Advanced Debt Collection Tactics and Strategies
DURATION: 1 DAY
Course Overview
In the pursuit of keeping debtor days and bad debt to the minimum, it is important to keep all members of the debtor’s department up to date with the latest in collection techniques and trends in the industry, regardless of how
long they have been doing the job.
This 1-day Advanced Debt Collection course will give more experienced collectors an objective view of their work and provides much-needed insight into how other companies are successfully increasing their collection success and lowering their debtor’s days. This course puts the collection process into the wider business perspective and focused on “hard to collect” debt and issues surrounding potential bad debt signals and situations, allowing more contribution to overall company success.
Target Audience
This course will give more experienced credit controllers the information they need to refine and further improve their practical collection skills.
Previous delegates include Debit and Credit Managers, Financial Managers and Directors, Credit Controllers, Accounts Officers, Bookkeepers, Accountants, Admin Assistants, Credit Supervisors, Debtors and Creditors Clerks, Internal Auditors, Accounts Support Staff and Small Business Owners.
Course Objectives:
- Understanding the developing role of receivables in the total business process
- Working within your company’s credit policy – are there ways of making it work for you?
- Collecting large debt – proactive collection planning as the key that unlocks the payment problem
- Collecting difficult debt – situations when you need to apply negotiation techniques and conflict resolution
- skills to identify and solve the problem
- Innovative collection timing strategies – how to ensure your debt is “first in line” for payment
- Advanced use of client profiling – aligning your approach to the personality of the person you are dealing with
- Watching out for the “criminal debtor” – spotting the danger signals in time
- Keeping them honest – proven strategies to ensure debtors honour their commitment to pay
Course Outline
Module 1: The Role of Receivables in the Business Process
- Understanding the business – from initial
contact to settlement discounts
- Key decision-makers in the Debt Collection Process
- Terms of sale and characteristics of credit
Module 2: Credit Policies that Work
- The key elements of a credit policy
- How companies utilise credit policies
- Setting conditions when an account will be
stopped or held for review
- Raising interest as a discipline tool
- Final demands, letter of demand etc.
Module 3: Successful Collection Planning
- Clarify your purpose, and keep it in mind
- Familiarising yourself with the debtor’s business
- Establishing best time and best person to contact
- Why the “large debt” collection process is different
Module 4: Negotiation and Conflict Resolution during Collection
- The problem identification process
- Establishing your positions and fall backs
- Negotiation tactics you can use over the telephone
- Defusing angry or defensive people
- The importance of active listening
Module 5: Collection Timing Strategies
- Understanding how the debtor assigns payment priorities
- Moving your own company to the top of the
payment priority list
- Keeping the pressure up
- How not to clash with debtor’s priorities?
Module 6: Developing a Profile of your Client over
the Telephone
- The four categories of customers
- Personality types –from difficult to abusive
- The effects of age and experience
- The range of excuses you can expect from each type
- Satisfying debtor’s wants and needs
Module 7: Debt Collection in Difficult Situations –Case Studies
- Creative ways to discover the real reason for non-payment
- Successful methods used to negotiate
alternate payment methods
- How companies have gained debt commitment
Module 8: Bad Debt Warning Signals
- Spotting changes in payment patterns
- Other more subtle warning indicators
- Implementing limit checking and payment monitoring
- Understanding the real cost of a bad debt
Module 9: Dealing with the Criminal Debtor
- Planned debt – Dealing with the Con Artist
- Unplanned debt – Handling the Opportunist
- Locating disappearing debtors
Module 10: Ensuring Debtors Honour their Commitments
- Cultivating a relationship with your contact
- Getting it down on paper – memory alone can prove disastrous
- Setting up alternative ways to recoup funds
- Taking control of the follow-up