10 Tips to help you collect debt:

PREPARE: Review the paperwork on the debtor before making the call. Know the history of the account, credit record, the promises kept/broken. Have all records in front of you, ready for reference.

ATTITUDE: Adopt a straight, professional business-like attitude. You have a contract, you delivered the goods, money is owed, and you have a right to expect payment. Never let it become personal. Don’t yell or raise your voice; and NEVER swear. Don’t threaten; legal action is your recourse.

CONTACT: Be sure you are talking to the correct person. Do not let the individual brush you off with “You’ll have to talk to the bookkeeper.” Identify the person who will pay the bill. If you can not get through after several calls, tell the secretary that you know your calls are being screened. Indicate the purpose of your call and if necessary give deadlines.

CONTROL: Try to always control the conversation. Keep it focused on the debt and the debt only. Do not let the debtor attempt to sidetrack you with personal history, excuses, or other B.S.. Remember, the only objective of your call is to collect the money, or get a commitment to pay. Now is not the time become friends with the debtor or try to win an argument.

FLEXIBLE: Always be prepared to adjust to any situation. Think about the kind of customer you are dealing with and adapt to meet the circumstances. Be prepared to accept a reasonable payment schedule, and a willingness to deal with a customers circumstances.

NOTES: Keep detailed, accurate notes of every contact with the customer. Probe for further information on the customer. Notes of these contacts will help you in subsequent phone calls, and may be invaluable in litigation. Good notes will also help in further credit decisions, or in cases where skip tracing may be needed.

PRODUCTIVE: Keep contact brief and to the point. This is a business call, not a social one. View your efforts on a ratio of time expended to results achieved. Long conversations probably mean the customer is stalling you, or trapping you in the buddy syndrome.

PRECISE: Never leave a contact open ended, such as “Well talk next week,” or “Ill send what I can.” Every contact should result in a commitment to payment. A specific amount, by a specific date, even the check number the customer is using to pay the debt.

TIME: The longer an account is outstanding, the less likely it is that it will be paid. If payment is not arranged or a payment plan is not established within 90 days, place the claim with a collection agency or start legal proceedings.

PLACEMENT: Try to choose an agency that does not have to pay to get your information. Just type in “Collection Agency” to any search engine and pick a firm that ranks organically.

Mallory Megan works for a collections agency that works with a debt collection lawyer. She also does articles on business, finance, the credit industry and collections agencies. Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.