This is NOT one of our normal posts (it’s got NOTHING to do with account collections!) but there’s a little used function on the iPhone that lets you listen to anything displayed on your screen. An email, a website, a pdf document even an entire book (iBook, Kindle, etc) - ANYTHING on your screen. Enjoy. [...]
“I leave message after message and no one ever calls me back!” Sound familiar? Voicemails are great, but not so much when “chasing” slow payers. This will help. GET VOICEMAIL BASICS RIGHT 1 Keep it short. 10 - 20 seconds maximum. 2 Never use the word JUST. Get right in to your message 3 Leave [...]
When phoning an INDIVIDUAL - for the very first time Apply the “Assumption of Innocence”. Don’t actually ask why the account hasn’t been paid at all. Assume it’s on the way, or, at the very least, that it’s been sent! Gwen Iveer - Good Morning. May I speak to Fred Jones please? Mr Jones - [...]
You KNOW the answer. Curiosity. One of the definitions of curiosity (English/Oxford Dictionary) is “a strong desire to know or learn something”. These 6 short blog posts explain how to use this seldom-used aspect of human nature to get paid more promptly … How to use Curiosity to get a debt paid. - Using a [...]
The debtor hasn’t paid and the accounts pretty badly overdue. He’s coming IN to the office to meet with you. You really need to discuss his overdue account with him.For most of us, this can be difficult. (Raising a sensitive topic like this in a face-to-face situation.)The solution?Don’t YOU raise the topic first!Get HIM to, [...]
Tried ‘everything’ to get paid (sent email reminders, left phone messages, sent statements, “threatening” demands, text messages - you may even have tried ‘snail mail’)? Getting frustrated? Debtor won’t pay or even respond? Try this … curiosity. STEP ONE: Prepare a draft email to your lawyers saying simply … Hi Jon, Please ignore my last [...]
How many influencing techniques can YOU find in this short, yet extremely effective, email? Using only one of any of the influencing techniques mentioned below won't work. BUT ... when used as they have in this email these techniques are extraordinarily powerful and WILL get a response. We use a combination of them in almost all [...]
Occasionally, fortunately rarely, when chasing slow payers (it's a very sensitive matter), you'll come across someone who's rude, abusive even.Most times, it's not YOU they're angry at, it's the situation or something totally nothing-to-do with the account OR they're just nasty people!This short story might help you deal with it.Buddha was well known for his [...]
Who knew? Emoticons work! Put 'happy' faces [ :) ] in emails to clients when you're thanking them for paying promptly and'sad' faces [ :( ] in emails if they don't keep to payment arrangements.WHY - reason #1 Research published some time ago in the journal Social Neuroscience revealed that we react to emoticons in [...]
Your account customer has an overdue invoice. He hasn’t replied to your reminder emails or letters. Your phone messages aren't being returned. His mobile’s always “out of range” or busy. What to do? Try this. (An email or letter work just as well.) Hi Martin, I have to do a report to the Board [...]