ABC’S of Telephone Collecting

ABC’S of Telephone Collecting

· Anticipate your needs before you start your all

· Believe in your ability

· Control the conversation

· Develop your speaking skills

· Encourage the debtor to talk

· Focus debtor’s attention on developing a definite payment plan that will pay up the account in full

· Guard against showing any sign of belligerence

· Help the debtor find ways to pay his obligation

· Identify the debtor, yourself, the creditor and the amount of the claim

· Jot down notes as you talk with the debtor

· Key your approach to what you know about the debtor

· Lead the debtor to tell you sources of money to pay you

· Motivate him to pay in full

· Negotiate the most advantageous settlement possible for your client if you’re not able to collect payment in full

· Observe any signs of the debtor holding back information

· Pause for a short while after opening the conversation

· Quench any tendency to preach. Moralize, judge o argue

· Review the debtor’s record

· Sell the debtor the benefits a PIF

· Talk clearly and distinctly when making a collection call

· Utilize your mistakes as learning experience

· Vary your approach

· Withhold agreement to accept a partial payment until you are fully satisfied there is no other feasible means of colletig

· X-ray all the facts

· Yield only when you are convinced that there is real resistance to pay the claim

· Zero in on every call you make.