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The day may come, when for some reason, you must resort to an archaic cold call by phone…

Hopefully no one reading this needs this first bit of advice, but don’t ask for people by title… For example, “May I speak to the owner”. Don’t ask, “Who is the owner?”.

People do your homework.

How many gatekeepers are at work from 6:30 to 7:30 in the morning or evening? Do you think maybe your decision maker would be there? How about lunch times? Do you think the gatekeeper eats at her desk everyday?

Get the gatekeeper to set up a phone appointment for you with the decision maker. Give her a few alternative days, times, or windows when you will be available.

If the company has extensions, you can call any extension or department, ask for the decision maker. Make a comment about the company’s phone maze. The person at the wrong extension or in the wrong department is not normally going to screen you.

Be GENUINELY friendly with the gatekeeper instead of being defensive or offensive.

If you are cold calling a small business, find the business owner’s name and then find a social network in which she/he is participating… Go to his/her groups. Send her/him a message complementing his GREAT gatekeeper. Ask him/her to let the gatekeeper know that he/she is expecting your call.
Make a connection with his/her connection. They can then introduce you to that decision maker.

Make Friends with the gatekeeper. Let them know how good they are doing their job. Kid around with them… ask then to teach you how to get past them.

If the decision maker is not in, don’t leave a message. Just tell the gatekeeper “you will call back,” and say something like “just let them know (your name) called”. You aren’t leaving a message, the gatekeeper doesn’t need an explanation. Do not send an E-mail to an assistant/secretary.

Google the decision maker, you may find their name listed somewhere with an ext. number or perhaps a different phone number which could be a cell phone. Apologize for calling their cell and compliment them on hiring such a good gatekeeper.

If all else fails, and you can Google an E-mail address. E-mail them, again use the compliment about the gatekeeper. Ask him/her to let the gatekeeper know he/she is expecting your call.

Record how many calls it takes to make a sale. That will be your ratio. If it usually takes 20 calls, you know that with that 11th “no” you are that much closer to a sale! Rejoice!

Are your clients paying their bills with your money?

To ensure being paid according to the terms of your agreements with clients may involve your relationship with them if they are not able to pay all of their bills, It can go both ways, because you are close, they want to pay you on time or because you are close, you will be more understanding about a late payment.

Either way, your clients shouldn’t be paying their bills with your money or just simply growing their business with the money that they owe you.

In this economy, you should not allow your clients to be 60 days delinquent without doing something proactive about it.

Are you afraid that you will lose a client if you turn them over to a collection agency? If they are not paying you, they are not your client; they are your dependent.

Every contract should include a clause that says that if your clients don’t pay in time, they will have to pay for court costs, attorney’s fees, any other legal fees and collection agency fees.

Think about using a credit card service. The credit card fee is far lower than a collection service fee and much lower than you writing off 100% of what your clients owe to you. Look at the credit card service as insurance against the emotional drain of dealing with nonpaying clients or customers.

If your clients are really not able to pay the whole amount that they owe you, work out a reasonable payment plan, but stop giving them more products or services. If they are really hurting financially, giving them more services or products will end up giving you both nothing but grief.

All collection agencies are not evil, we are helping small business people stay afloat. There are a few guidelines that you should use when using an agency.

Never pay anything up front. The agency should be paid only if you get the money from a client whose account you have turned over to them. At that point, whether the client pays you or the agency, you will pay the agency fee.

Never sign a contract with an agency that includes an exclusivity clause.

The agency should be willing to give you the name and phone number of three existing clients.

No amount of money should be too small or large for them to handle for you.

The management staff of the agency should have a good knowledge of your industry.

The procedure with the collection agency should be simple. You sign a simple contract without a lot of legalese, give them your debtors contact information and history, and then get the agency a copy of your contract with the debtors and their invoices and statements.

The bottom line? Starting getting your money up front, or your clients may begin paying their bills with your money. Try to get cash. If someone cannot pay you today, how are they going to pay you a month from now? Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Perhaps they have a genuine reason why they believe they will be able to pay “next month”. If you bill them monthly, make sure you have the money far in advance of the next month.
Direct line: 678-640-4896 irissalmins@yahoo.com