Time to get good at getting paid.

Have you ever noticed that some clients exploit any area of weakness in your A/R process to avoid paying? Poor billing and ineffective in-house collection techniques create huge problems for companies every day. Many people prey on the weakness of billing and collections would rather have a nicer car or the newest gadget rather than pay you. The reason you have to chase some clients for money is directly related to the human condition and that’s what needs to be recognized. People who don’t want to pay are playing games with your hard earned money. But wait… It doesn’t have to be that way. You can get paid on time and in full from every client. In fact, you must maintain control over those few who make you wait and here’s the way to do it.

Consider the marketing industry. Huge money! They have studied human response and conditioning for centuries and the techniques used continue to compel consumers to purchase products they don’t even need. As a matter of fact, some customers buy that new phone, video game or expensive purse instead of paying you. It’s vital to check every aspect of your billing and collection techniques to make sure it conditions your customers to pay. It’s not difficult, but there are tricks to staying consist. The good news is, in the long run and done properly, it’s less work.  

I am going to repeat myself again. The reason many companies lose money and customers is the techniques they use to bill and the way they collect past due accounts. Some businesses are losing thousands? Many companies fire the customer and lose that income stream as well. This is self defeating to some degree because they could have kept the client, gotten paid and maybe even been referred to others through that customer. It all works together.

When contacting someone about a past due amount, your demeanor, choice of words and your technique are all equally important because they all have direct influence on getting paid. In the publication Top 10 Billing Secrets, you find the 4 T’s, Tone, Technique, Timing and Treatment. Apart from these fundamental elements, you will struggle with non-paying clients who can ruin your day or many days for that matter. Negative procedures promote loss of revenue and loss of clients which in-turn causes disappointment and discouragement for many business owners. It should not be this way, but it happens far too often. It’s time to take control of clients who don’t pay!

CJM Billing Solutions, Inc. has been handling difficult customers since 1989. We have heard virtually every excuse and collected millions of dollars that were considered uncollectable. Now it’s your turn. It’s time to get good at getting paid.