The Big 5 Contact Methods- analysed. Number 1: The phone

The phone is your best friend folks. The single best way to get paid is by picking it up, calling your customer and asking for your money. Seems so simple I know but you would be shocked at how many people are scared of the phone. And this is totally understandable especially if you’re the only one in the business. Switching from marketing to sales to accounts is difficult as each role requires its own approach. Picking up the phone and asking them to pay takes guts, it really does. But the more you do it the easier it becomes and the best advice I can give you is concentrate and focus solely on the number- the amount they owe you. Banish everything else from your mind. Having said all this though, the phone isn’t without its drawbacks so without further adieu here are its pro’s and con’s:

Pro’s:

– Free or at the very least, cheap.

– Instant and immediate.

– Forces the customer to tell you what’s going on and when you can expect payment.

– If they don’t answer the first time, you can hit redial and 2 missed calls will create more urgency than just 1.

– Allows for a discussion to take place and dialogue to commence

– Magnifies your tone of voice to create urgency, use silence and convey your disappointment that you are having to chase them to pay

– Becomes addictive and allows you to get in the zone and hammer through as many accounts as you can

– Instant gratification and a boost of dopamine when you hear those magical words “I will pay it today”.

Con’s:

– Can lead to arguments, raised voices and threats which may jeopardise your chances of getting paid

– No guarantee they will actually answer

– Forces you to confront some uncomfortable truths if you don’t hear what you want to hear. The safety net that comes with “out of sight/out of mind” is gone. Hearing them tell you “I have no money and I can’t pay, sorry” is demoralising

– A lot of pressure on you to say the right thing. One wrong word, a pushy tone of voice or a thinly veiled threat can lead to them simply hanging up and putting your invoice to the bottom of the list

As you can see guys, the Pro’s far outweigh the Con’s and it’s unlikely the phone will ever be replaced as number 1. Remember- see number, dial number. Don’t allow your mind to be consumed with unknowns- stick to the facts- they wanted what you offer, you supplied it, they haven’t paid for it. It literally is as simple as that. You deserve to be paid so go forth and get what’s yours!

Cheers