In the current economic climate more and more companies are finding that their customers are taking longer to pay - or are not even paying at all. As cash flow is key to the survival of any business, effective debt collection tactics are vital for all businesses.
This workshop concentrates on the telephone skills and techniques you can use to achieve the most positive outcome in any debt collection situation - payment of money owed, as soon as possible, whilst keeping the collection cost as low as possible.
The course will help you:
Understand your debtors and communicate with them accordingly
Develop a strategy for more effective debt collection
Make every call count
Handle difficult calls
Reduce the amount of time you need to spend on chasing payment
Increase your collection rates
1 The debt collection process
Understanding the reasons behind payment default
Looking at the debt situation from the customer's point of view
Developing a strategy for effective debt collection
2 Advanced telephone communication skills
Techniques for speaking to the person responsible for paying the debt
How to gain the customer's trust when discussing debt
Telephone collection skills best practice
Key phrases that keep the conversation positive and open
3 Questioning and listening skills for gathering information
Different types of question
Using high-gain questions to uncover key information
Active listening that will help you understand what customers are really saying
Leading with examples and high-impact questions
Summarising and restating
4 Overcoming objections and excuses
Identifying objections
Preparing suitable responses
Probing objections and ways to overcome them
5 Gaining commitment and ending the call
Learn how to negotiate an agreement to suit both parties
Summarising actions for you and the customer
Ending the call professionally
6 Dealing with difficult and challenging situations
Understand different personality types
The correct way to respond to an upset customer
Ways to calm angry customers (and handle verbal attacks)