| In everything you do, you must define your style. In | | | | difference between being personal and taking thing |
| your career this is very important. It defines you. It | | | | personally. Learn to walk that fine line. |
| tells other people how to act toward you. Define a | | | | You'll hear about more imaginary tragedies than a |
| formidable style and let the people you come in | | | | hundred storytellers could conjure up. You'll be told |
| contact with understand who you are. You are a | | | | that you're sending people to the poorhouse, that |
| person, not the part of a group. Don't ever let your | | | | you're a hard person, that your company is heartless, |
| department, or even your company define who you | | | | and a thousand other things. Let it all run off your |
| are. | | | | back, keep the smile in your voice, and ask them |
| This is very important for an accounts receivable | | | | once again when they'd like to start paying. |
| administrator to do. You deal with a number of | | | | Always Being the Good Guy |
| people within your company and you deal with the | | | | You may find it useful to always be the good guy. It |
| problems they can cause. You need to do this with | | | | is a good game plan to never let the customer |
| style. They need to know you as the person who | | | | identify you personally as the person to whom the |
| can and will solve problems. You also deal with the | | | | money is owed. See that the customer conceives of |
| your company's problem accounts. You need to face | | | | you as a sympathetic friend, but nevertheless, one |
| these with this same sense of style so the person | | | | who has to ask for the money for the company |
| who you contact knows you have the power to | | | | who insists on being paid for what it has sold. |
| solve their problems. | | | | As an example of always being the good guy, you |
| Make it personal | | | | can trade accounts with other collectors, calling on |
| You should follow this law as closely as possible. No | | | | some of theirs, while they called on some of yours. |
| single statement says it quite as well as this law of | | | | This should be all within the same department, of |
| business. You must conduct business on a personal | | | | course, and only occur when you feel that it is |
| level. This is the most important point you should | | | | necessary. |
| learn about your on-the-job behavior. | | | | You call the accounts and tell the customer that you |
| You must work with a sense of purpose, a sense of | | | | are the auditors calling in the place of the regular |
| personal style, and that should be your purpose and | | | | collector, trying to establish some basic information. |
| your style. Maintain a personal, one-to-one relationship | | | | Would the customer be paying regularly from now |
| with your customers that makes it easy for them to | | | | on? Since payment history did not look especially |
| pay you and difficult for them to say no. | | | | good, why should you believe the customer? You |
| To accomplish this you must sell yourself first. You | | | | can probably guess what will happen many times. |
| already know that, but we'll repeat it anyway. Give | | | | The very fact that an outsider is brought into the |
| the customer a chance to like you. Introduce yourself | | | | collection situation helps. You can then later refer to |
| when you talk to them for the first time. | | | | the auditor's call -- and it works! |
| Find out about the people -- or person -- you deal | | | | You may feel that this is a deceptive practice, but |
| with. What do you have in common that you can talk | | | | you will actually be auditing each other's accounts. |
| about? Take it a little bit at a time, to ease any | | | | You will find that, as collectors, you are able to pick |
| tension and maintain a graceful, easy feeling of | | | | up techniques from each other by doing this. You will |
| communication between you. Remember that your | | | | find it very helpful for those first starting out. Putting |
| work is a continuation of the sale, which is not itself | | | | a third party into the collection situation helps the |
| complete until you have completed your job. So learn | | | | customers renew their commitments. |
| to use sales tactics in dealing with customers. Take | | | | Knowing the Customer's Point of View |
| charge. Call the shots. Let them know you're a | | | | Through all of the above, you must strive constantly |
| human being who's interested in them and interested | | | | to understand your customer's point of view. You |
| in working with them to help them pay you on time. | | | | can't really help if you don't know the problem. You |
| You must understand that there is a fine line | | | | can't possibly understand an inability to pay if you |
| between being a business person and being your | | | | don't know that the customer, as a business, is |
| customer's buddy -- but you have to walk that line. | | | | strung out until XYZ Corporation finally makes its |
| Be Businesslike but Pleasant | | | | quarter-million-dollar semiannual payment. This does |
| Your real purpose is to help solve the customer's | | | | happen. Some of your best, most reliable customers |
| problem in paying you on time. Remember, that to | | | | may occasionally be strung out by their customers |
| the extent that other conversations and additional | | | | and need extra time to make good on their |
| information about the customer help you accomplish | | | | commitments to you. Understand that. Know about |
| that, it is all worthwhile. | | | | those things. |
| When you talk to your customers, automatically | | | | Never Becoming Condescending or |
| assume you have the answers for them, and let | | | | "Better-Than-Thou" |
| them know it. Then get to the heart of the problem | | | | Nothing can kill a good business or personal |
| and help them work it out. At the same time, be | | | | relationship faster than condescension. Never stoop |
| warm and personable, but never become emotionally | | | | to it. Never destroy a good thing with such an |
| involved. | | | | attitude. |
| I have said, make it personal. But, you must always | | | | Understand your customers, talk to them on a |
| remember that you are working in a business | | | | one-to-one basis, become friendly with them, but do |
| situation. No matter what it may be, do not take it | | | | not pander to them or insult their intelligence or their |
| personally. Sometimes your customers will use you as | | | | integrity. |
| their "whipping boy," if you let them. Sometimes they | | | | In the long run, that tired old Golden Rule still applies |
| will tell you troubles you may not believe. Sometimes | | | | in the business world as much as it always has. If |
| they will make you want to weep for them -- never | | | | you simply treat your customers as you would wish |
| let them do that to you. | | | | to be treated if you owed money to them, you'll |
| Beware of emotional involvement, and remember the | | | | reap the rewards and your company will prosper. |