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www.getpaidfortheworkthatyoudo.com © Jan Reeves
About the Author
Jan Reeves Knows Collections!
Jan has been responsible for collecting payments of
invoices for over 45 years; in every job since she left
school!
During her career, Jan has worked in companies
large and small, and collected payments from all
types businesses, both commercial and noncommercial.
Over the years she has trained and managed
successful collection teams in several different
countries, while continually developing highly
successful and award winning collections strategies.
Jan’s successes ultimately lead her to create a recruitment company, uniquely
specialising entirely in credit control and collections staff. The recruitment
company grew to 3 offices, 25 staff and a turnover of $12m pa.
The recruitment business was always 100% self-funded. By following Jan’s
ultimate collections system, her part-time collections officer ensured that 80% of
invoices were paid by the due date.
Jan now spends each year enjoying both the French and Australian summers and
sharing her experience with small business owners, so that you too can get paid
for the work you do!
www.twitter.com/janreeves01
www.au.linkedin.com/in/janreeves/en
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www.getpaidfortheworkthatyoudo.com © Jan Reeves
So… you want to get paid?
When you had that brilliant idea for a new business, there were probably a
multitude of considerations: Will your idea work? How will you market it? Who is
your target customer? What strategy should you follow? How do you get the
funding you need?
Very seldom do we factor collections into the equation. Perhaps not until we are
in the thick of it and someone hasn’t paid their invoice…
….and you deserve and need the money!
This is where things may get sticky. This is when you realise that perhaps you
don’t like calling people for money.
Or that you feel guilty, as if you shouldn’t be asking. Does it make you feel
frustrated or anxious? Are you stuck on what to say?
What makes it worse is that it may seem like certain customers are trying to avoid
your calls. What do you do now? Is it affecting your cash flow? Do you have to
juggle funds? Is this impacting your ability to move your business forward?
And the risk is, that as your invoices get older and older, sometimes you might not
get paid at all!
If this sounds familiar, I am here to help! I have collated 20 of my very best Do’s
and Don’ts of modern collections that will help you be more successful in
collections so that you can focus on the real work of your business.
I hope you find them useful!
Jan
www.getpaidfortheworkthatyoudo.com © Jan Reeves
20 Modern Secrets of
Successful Collections
Ask “Is John Smith there today please” if you think
DO
DON’T
someone is avoiding you, so you know if he’s actually
in the office
Say, “Can I speak to John Smith”. It’s too easy for
someone to say “No, he’s not here”!
Be genuinely interested in the customer and their
DO
business.
If you are, they’ll be interested in your
business too. Better still get them to like you. If they
like you they’ll pay you!
Be disinterested and half-hearted. People can tell!
DON’T
That definitely won’t put your payment at the front
of the queue!
www.getpaidfortheworkthatyoudo.com © Jan Reeves
DO
DON’T
DO
DON’T
Use the telephone. You are building a strong business
relationship. It’s not really possible by email.
Email unless you are confirming or clarifying an
agreement.
Be really clear and precise when talking to customers.
Have all the information you need to hand.
Worry. It’s OK not to know the answer to everything.
Just politely say “I’m not 100% sure of that. I’ll find
out for you right away and call you back”.
DO
DON’T
Keep calm. Everything is resolvable. There is an
answer to everything.
Get upset, angry, sarcastic or irritated. It won’t help.
Your blood pressure could rise and you might put the
customer or a colleague ’offside’.
www.getpaidfortheworkthatyoudo.com © Jan Reeves
DO
DON’T
Resolve
issues
instantly
customer on the ‘phone.
–
while
you
have
the
Just ask them to “please
wait“. While you find the answer for them.
Pass issues to someone else to resolve.
All
the
time
there’s
a
query
Keep control.
outstanding
your
customer probably won’t pay.
Remember that the customer has already had the
DO
goods or service, and provided there are no queries or
problems, they owe you the money.
It’s called ‘The
Balance of Business’.  BUT…
DON’T
Forget to ask if everything is fine.
Is the customer
happy? Do they have everything they ordered? Don’t
launch in asking for payment until you have verified
all is well.
Set your new customers up for success from the word
DO
GO! Make sure that you have all the correct delivery
AND invoicing details for their order. (If you aren’t
sure call now to ask).
DON’T
Leave things to chance.
www.getpaidfortheworkthatyoudo.com © Jan Reeves
DO
DON’T
Build
relationships
with
your
Treat them as ‘The Enemy’
DON’T
DON’T
business
customers.
DO
DO
strong
Your research and send out only ‘Killer Invoices’.
Clear, easy to read, precise and correct!
Take pot luck and hope they go to the right person
in the right place.
Look like an absolute STAR to your customer! Take
action and resolve issues instantly.
Drag your feet thinking that someone else will sort it
out
Make a call before the invoice due date to make sure
DO
the customer is happy. Are they missing anything at
all?
Leave it until the invoice is overdue to find out there’s
DON’T
a problem that needs fixing before the invoice can be
paid.
www.getpaidfortheworkthatyoudo.com © Jan Reeves
DO
DON’T
Use ‘open’ questions to find out exactly what you
want to know.
Lose control of the situation by asking the wrong
questions
ZIP IT! Listen carefully and give your customer the
DO
DON’T
DO
DON’T
opportunity to fill in the ‘uncomfortable’ space and
give you the answer you’re looking for!
Be tempted to jump in and say something to fill in
the ‘uncomfortable’ space yourself!
Provide your customer with ‘Award Winning’ service
so they get to like you and pay you first.
Be
lukewarm.
No-one
enjoys
interacting
someone who isn’t engaged.
www.getpaidfortheworkthatyoudo.com © Jan Reeves
with
DO
DON’T
“Break the Ice” when speaking to you customer to
make them feel at ease and warm towards you.
If
they like you they’ll pay you!
Just launch into questions about your shipment or
service and invoices. It’s not about you. They are your
customer, it’s about them!
DO
DON’T
Take
fast,
detailed
but
short
notes
of
every
conversation or agreement with your customer –
Knowledge is Power!
Forget to read back through notes and familiarise
yourself with the customer’s current situation, before
you pick up a call from them, or you call them
Remember to make your notes clear so that if you
DO
DON’T
aren’t there someone else knows the customer’s
situation and can provide a good service.
Leave a huge ‘void’ so that if the customer calls and
you aren’t there, no-one else can help them.
www.getpaidfortheworkthatyoudo.com © Jan Reeves
DO
Remember life is a balance. Collections is part of
business and life so what you put in, you will get back
(be nice, they’ll be nice back).
Think that collection of invoices is any way isolated
DON’T
from the rest of the business. It’s the last link in the
chain of a business transaction. Nothing has really
been sold until it’s paid for (it’s a loss until it’s paid
for).
DO
DON’T
Make a point of finding out who the ’decision maker’
is and talking to them.
Discuss and make agreements with people who have
to verify things with someone else. Go straight to the
’decision maker’. It saves time and energy.
DO
DON’T
Take action if you can sense or feel something is
wrong and this could be a ‘Red Flag’.
Stick your head in the sand and hope. Hope is not a
strategy!
See what I did there… you got one tip free 
www.getpaidfortheworkthatyoudo.com © Jan Reeves
Next Step… The Get Paid eCourse!
If getting invoices paid is costing you time and money, the tips in this eBook will
help you get started.
If however, you are ready to collect payments like a pro, the Get Paid eCourse will
show you how to collect 80% of your payments before the due date.
In this power packed eCourse Jan shares expert tips, professional strategies and
call scripts that will transform your small business collections process.
The Get Paid eCourse is made up of 5 videos and over 20 hot resources that will
get your customers paying and improve your cash flow… guaranteed!
For more information and purchases visit
www.getpaidfortheworkthatyoudo.com
www.getpaidfortheworkthatyoudo.com © Jan Reeves