than You Can Handle, you need to commit to yourself to “doing the work” along the way. 1. How Can You STAND OUT From Other Notaries and Get

More Signings? P. 4 2. What is Important to Your Prospects and Clients? P. 5 3. Prospect/Client Worksheet P. 8 4. Survey Question Brainstorm Worksheet P. 9 5. Developing Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) P. 11 6. Your USP Should Answer the Question Burning in Your

Prospect’s/Client’s Mind P. 13 7. Combine Your USP with an Irresistible Offer P. 16 8. Be in the Right Place at the Right Time with the Right USP

P. 18

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Creating a Business Name and Web Address

That Attracts More Signings

Than You Can Handle

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Table of Contents - con’t 9. Creating a Values-Based USP P. 21 10. Building a USP Around What Customers Don’t Like P. 23 11. Creating a Mission-Based USP P. 24 12. Crafting Your USP Around a Unique Angle P. 26 13. My USP Worksheet P. 28 14. Defining Your Single Motivating Purpose (SMP) P. 30 15. Benefits to Defining Your USP P. 31 16. Anatomy of an SMP P. 31 17. Discovering Your SMP with Trusted Feedback P. 32 18. Feedback Email Templates P. 34 19. Discovering Your SMP with Sentence Completion P. 38 20. Creating Your Single Motivating Purpose P. 41 21. Integrating Your SMP with Your USP P. 48 22. My Final USP P. 49 23. Choosing a Name for Your Notary Business P. 51 24. Criteria for Choosing a Business Name P. 51 25. Avoid These Mistakes Choosing Your Business Name P. 57 26. Zeroing in on Your Business Name P. 59 27. Register Your Business Name P. 69 28. Creating Your Tagline P. 70 28. Tagline Worksheet P. 74 29. Choosing Your Web Address (URL) P. 76 30. URL Worksheet P. 77

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When we began our careers as mobile notaries years ago, we quickly encountered the biggest problem facing notaries today:

How can you STAND OUT from other notaries and get more signings?

We had to learn fast that our prospects and clients needed to know that we were the real deal...that we took their concerns seriously...that we knew what we were doing...that we weren’t going to screw up their closings. The problem was not knowing how to quickly, concisely assure them that we were all of these things. We began to study successful marketing techniques and even sought out a mastermind group and mentor who is a marketing genius. This book is a collection of the time-proven strategic process we implemented ourselves to have more signings than we can handle. If you take the time to methodically go through this material and actually take action to put these strategies to work in your notary business, you too, will soon have more signings than you can handle.

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Don’t Make This Mistake

Many notaries, and other business owners for that matter, make the mistake of trying to think of a clever name for their business. They try to think of something witty, or a play on words, or something sentimental to them, or just use their name. Even if you’ve already made this mistake it’s not too late for you. You can rename your business and give yourself a fresh start. If you want a business name that is going to get people calling you to do signings, you MUST consider:

What is important to your prospects and clients? Before you even consider a name for your business, you need to do some market research. If you want to be the first notary your prospects and clients call when they need a signing, you need to know what they value most...what they are looking for in a notary. And you can’t assume you know the answer (even if you’ve been doing this for years). Every client and prospect is different. You need to know as much as possible from as broad of a spectrum of your client base as possible.

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The quickest way to find out what is most important to your prospects and clients is to simply ask them. So, if you have the time, you could call all of your prospects and clients and set up a meeting with them to “interview” them. More likely than not, you don’t have time to do this. So here is a great way to leverage your time…create a survey. You may be thinking, “I don’t know how to create a survey”. It’s ok. We’re going to make it super easy for you. You can go to www.SurveyMonkey.com and create a free account to set up an easy survey. Make a list of questions like: What is the most important thing you look for in a mobile

notary? How do you prefer a mobile notary dresses for a closing? How do you prefer to schedule a signing with a mobile notary? How do you prefer to deliver documents to a mobile notary? How do you decide who to use as a mobile notary? When do you use a mobile notary? What price range(s) would you consider when hiring a mobile

notary? What is your typical fee for a mobile notary? What key points do you look for in a mobile notary profile?

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http://www.surveymonkey.com

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Do you prefer a flat fee or a lower fee with additional fees for printing, mileage, etc.?

Now this isn’t an exhaustive list of questions and we are not suggesting you use all of these questions or more. This is meant to jump start a brainstorming session for you. What info from your clients will help you cater specifically to them and separate yourself from other notaries. Create your survey using 5 - 10 questions. We would encourage you to make the questions multiple choice also. This will increase the likelihood of your prospects and clients actually taking the time to answer the survey. If you do have time to sit down with a few prospects or clients, that would be the time to ask some open-ended questions so you can get even more feedback. You want to make the survey as easy for them as possible. You may even want to consider offering them a small gift card or a free or discounted signing in return for them taking the time to take the survey. Now it’s time to take action. Use the worksheets on the next two pages to prepare for sending out your survey. This will be a HUGE step toward STANDING OUT and getting more closings.

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Prospect/Client Worksheet

Prospect/Client Name Company Name Email Address

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Survey Question Brainstorm Worksheet

Write out any questions you can think of asking your prospects/clients. Prioritize them and pick the best 5 - 10 for your survey.

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Now that you have your questions written and list of people to send your survey, go to www.SurveyMonkey.com and set up your free survey and send it to your clients and prospects. The email message can be simple. Something along the lines of: “I am doing some research in an effort to better the mobile notary industry. Would you take 3 minutes and answer a few questions by clicking the link below? I value your time and appreciate your willingness to contribute to my efforts of making the service offered by mobile notaries better than ever.” You can include your offer of a gift card or a free or discounted signing also. You can send a follow up email in a day or two to remind them to take the survey if they haven’t already. Once you get the results from the surveys, you can began to discover what is most important to your prospects and clients. This will give you an immediate competitive advantage over other notaries. You will have “insider” information. How you use this info will determine your success. In the next section, we are going to show you how to start using this info to STAND OUT and get more closings

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http://www.surveymonkey.com

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Developing your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is a way of explaining your position against your competition.

A good USP should summarize and even foreshadow one of the chief benefits your company/service gives your prospects/clients. USP can be built around anything: Price Benefit Color Size Scent Celebrity (or other) Endorsement Location Hours Expertise Coverage Area Social Class Technology Convenience Etc. As you are learning about USP and working on creating yours, gain awareness of the USPs all around you.

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Look at other businesses (in and out of your industry) and ask these questions: Does it have a USP? If not, can I think of a USP for it? If so, is there any way I can improve their USP? Is there any idea here I can “steal” for my use? Now, when it comes to “stealing” ideas (I prefer the term “swipe”), look for ideas outside of your area of business that you can convert and use for your business. It won’t help to “swipe” ideas from your competition. Your prospects/clients will notice and won’t trust you. This wouldn’t help distinguish you from your competition either. Here are some examples of USPs: Dominos Pizza gained their market share when they

developed their USP, “Hot pizza, delivered in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed”.

Several years back Sun Tea Jars become popular. Now, these

are just 1-gallon glass jars. But, when someone had the idea of putting a sticker on one that said “Sun Tea Jar”, they were able to charge 4 –5 times more for their 1-gallon glass jar.

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Keurig has reinvented how we drink coffee. We can now brew a single cup of hot coffee in a minute on demand. No more wasting two-thirds of a pot of coffee.

Now, I’m not a coffee drinker, but my wife is. This product is absolute genius to me. They have made this “new” way of brewing coffee on demand so popular, that they easily convinced the marketplace to spend $100 - $300 for a machine to brew coffee when most likely they already have a machine in their kitchen that will brew coffee. If they don’t, they could get one for $25 - $50. AND...get consumers to repeatedly buy coffee in their proprietary k-cups that only work in their machines at a price of $.50 - $1.50 per cup of coffee when you can buy coffee for a traditional coffee maker at a price of $.03 per cup. (I found a can of Folgers coffee with 240 cups of coffee for $7.94 at Walmart). You could waste several pots of coffee every day before you would breakeven on this proposition, but it doesn’t matter. Keurig’s USP has created unbelievable market share for them.

Your USP should answer the question burning in your prospect’s/client’s mind:

“Why should I choose you for my signings versus any other option out there?”

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Use this question to dig deep into what your prospects really want/need. This is where your prior research from your survey gives you a tremendous advantage over your competition. Most notaries assume what their clients want. They base their assumptions on: How they were trained How they were introduced to the business How their main client prefers things How other notaries do it So they blindly enter the marketplace thinking they are offering their clients/prospects what they want. But they don’t really know. You could make the best hamburger in the world. I’m talking like, world-renowned, award-winning, everybody raves about your AWESOME hamburger. But if you move into a town where only vegetarians live and open a hamburger stand, you’re not going to sell any delicious, gourmet hamburgers. You couldn’t give them away. Your not giving your prospects/clients what they want. So, let’s apply this to your notary business:

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Your assumptions could cost you a fortune. Let’s say you decide you are going to be the cheapest notary in town. You assume your prospect’s/client’s number one concern is pricing. So you make sure you have the lowest prices. This strategy will get you signings. However, the reality may be that your prospect’s/client’s number one concern is being notified the very second a signing is complete. You see, they may have positioned themselves with their clients as a high service level provider. They personally call their Loan Officers or Mortgage Bankers as soon as the signing is complete to assure them that their client has been taken care of. If you know this about your prospect/client, you can position yourself to provide the most important thing they are looking for in a mobile notary - prompt communication following a signing. AND...you may be able to charge a much higher fee for the same signing service you were willing to provide as the “cheapest option available”. As a quick side note, building your USP around price or trying to get signings by being the cheapest is not a good idea in our industry. Your prices will always be undercut by another notary who needs more signings.

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You would actually be training your prospects/clients to look for the lowest price available. You will never have a loyal customer base using this strategy. Instead, find out what your prospects/clients place high value on and give them that thing better than any of your competition. This will create loyalty.

Combine your USP with an irresistible offer

An “irresistible offer” is something that would cause a prospect to do something they wouldn’t normally do. I remember a time when I was in college that I drove 3 hours during the night through a driving rainstorm that included multiple tornados. Looking back on it, this was crazy to attempt. I should not have been driving in these conditions. I truly put my life and the lives of the other crazies on the road at risk. Why would I do this? You see, I had an irresistible offer that motivated me.. My girlfriend at the time (now wife of over 20 years) and I were heading to visit her family for the weekend.

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I had the promise of some extra kissy-face time and a chance to spend more time with her than I would get back on campus. The irresistible offer made me choose to do something that I normally would not do. A good business example of this is the “Columbia House CD Club” back in the 90s. They enticed you to commit to buying 6 CDs at “regular club price” (which was higher than you could buy them at the store) over the next 3 years by giving you 8 CDs for a penny now. The lure of the instant gratification of 8 CDs now seduced us all to join. Most of us didn’t even own 8 CDs before we joined the club. We had an instant CD collection, for only a penny. The irresistible offer caused us to make a commitment for future purchases that we would not have committed to otherwise. So how can you use this principle in your notary business? Even if you create a USP that effectively meets your prospect’s needs, they may be hesitant to hire you. They may be content with their current mobile notaries. Or they may be unsure of using mobile notaries because they’ve always only used their employees to do their signings.

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So, if you sweeten your killer USP with an irresistible offer, it may be what pushes them over the edge to give you a try. Here are some ideas you could use. Don’t just settle for these ideas, let these ideas inspire you to brainstorm even better ideas. Offer their first signing for half-price or even FREE Offer to come in and observe them do a signing or two so you

can learn the nuances they prefer in their signings Offer to pick up and hand-deliver the documents for their first

signing Offer a discount for a guaranteed volume of signings each

month Give them their 2nd closing FREE (this gets you at least 2

chances to WOW them)

Be in the Right Place at the Right Time with the Right USP

Your USP may not be the same all the time. You may tweak it, customize it based on a specific client or current market conditions. Shortly after the sub-prime mortgage meltdown, we started doing more and more REO signings (sales of bank-owned properties). After a brief learning curve (just understanding the process and

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learning the specific needs of our clients for these transactions), we grew to LOVE these transactions. Many of our clients would overnight the documents to the

closing location the day before the closing. So, we never had to worry about late or last-minute docs.

Many of these transactions were cash deals. So, the packages

were small and we didn’t have to wait for funding approval. These signings were only with the buyer, so there were fewer

docs than a traditional purchase. Most of these transactions had investors as buyers, so they

were familiar with the process and just wanted to hurry up and sign and get done with the signing.

These signings took less time, less effort, and had less stress than most signings and we were getting paid the same to do these as other signings So, we started thinking, “how can we get more of these signings?”. We did some research to find out who the title companies were that handled these REO signings in our area and we created a marketing campaign targeting them.

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Then we walked through the process of creating a USP specifically for these prospects. We knew from working with our current REO clients that their biggest concerns were: Being on time Knowing the documents (there were a few special docs in

REO packages) Dressing professionally (because these signings were usually

in Real Estate Agent offices) Not leaving the signing until we had approval from the title

company So we created marketing campaigns directly to these REO prospects. Our USP showcased us as “REO Specialists” and we specifically focused our benefits to them around the concerns listed above. This was one of the most successful marketing campaigns we have ever done. We still have many loyal clients that started using us to do their signings because of this campaign. We were in the Right Place (in front of REO title companies) at the Right Time (the market was saturated with foreclosures) with

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the Right USP (REO Specialists). How can you use this principle in your notary business today? Be the Healthcare Specialist (hospital notarizations) Be the Local TRID Expert (highlight your knowledge of the

new Closing Disclosure) Be the Purchase Specialist (highlight your people skills and

ability to manage the closing table with buyers, sellers, agents, Los, etc.)

The possibilities are endless Be looking for the needs (opportunities) in your area with your prospects.

Creating a Values-Based USP

I think we can all agree McDonald’s does not have the best tasting hamburger you’ve ever eaten. In fact, often times we regret having eaten one after we finish it. So, how is it possible that they are the number one hamburger purveyor in the entire world with “billions and billions” served?

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It is because founder Ray Kroc was committed to his core value of “consistency”. He believed a vital key to having a successful restaurant chain was the ability to get the “exact same thing” from the restaurant wherever you are. So, McDonald’s created “Hamburger U” to train franchise owners and management to operate their individual locations the same way. Today, you can enjoy a Big Mac in Bangor, Maine or Bangladesh and it will taste the same. All around the world, you can rely on getting to taste the comfort of home by visiting the nearest McDonald’s. Many restaurants have created bigger or better or juicier or healthier hamburgers, but none of them have been able to conquer McDonald’s market share because of their commitment to this values-based USP. When we created our main USP for our signing company, we created a values-based USP: “Real. Local. Closers., not just a database of notaries” It is the core of our signing company. We have consistently resisted the temptation to become a nationwide signing service because of our commitment to this core value.

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One of the biggest pains and frustrations our prospects/clients have is an incompetent notary causing problems at the closing table that cause their clients to take their business to their competitors. We personally experienced this pain when we ran a local office of a national title company years ago. So, we refuse to hire just any notary from a database or website. We use only hand-picked, Real. Local. Closers. Our clients know this and that is why they trust us with their clients that they’ve worked hard to get and keep. What values can you build your USP around?

Building a USP around what customers don’t like

A side benefit to our values-based USP for our signing company described above, is that it is also built around what our clients don’t like. We found there was a perception among title companies in our area that all signing companies are the same. They thought all signing companies would just go to a website to find a notary in the area they needed and hire them to do the signing without pre-qualifying them or knowing anything about them.

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So we made sure they knew that’s not how we do things around here. In fact, “Real.Local.Closers.” became our tagline. It is under “The Closers, Inc,” in all of our marketing. Another example of this is prevalent in the plumbing industry. One of the biggest complaints about plumbers is they are never on time. You have to wait around all day for them. None of us have time for that. There is a local plumber in Indianapolis whose USP, slogan, and commercial jingle is: “We’re always on time or you don’t pay a dime” This hits home with their customer base. Time is money and they don’t want to wait around all day.

Creating a mission-based USP

Another successful method of creating your USP is to build it around your mission. What’s your burning desire? How do you want to make a significant impact in the world? TOMS Shoes is a perfect example of this. Owner and founder, Blake Mycoskie, set out to change the world by giving a pair of shoes to someone in need for every pair of shoes he sold.

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I’m not a fashion critic by any means, but if you had tried to sell TOMS shoes in the marketplace 5 years before they came into being without their mission as the driving force behind the company, you would have failed miserably. The shoes were ugly, somewhat flimsy, and in no way fashionable. But, because of their mission and the timing of our nation’s focus on social justice throughout the world. TOMS Shoes became fashionable. They’ve been copied by many different brands. Yet, TOMS Shoes maintains an incredible amount of market share because they have remained true to their mission-based USP. They have created customers for life, because their customers feel like true partners in solving global poverty and health issues. Today, TOMS mission expands beyond their “buy a pair, give a pair” foundation. They are helping millions around the world AND profiting BILLIONS of dollars doing it. What causes are you passionate about that you could build your USP around? These causes could create a deeper bond with your prospects/clients than you could create otherwise.

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Crafting your USP around a unique angle

One of the best ways to STAND OUT from other notaries is to find and focus on a unique angle. Here are some possible unique angles for you to explore: Be YOU - Non one else can be you better than you. What is it

about you that will resonate with your prospects/clients? Focus on those things in your USP.

Provide Better Customer Service - We are in a service

industry. If you don’t service your customers, someone else will.

Do Something No One Else is Willing to Do - How can you go

the extra mile to set yourself apart? Use a Different Format or Channel - This could be how you

perform your service or how you reach out to your prospects/clients. Sometimes the best way to separate yourself is to see where your competition is and go somewhere else. For example, if other notaries are marketing on Facebook well, make your marketing direct mail.

Choose a Different or More Specific Audience - We do a lot of

marketing directly with Loan Officers. We build the relationships with them and then have them direct their title

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companies to use us for their signings. Provide a Solution No One Else Has - This takes some

serious time and effort. If you can create a new solution to your prospect’s/client’s needs, you will dominate your market.

Market Better than the Competition - We feel this is one of

your best opportunities to blow away your competition. Especially in our industry, notaries do not do a good job marketing. That’s why you’re reading this book and everything else we create for you at CloserHUB.

Now it’s time for you to TAKE ACTION. Use the USP Worksheet on the next page to create your USP. Once completed, email your USP to us at [email protected] with the subject line “My USP”. We would love to give you some feedback on it.

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My USP Worksheet - Page 1

Grab a stack of 3 x 5 index cards or a pad of post-it notes. Write one fact, benefit, promise, idea on each card until you’ve exhausted everything you know about your business and your competitors. Prioritize them in order of importance to your prospects/clients. Reminders for your possible USP: Summarize a chief benefit you provide your prospects/clients Answer the burning question in your prospect’s/client’s mind Combine your USP with an irresistible offer Be in the Right Place at the Right Time with the Right USP Consider ideas for a values-based USP Build your USP around what your prospects/clients don’t like Mission-based USPs can create deeper client loyalty What unique angle can be the foundation for your USP?

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My USP Worksheet - Page 2

Write out three possible USPs below and email them to us at [email protected]. We would love to send you FEEDBACK to help you solidify your USP so you can use it to get more signings.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________

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Defining Your Single Motivating Purpose (SMP)

A major part of growing a successful notary business is making sure your USP, business name, and web address line up with who you ARE, who you WANT TO BE, and what you WANT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE. If you’re just chasing a paycheck, eventually, you will burn out. Successful people are PASSIONATE people. If you are not doing something you are passionate about, it will be much more difficult to be successful. A Single Motivating Purpose (SMP) is a single statement that describes how you can have the greatest impact in the world, by doing what you love. Your SMP will help you find fulfillment in your work AND make an impact in the world. There is nothing wrong with getting paid well for your hard work. But if the biggest motivator in your life and work is the payday, you will live a miserable life. Even doctors, attorneys, and other highly paid professions that “help people” burn out if their work doesn’t line up with their SMP. Their income doesn’t matter, if their work isn’t personally fulfilling.

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Benefits of Defining Your SMP

Helps you focus so you don’t get overwhelmed Helps you weed through opportunities to identify the BEST

ones for you Encourages you to truly BE YOU Helps you avoid only chasing money with your time and work Provides consistent motivation from within Helps you find fulfillment and happiness in your work

Anatomy of an SMP

Here is a template for creating your SMP: “I get up in the morning to ___do these actions___ in order to ___produce these valuable results for others___.” Steve’s Single Motivating Purpose “I get up in the morning to equip, encourage, educate, and empower notaries to help them STAND OUT, get more signings, make more money, and run a stress-free business.”

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Discovering your SMP with Trusted Feedback

An important part of discovering your own SMP is getting feedback from people your trust. We are often blind to our own strengths because they are just the norm for us. Getting feedback from others can help you gain an appreciation for all you have to offer. Because your SMP is about how you can best offer value to others, it is crucial to know how others perceive our talents, strengths and abilities. Here is another opportunity for you to TAKE ACTION: List at least 3 people below that you can trust to give you honest feedback. (more people = better feedback) ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________

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Use the template on the next page to create an email asking the people you just listed out 3 sets of questions: 1.) What are my natural talents and strengths? What traits, knowledge or skills do I have that set me apart? What do you admire about me? 2.) What are things that you can count on me for? 3.) What are things that seem to make me happiest when I am doing them? Be sure to let them know that you are planning to use their feedback within the next week, so they answer back quickly. Follow up with anyone that you have not heard back from after a week using the second email template.

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Email #1 Template

Ideas for subject lines: “A quick favor” or “[NAME], can I get your input?” or “A strange favor to ask you” Email Body: Hi [NAME], I’m currently going through a course with an assignment to learn more about my natural talents and strengths. There are two goals. The first goal is to get clear on the things that bring me the greatest fulfillment when I do them. The second goal is to figure out where I can make my biggest contributions to the world and the people around me. I value your opinion. It will help me to see things that I might take for granted. I would really appreciate it if you could send me answers to the following three questions.

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Email #1 Template - con’t

1.) What are my natural talents and strengths? What traits, knowledge or skills do I have that set me apart? What do you admire about me? 2.) What are things that you count on me for? 3.) What are the things that seem to make me happiest when I am doing them? I need to have this finished in a week. I don’t want you to spend too much time on this. You can just write a list of quick answers, even if they are just one or two words. I’m excited to see what you have to say. Thank you! [YOUR NAME]

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Email #2 Template

NOTE: Send this email to anyone you still haven’t received feedback from after a week. Ideas for subject lines: “Following up” or “Can I get your quick thoughts on this?” Email Body: Dear [NAME], A week ago I sent you an email to get your feedback. It’s for a course that I’m taking. Even if you just take a few minutes to send quick answers to the following questions, it would be a big help. 1.) What are my natural talents and strengths? What traits, knowledge or skills do I have that set me apart? What do you admire about me? 2.) What are things that you count on me for? 3.) What are the things that seem to make me happiest when I am doing them?

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Email #2 Template - con’t

I need to have this finished in the next couple of days. I’m excited to see what you have to say. Thank you! [YOUR NAME]

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Discovering your SMP with Sentence Completion

Sentence completion is a way to discover things about yourself and collect helpful insights. You use a list of partial sentences. The objective is to come up with as many endings for each partial sentence as possible. This helps us tap into our true beliefs and feelings. TAKE ACTION: Go somewhere you can write without distraction. Use the following four steps for each of the sentences. 1.) Write/type the beginning of each sentence. 2.) Immediately write the first thing that comes to your mind. 3.) As quickly as possible, write the next thing that comes to your mind to complete the sentence. 4.) Continue until you have as many endings as you can think of (the more, the better). Try to write at least six endings if you can.

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Follow these rules when doing the sentence completion exercise: 1.) Don’t edit or question your answers. If it comes to your mind, write it down. There are no right or wrong answers. 2.) Don’t pause to reflect, question, or edit your answers. 3.) Don’t worry about whether or not your answers are literally true. 4.) Don’t worry whether your answers are profound or significant. 5.) You don’t need to share this with anyone unless you want to. 6.) Write everything down that comes to your mind. Complete the process above for each of the following partial sentences: If I had all the money that I needed for the rest of my life, I

would spend the next three years… Something I love doing (or would love to do), even if I didn’t

get paid is… If I knew there was no chance of failure, I would…

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I would love to learn more about… The person I envy is… I do my best work when… The accomplishments I am most proud of are… As a child I loved to… My day is not complete unless I… I tend to lose track of time whenever I… I feel the most energized and alive when I…

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Creating your Single Motivating Purpose

Now it’s time to take the feedback you received and your answers from the sentence completion exercise and use them to create your own single SMP statement. It won’t be as hard as it sounds. There is no right or wrong answer. Remember, the template for your SMP statement is: “I get up in the morning to ___do these actions___ in order to ___produce these valuable results for others___.” Look over your sentence completion exercise and feedback

from others. Make a master list of the key phrases that appear the most or jump out at you.

Eliminate the phrases that don’t pertain to you creating value.

Ask yourself if the phrase is ONLY about your personal fulfillment or freedom.

Group common phrases and keywords together. This will

narrow down your list. Divide the list of key phrases into a WHAT column and a WHY

column.

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If you have more than 5 key phrases in each column, narrow it down to 5 WHAT and 5 WHY phrases or less.

Summarize or combine the WHAT phrases into the first part of

your SMP statement. Then summarize or combine the WHY phrases into the second part of the statement.

Use the following List of SMP Verbs to help you find action words that work well for SMPs: Analyze Anticipate Apply Arrange Ask Assist Classify Collect Combine Communicate Compare Compile Complete Compose Connect Control Create Demonstrate Describe Design Determine Discover Display Empathize Enable Encourage Enhance Estimate Evaluate Examine Execute Explain

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Explore Find Focus Formulate Give Help Identify Imagine Implement Improve Indicate Influence Inspire Integrate Interact Interpret Lead Learn Listen Make Manage Measure Motivate Observe Open Organize Persuade Prepare Present Preserve Produce Provide Provoke Question Rebuild Recommend Relate Research Restore Reveal Review Search See Separate Share Show Simplify Specify Supply Support Think Translate Understand

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Once you’ve written your SMP, check it against the following six criteria. If it meets ALL of these criteria, then you are done. If not, then return to the start of this process and refine your SMP. A Single Motivating Purpose is: 1.) Valuable: It impacts and improves the life of others (beyond just those closest to you). 2.) Remarkable: It is the product of natural talents that you have at an ability that is higher than average. 3.) Universal: It shows up in virtually every aspect of your life. 4.) Energizing: When you do it, you are fulfilled. It gives you energy, rather than takes it from you. 5.) Intrinsic: It comes to you naturally. It feels like home. It is a natural state of being. It feels like the best and ideal way to do things. 6.) Increasing: Your ability to apply your SMP and the ways you apply it are continually growing. The main goal in determining your SMP is to find your “sweet spot”. Having a defined overarching purpose for your life will help you focus on the things you do best and the things you do that help others.

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The main goal in determining your SMP is to find your “sweet spot”. Having a defined overarching purpose for your life will help you focus on the things you do best and the things you do that help others the most. You may be having a hard time seeing being a notary as a job that brings you fulfillment. However, your SMP discovery may show you that you thrive being a self-starter and love helping others understand things better. Here are some sample SMPs and how they could apply to various careers. I think seeing these will help you connect how to apply your SMP to your career as a mobile notary and furthermore how to best serve your prospects/clients. “I wake up in the morning to evaluate objectives and organize information in order to help people communicate their message with the most impact.” Possible careers: copywriter, sales, public relations, attorney “I wake up in the morning to create inspiring visions and optimal plans in order to help others achieve the best results.” Possible careers: project manager, urban planner, architect

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“I get up in the morning to connect with people in a meaningful way in order to boost their confidence, increase their self-knowledge, and help them discover new possibilities.” Possible careers: school teacher, manager, therapist “I get up in the morning to collect and simplify information in order to help others understand their present reality.” Possible careers: bookkeeper, researcher, accountant, data analyst, statistician, actuary, database management, real estate assessor “I get up in the morning to create memorable experiences in order to make meaningful connections.” Possible careers: wedding planner, event planner, travel planner, customer service, spa owner, hospitality “I get up in the morning to listen and ask questions in order to help others connect with their true self.” Possible careers: therapist, social researcher, career counselor “I get up in the morning to motivate people in order to bring lives in alignment with what is most important to them.”

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Possible careers: personal trainer, brand consultant, teacher “I get up in the morning to create experiences in order to help people connect with and understand their physical, emotional, and mental state.” Possible careers: yoga teacher, dancer, artist, photographer, performer, doctor, nurse, chiropractor “I get up in the morning to create safe and effective environments in order to allow people to live a life of ease, safety, and productivity.” Possible careers: firefighter, human resources, security guard, police officer TAKE ACTION: Write your completed SMP in the space below. Then place it on your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator, next to your computer monitor, on you dash board...anywhere you will see it and let it begin to sink in, encourage you, motivate you, tweak how you view your life, your work, your relationships. ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________

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Integrating your SMP with your USP

Now that you’ve put in the time to successfully create your USP and SMP, write them in the space below so you can look at them together.

My Unique Selling Proposition

___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________

My Single Motivating Purpose

___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ How can you improve your USP so that it lines up even more with your SMP AND makes better use of your specific talents and abilities to better take care of your clients’ needs?

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Write your finalized USP that aligns with your SMP and uses your talents, strenghts , and abilities best to provide for your clients’ needs.

My FINAL USP

___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Remember, NO OTHER NOTARIES are spending the time and effort you are to truly become an ultra-successful notary business. We are providing you with HIGH-LEVEL marketing insights that are specifically geared toward you as a mobile notary. Your commitment to actively participating in the exercises to create your USP and SMP will set you and your notary business apart from your competition FOREVER!! The work you have done in this course so far is akin to mapping out a blueprint and beginning to clear the ground so that you can next lay a firm foundation that will support the building of your successful notary business.

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We recognize it is hard work, but it will be worth it. If you have completed these exercises and are pleased with your USP and SMP and how they work together,

CONGRATULATIONS!! You are ready to move on to the next steps in creating a business name and URL that will attract more signings than you can handle. If you have not completed these exercises, or are unsure of your SMP and USP and how they work together, we highly encourage you to go back through the exercises and successfully complete them before you move on. If you move on before you have a great USP and SMP, it will be like trying to build a skyscraper on uneven ground without a solid foundation. Eventually, it will all fall apart. So, take the time, do the work, you’ll be glad you did.

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Choosing a Name for your Notary Business

Your business name is often your first impression your prospects and clients get about you. So, it’s worth spending some time, thought, and effort into developing your business name. However, don’t get frozen making this decision. It is really easy to encounter what we call “analysis paralysis”. Some people get so caught up in not choosing the wrong name or making sure they pick the perfect name, that they spend weeks, even months on this while they could be spending that time more effectively and actually making money. Don’t worry about your business name carrying all the weight of describing your company. Your business name will be used in context with other info like a tagline, elevator speech, etc.

Criteria for Choosing Your Business Name We are going to list out some factors to consider when choosing your business name. These are guidelines. Do not try to apply ALL of them to your business name. That is a sure-fire way to encounter analysis paralysis.

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1. Help you STAND OUT from other notaries You don’t want your notary business to sound like it’s the same as every other notary business. Your business name should communicate the essence of your brand and be memorable. Think of it like a book title, it should peak your prospect’s interest and make them want to learn more about you. There are bazillion notaries who just use their name in their business name: Susie’s Notary Services Bob’s Signings Joe’s Mobile Notary These business names all sound the same and do nothing to separate them from their competition. When we collect business cards from notaries at events we speak at like the National Notary Association conference, it always amazes us how nearly every business looks and sounds the exact same.

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It’s almost like opening a store and hanging a sign out front that says “Mike’s Store”. It leaves prospects thinking: “Who cares?” “What does Mike sell?” “How is Mike’s store any different from any other store?” “What are Mike’s prices like?” But, none of the prospects are thinking: “I need to hurry into Mike’s store and buy some stuff” “That store sounds awesome, I need to go check it out.” 2. Clearly Communicate What You Do and Your Core Values Try to convey what you do (either literally or thematically) in your business name. Literal Example: When we chose our business name for our notary business, “The Closers, Inc.”, we knew our prospects had a bad taste in their mouth when it came to “notaries”, we wanted to reinforce we weren’t just notaries, we were closers.

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This name let them know we close the deals, we know what we’re doing. Other Literal Examples: Professional Closer Development Group National Notary Association Thematic Example: When we started helping notaries grow their own businesses, we created a new company, “Professional Closer Development Group”. We really liked the literal name, but as we began to work with our branding, we felt it was too long and cumbersome. So, we created a “Doing Business As” (D/B/A) name, “CloserHUB”. CloserHUB is short, catchy, and creates a visual of a place for notaries to plug in to. Other Thematic Examples: Target TurboTax

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3. Create a “Sticky” Business Name “Sticky” simply means it sticks wherever you leave it, specifically in your prospect’s and customer’s minds. Rhyming Words One way to create a “sticky” name is to use rhyming words. Studies show rhyming words are more easily remembered. StubHub Mello Yellow Coca-Cola 7-Eleven Piggly Wiggly Steak n’ Shake Alliteration and Repetition Using alliteration helps the name flow off the tongue. Best Buy Paypal Coca-Cola Git n’ Go Costco

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Rhythm Coca-Cola JC Penney StubHub Hot Box Pizza Papa Murphy’s 4. Choose a Name with an Available Web Address If you can decide on a catchy name that is also available as a domain name, that is a major bonus. Example: CloserHUB.com Apple.com Walmart.com This one is definitely not a hard and fast rule. Sometimes your tagline or slogan may be your web address. A quick example of this is our website for The Closers, Inc. Our tagline is Real.Local.Closers. So, our URL is www.RealLocalClosers.com We’ll learn more about this in the “Choosing Your URL” section.

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Avoid These Mistakes When Choosing Your Business Name

1. Don’t Use Numbers in Your Business Name Example: Notary4You This creates confusion in your prospect’s and client’s mind and comes across as “cutesy” which is not an adjective that gives your prospect’s/client’s confidence in your ability as a mobile notary. 2. Don’t Use Hyphens Example: Notary-For-You Again, this creates confusion. Hyphens and other punctuation are not easily remembered and are often incorrectly used in desperation to get the name you really want, but it’s already taken. Adding the hyphen is counter productive, because not only does it create confusion, but it doesn’t separate you from the other business that has the name you wanted.

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3. Don’t Paint Yourself Into a Corner Example: 24/7 Notary You may be willing to do signings anytime now. But there may be a day when you aren’t available 24/7. It’s a lot easier to change your business hours when they aren’t in your business name. 4. Don’t Make Your Business Name Too Long Our first name for CloserHUB was “Professional Closer Development Group”, it was too long and too hard to remember. Try to keep your name between 1 and 3 shorter words that are easy to remember. 5. Don’t Use Words That are Easily Misspelled This just makes it harder for your prospects/clients to find you when they are looking for you. You want to make it as easy on them as possible. If they have to remember “I before E except after C or when sounds like A as in Neighbor or Weigh” every time they want to find you, chances are, they are moving on to someone else.

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6. Don’t Use Clichés or Puns We are in an industry that is looking for professionalism, integrity, and dependability when they hire a notary. Using a cliché or pun in your name doesn’t portray these traits. 7. Don’t Use a Name that is Already Trademarked There may not be anyone in your area using the name, but it could cause legal trouble later. Just stay away from these names. You can search google and the trademark database to see if your idea for a name is already being used.

Zeroing in on Your Business Name

Now that we’ve defined the criteria for choosing a name for your notary business and given you some things to avoid when choosing your name, let’s give you some tools for finding the right name. 1. Create a Primary Word List A.) Write down any words and phrases used by other notaries,

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signing agents, mobile closers, and signing companies. B.) Refer to your stack of 3x5 cards you used in defining your USP. These were the benefits your prospects are looking for. Write down key words that stand out to you in these cards. C.) Add any key words from your USP or SMP D.) Circle the top five to ten words that you feel are the most interesting for creating a business name. 2. Expand Your Short List with a WordMap Your short list of five to ten words contains the most obvious words. You may end up using one or more of these words in your business name. But, a WordMap will expand your possibilities and may help you find “THE” word that you haven’t thought of to this point. A word map is like a free form brainstorm of word association. The key in this exercise is there are no bad ideas. Write the first word from your list in the middle of a piece of paper and circle it. As quickly as you can, write any word that comes to mind related to that word around it.

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Keep expanding it to four or five levels. You want to do this as quickly as possible to really get the word association flowing. If you think about it, you will bog down the process. Now circle the 3 –5 words that pop out at you on your word map. Spend 3 –5 minutes doing this exercise for each of the 5 to ten words on your short list.

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Now add all the words you circled on your 5 to ten wordmaps and add them to your short list. 3. Cut Down Your New Word List to the Best 10-15 Words Just highlight your favorite 10-15 words from your new list. 4. Brainstorm Business Names Using Your Top Words Use the brainstorming techniques list below along with any others you want to and come up with at least 5 possible business names. A.) Combine words to make a new word Examples:

PowerTech

CloserHUB

Best Buy

GoPro B. ) Make up your own word A made up word can really make you stand out. When it’s done really well, it can change the landscape of your industry and even the vocabulary of an entire country.

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Examples:

Google

Napster

Plaxo C.) Add prefixes or suffixes Examples:

Microsoft

Spotify

Feedly The next two pages contain lists of prefixes and suffixes for you to consider.

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PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLES ante- before antenatal, anteroom, antedate

anti- against, opposing antibiotic, antidepressant, antidote

circum- around circumstance, circumvent, circumnavigate

co- with co-worker, co-pilot, co-operation

de- off, down, away from devalue, defrost, derail, demotivate

dis- opposite of, not disagree, disappear, disintegrate, disapprove

em-, en- cause to, put into embrace, encode, embed, enclose, engulf

epi- upon, close to, after epicentre, episcope, epidermis

ex- former, out of ex-president, ex-boyfriend, exterminate

extra- beyond, more than extracurricular, extraordinary, extra-terrestrial

fore- before forecast, forehead, foresee, foreword, foremost

homo- same homosapien, homonuclear, homoplastic

hyper- over, above hyperactive, hyperventilate

il-, im-, in-, ir- not impossible, illegal, irresponsible, indefinite

im-, in- into insert, import, inside

infra- beneath, below infrastructure, infrared, infrasonic, infraspecific

inter-, intra- between interact, intermediate, intergalactic, intranet

macro- large macroeconomics, macromolecule

micro- small microscope, microbiology, microfilm, microwave

mid- middle midfielder, midway, midsummer

mis- wrongly misinterpret, misfire, mistake, misunderstand

mono- one, singular monotone, monobrow, monolithic

non- not, without nonsense, nonentity, nondescript

omni- all, every omnibus, omnivore, omnipotent

para- beside parachute, paramedic, paradox

post- after post-mortem, postpone, post-natal

pre- before prefix, predetermine, pre-intermediate

re- again return, rediscover, reiterate, reunite

semi- half semicircle, semi-final, semiconscious

sub- under submerge, submarine, sub-category, subtitle

super- above, over superfood, superstar, supernatural, superimpose

therm- heat thermometer, thermostat, thermodynamic

trans- across, beyond transport, transnational, transatlantic

tri- three triangle, tripod, tricycle

un- not unfinished, unfriendly, undone, unknown

uni- one unicycle, universal, unilateral, unanimous

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SUFFIX MEANING EXAMPLE

NOUNS

-acy state or quality democracy, accuracy, lunacy

-al the action or process of remedial, denial, trial, criminal

-ance, -ence state or quality of nuisance, ambience, tolerance

-dom place or state of being freedom, stardom, boredom

-er, -or person or object that does a specified action

reader, creator, interpreter, inventor, collaborator

-ism doctrine, belief Judaism, skepticism, escapism

-ist person or object that does a specified action

Geologist, protagonist, sexist, scientist, theorist

-ity, -ty quality of extremity, validity, enormity

-ment condition enchantment, argument

-ness state of being heaviness, highness, sickness

-ship position held friendship, hardship, internship

-sion, -tion state of being position, promotion, cohesion

VERB SUF-FIXES

-ate become mediate, collaborate, create

-en become sharpen, strengthen, loosen

-ify, -fy make or become justify, simplify, magnify, satisfy

-ise, -ize become publicize, synthesize, hypnotize

ADJECTIVES

-able, -ible capable of being edible, fallible, incredible, audible

-al having the form or charac-ter of

fiscal, thermal, herbal, colonial

-esque in a manner of or resem-bling

picturesque, burlesque, grotesque

-ful notable for handful, playful, hopeful, skilful

-ic, -ical having the form or charac-ter of

psychological, hypocritical, methodical, nonsensical

-ious, -ous characterized by pious, jealous, religious, ridiculous

-ish having the quality of squeamish, sheepish, childish

-ive having the nature of inquisitive, informative, attentive

-less without meaningless, hopeless, homeless

-y characterized by dainty, beauty, airy, jealousy

ADVERBS

-ly related to or quality softly, slowly, happily, crazily, madly

-ward, -wards direction towards, afterwards, backwards, inward

-wise in relation to otherwise, likewise, clockwise

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D.) Switch a letter Try taking one of your top words and switching the first letter for another one. Example:

Gogurt E.) Give new meaning to real words Words can invoke an emotion or paint a picture that defines your business. Examples:

Amazon

Pandora

Yahoo! 5. Make Your Final List of Names Look over all the names you listed/created in step four and pick your top 5.

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6. Get Feedback on Your Final List Carefully choose a few people you can trust for honest feedback. It would be highly beneficial if you could get feedback from some of your prospects and/or clients. Ask them what is the first thing they think of when they hear each name. Ask them which one(s) they like best. Eliminate any names that seem like duds after you get your feedback. 7. Review Remaining Names Finally, double-check the remaining names against the criteria we started with: 1.) Does the name help you STAND OUT from other notaries? 2.) Does the name clearly communicate what you do and your core values? 3.) Is the name “sticky”? 4.) Does the name have an available web address?

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You can easily see if the domain name is available and purchase it using this Domain Name Search. Remember, you can use a tagline for your web address also, so if the business name isn’t available as a web address, that isn’t a definite reason to scrap that name. Make sure your remaining names avoid these mistakes. 5.) Are there numbers in the name? 6.) Are there hyphens in the name? 7.) Does the name paint you into a corner? 8.) Is the name too long? 9.) Is the name easily misspelled? 10.) Is the name a cliché or pun? 11.) Is the name already used or trademarked? Now, it’s up to you. Look at the names that made it through this process and simply choose your favorite. Any name that made it this far, is going to be a great name.

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http://www.1and1.com/?kwk=293290793

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Register Your Business Name

Now that you’ve chosen your business name, it is time to register it with your state and the IRS. In Indiana, we register business names with the office of the Secretary of State. Google search how to register a business with your state or ask you accountant, attorney, or another business owner how to do this in your state. You will also need to get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. Part of this process is deciding what entity structure your business will be (Limited Liability Company, S-Corp, or C-Corp). We strongly recommend you consult with both your attorney AND accountant (tax preparer) to make sure you choose the correct business structure for your specific situation. You can apply for your EIN online with the IRS HERE. Once you have your EIN and business registered with the state, go open a business checking account at your favorite bank.

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https://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Apply-for-an-Employer-Identification-Number-(EIN)-Online

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Creating Your Tagline

Now that you have your business name, the last thing we’ll do before you choose your web address is create your tagline or slogan. Your tagline will work in tandem with your business name to do the following:

Let people know what you do

Filter out people that don’t need your services

Tell your prospect’s what’s in it for them

Enter the conversation in your prospect’s mind It is important to keep your tagline as brief as possible. Include your personality in your tagline so it is engaging, not dull and faceless. Don’t be clever or cutesy with your tagline. Make sure your tagline is clear. Avoid using jargon in your tagline. Answer these questions to begin the process of creating your tagline:

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What are the top 5 benefits you give your prospects/clients? (Refer back to your USP worksheet)

1. ___________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________

What is the result you will help your prospects/clients achieve?

What will life look like once you have helped them solve their most pressing problem(s)?

Use your answers to these questions to help you write five possible taglines.

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Examples: If you remember back to our discussions about USP, we knew for our notary business, that our prospects’ biggest pain was bad notaries poorly representing them at closings. That’s why we chose “The Closers, Inc.” for our business name, a “closer” was seen as knowledgeable, dependable, and able to close the deal better than “just a notary”. So, we took it a step further with our tagline, “Real.Local.Closers.” This reassures our prospects/clients that we are not just some impersonal signing company that uses a database of notaries.

______________________________

When we started CloserHUB, we had issues with notaries thinking it was a signing company. All they wanted to know was how can they get signings from us. So, we had to go to work changing that perception. We needed a way to quickly help notaries understand we are about helping them build a successful notary business. Here are a couple ideas we used:

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The first, is the graphic below. While this is a little long for a tagline, we made it the most prominent thing you see when you visit www.CloserHUB.com.

Here is one of the ideas we had for our tagline:

“Where notaries plug in to success”

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Tagline Worsheet

Write your five tagline ideas below: 1. _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

4. _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

5. _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

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Once you’ve written five taglines, go back to the people you chose for feedback on your business name and ask for feedback on your taglines. Ask them what they think of each one. Ask them which one is most likely to get them to stick around and learn more about your company and how it can help them. Evaluate your feedback and choose the tagline you feel is the best. Don’t get stuck here. It is easy to change your tagline later. Use your “gut feeling” and move on!! Write your final tagline below: ___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

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Choosing Your Web Address (URL) This should be quick and easy, now that you’ve put in all the hard work. The easiest route to go here is to simply use your business name as your URL. If your business name is not available or you want to have a more exciting URL consider using your tagline, a major benefit your business provides, or something that evokes emotion in your prospects/clients. Examples: www.RealLocalClosers.com www.JoinTheClosers.com www.YouCanMoveNow.com www.SayNoToBadNotaries.com (fictitious URL) www.FastAndAccurate.com Be sure to check to make sure your URL idea is available using this Domain Name Search.

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URL Worsheet

Write five URL ideas below: 1. _________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________

4. _________________________________________________

5. _________________________________________________

Remember to resist the temptation to use numbers, hyphens, and easily misspelled words in your URL. You guessed it, call on your feedback team and ask them how they like each of these. Evaluate your feedback and choose the URL that “feels right” to you. Now be sure to purchase the domain name so no one else can get it (even if you don’t have plans for a website yet).

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A quick way to purchase your domain name is using the Domain Name Search you used earlier. If you don’t have plans for a website, that’s ok. One of the best tools available for notaries is our notary software, Closing Command Center. The Professional Edition features a fully customizable website where you can be proud to send your prospects and clients to view your credentials, read testimonials, and even schedule signings directly with you. We can even show you how to redirect your new URL to your personal Closing Command Center website. Learn more about Closing Command Center and how it can revolutionize your notary business HERE. Congratulations!! You have taken a HUGE step toward long-lasting success in your notary business. We would love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected] with your USP, SMP, Business Name, Tagline, and URL. We want to hear your story.

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