with this account. This will not only help
in case there are any issues that come up,
but also keeps everyone in the loop on
what’s discussed and any action items that
result from the meeting. sent to all internal departments who need
to know what was discussed or decided in
the meeting, such as top executives, sales
managers, customer service, Keep it brief
but informative.
Whether you are traveling with sales or
not, have a meeting before you go to have
a candid conversation about the account,
gather background info, outline goals for
the meeting, etc. Things You Should Not Do
Prepare a list of questions for the person
or people you will be meeting. These could
be questions around their finances, any
compliance needs they need you to meet
when invoicing them, future plans, etc.
the questions you ask will depend on the
reason for the visit.
Take notes during the meeting to
ensure you are bringing back the correct
information.
Send a follow up email to the customer
after the meeting to summarize the
discussion and any action items. This
ensures you are all on the same page,
everyone knows what they are responsible
for, and there is documentation of the
meeting to be tracked along with the
customer’s other credit information.
Write up a report after the visit that can be
You can discuss possibilities, but do not
make significant promises or commitments
during the visit. You can always tell the
customer you need to run it past the rest
of your team or the chief executive officer
of your company before moving forward
as a way to avoid escalating the issue to a
grave level.
Don’t let the meeting get confrontational,
it’s always advisable not to commit
this deadly sin of locking horns with a
customer.
Do not say anything negative about your
company or colleagues. Sometimes when
things get tough it’s easier to blame
someone who is not in the room or fault
your company’s processes, but this can
lead to the customer thinking of you and
even your company as unprofessional.
Do not bring up other customers during
your meeting. Again this is unprofessional
and surely your other customer has
nothing to do with this.
Don’t hang out in the area. If you and
your team go out to have drinks or a meal
after the meeting to recap, go somewhere
further away from the customer. The last
thing you want to do is wind up at the
restaurant down the street where all the
employees go and have your conversation
(be it good or bad) overheard by company
employees.
In conclusion, it is always wise to take
the time to get to know your customers
and help them to relieve their financial
issues. Sometimes the counseling help and
budgeting is all they need to pay your debt,
this way you’ll always not only succeed in
your collection exercise but also foster
a good working relationship with your
customers.
Wasilwa Miriongi is a Certified
Credit
Professional
currently
working as the Managing Director,
Del Creder Credit Management
Limited. You can engage him on
this or related matters via email at:
[email protected].