For many people making debt collection telephone calls is one of the most dreaded parts of running a business. Not only this, in the majority of the cases, businesses are so overworked that calling debtors and asking them to clear their debts always takes a back seat. However, these calls are just a part of the business, and if not made on time can cause a huge issues for the business including cash flow problems, potential bad debt write offs and ultimately trading difficulties. Below are some of the tips that you should use before making that debt collection telephone calls. 
 
1. Be prepared 
Always make the call only after you are fully prepared. Make sure that you know who you’re calling, what their payment history is, and how much amount is due. Have all the invoices, contracts, etc., ready in front of you so you can refer to any questions or comments raised. Also, keep a diary in front of you and note down the important points discussed during the call with the debtor. Making notes of the call can then be relayed back to the debtor by email once the call has been terminated. 
 
2. Be polite, but authoritative 
Remember, your tone, pitch, speed while talking, will all have a huge role to play in how the call pans out. Therefore, you must practice a little voice modulation and use a commanding tone throughout the call. It does not mean that you have to be rude at any point, but be polite, yet persistent. Speak with a smile on your face, but remember that your goal is debt recovery. 
 
3. Be ready for excuses 
There are strong possibilities that your debtor will use all sorts of excuses for why they were not able to clear the payment. In such a scenario, keep an open mind and don't jump to conclusions. Here, you need to check the record of the customer, and if they have always cleared the invoices in the past on time, then perhaps some leniency should be considered and listen to what your client has to say. Perhaps you are able to allow them some more time to pay the debt. However, you should never blindly trust your clients as they may just be making pointless excuses to avoid making the required payment. 
 
4. Give options 
The goal of this call should be for you to recover your outstanding invoice and making sure that the customer pays the complete debt as quickly as possible. If a customer is genuinely having trouble paying off the debt, you may give them some options to make payment over a period of time by way of instalments or a payment plan. If this is the case then detail the payment agreement by way of a follow up email so it is clear what you are expecting and when. 
 
5. Avoid Confrontation and arguments 
It should be noted that the call can get heated and therefore, you must keep calm under all circumstances. Your goal should be to get the invoice cleared, and you should take all the steps necessary to reach this. 
 
These tips will surely help you with the much-dreaded call to your debtors and ensure that payment is made and received. 
 
However, if these calls do not work or meet your requirements you should contact us and we will take away this burden from you. 
 
 
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