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.
