I have found so many fellow notaries who treat their notary business like a fast food restaurant. The order comes in, goes out, and nothing magical happens between those two events—very transactional relationships. I know notaries who have never bothered to talk to their signers beyond; sign here, and I need your ID; they speak very little. These notaries have never had repeat business. They have never had a client call them because of a referral. And I would step out on a ledge to venture that their companies will not survive unless they change their business model immediately. 

Being a Notary is a relational business. All business is relational, but being a notary is especially so. Developing a relationship with your signer and clients is one of the most important things you will ever do as a business owner. Creating trust in that client relationship will change the very foundation of your business. Today, I want to talk with you about how to build trust with your clients and experience the benefits of that hard-earned trust. 

Earning trust isn’t easy, but there are some absolute ways you can get there faster than years of a relationship with your client. Let's look at three essential steps to building trust with your clients.

IT STARTS WITH RESPECT!

You won’t get very far in your trust-building process with your clients if you don’t first show them respect. This shouldn’t be complicated, and I am confident I don’t need to remind you that treating your clients with respect is an absolute requirement for building trust and staying in business. 

It's easy to show respect, but in case you need clarification on what I mean, here are some simple examples. If you schedule an appointment with your client, show up. Be there on time or, even better, be 5-10 minutes early. Showing up on time or early conveys that their time is valuable and is all about them. Show up early, be prepared, and do it consistently. If your client refers you to a friend or family member, you want them to tell others about your punctuality and professionalism. It really doesn’t matter how great of a personality you have. Don’t show up, show up late, or show up unprepared; you're not getting that referral, and you're not likely to get repeat business. 

ADMIT MISTAKES AND CORRECT IMMEDIATELY!

We are all human beings, and mistakes will happen. The difference between a thriving notary business and one gripping to the edge is the notary who doesn’t let their pride get in the way of taking ownership of their mistake and dropping what they're doing to fix it if they can. Don’t fight it; don’t blame anyone else; don’t find a way to charge them more money. Just fix it, and be grateful for the opportunity to correct your mistakes. Treating your mistake this way will show you have your client's best interest in mind. 

How you would handle this issue with a family member or loved one is how you would handle your client. This one action can go miles towards building a relationship with your client that can last well beyond one appointment. 

A short story: I made a fair share of mistakes when I was a baby notary working with signing agencies. Because, even with signing companies, I owned my mistakes and went out of my way to make it right, I became their go-to notary when work was in my area. Not because I was an excellent notary but because I owned my mistakes and did whatever I could to make their lives easier. It didn’t take years or even months to climb to their top notary; it took respect, responsibility, and humility. 

You might be shocked at what this one act can do for your relationship with your client. 

BE AN EXCELLENT LISTENER!

This may sound like a remedial tip, but it really is important in how your clients feel about you. When you are on your 5th, 6th, or 20th client call of the day, it's so easy to be impatient and not listen to your potential clients. I sometimes find that when I hear keywords like power of attorney document or affidavit of residency, my mouth starts talking right over my client. I have notarized hundreds of these documents. I automatically know the screening questions to ask. I have to remind myself that I want these clients for a lifetime. So I tell myself, “Jen, Shut Up and Listen!” Understand I sometimes need to speak harshly to myself. I do not suggest you do the same unless you are as stubborn as I can be. 

Being a patient and active listener gives clients the feeling that they are being heard and that you want what's best for them. This is an excellent start to what can be a long-term relationship that brings you more business than just this one appointment. 

Business is all about relationships; knowing how to build relationships with your clients is the most important skill you must develop. Building trust in these relationships may be hard to quantify, but you will know you have achieved this sweet spot in client relationships when they keep calling and referring you and your services to their friends and family. 

My one hope and desire for you, my dear notary colleague, is that you have a business that lasts as long as you want to be in business and that it's filled with clients and relationships that make you happy to head out every day and continue to make a difference in the lives of those you encounter. 

Until next week, Get to trust-building today.

Jennifer K Cooper, JKC Mobile Notary