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DEBT COLLECTING Q & A
– Issue #1
By Jim Finucan
© 2001 Tiare Publications Group
382 words
Dear Jim –
Q - I keep running into guys who say they just don't have
the money.
When I hear that I start to lose my resolve. What can I do?
A - First, you need to be absolutely convinced in your own
mind –
before you even start the call - that you deserve to be paid
and
you're going to get the money. Everybody has it within
themselves to
fight for what is theirs. Think of your past accomplishments
and get
yourself pumped up ahead of time. It's essential that you to
come
across as strong and determined on the phone, otherwise the
debtor
will sense your weakness. And you can bet that he will try
to use
that weakness against you.
When he says he doesn't have the money to pay you, start
asking him
questions about his financial situation. Is he paying his
employees
these days, or are they working for vouchers? Has he made
any major
purchases in the last 60 days? Could he get approved for a
loan? What
kind of car does he drive? What's his average annual income?
He's
not going to be prepared for all these questions so he'll
have to
think fast - make up lies on-the-spot. One of them bound to
be
ridiculous and thus easy to spot. When it comes call him on
it. It's
time to shame him and shame him good
"That's ridiculous."
"How naïve do you think I am?"
"Who do you think you're kidding?"
"Do you handle all your business affairs as
pathetically as this?"
"Do the other businesses you deal with know you're in
such
a bad situation?"
If he is having trouble paying some of his bills it's likely
the
other people he deals with aren't aware of his situation,
because he
knows they won't stand for the kind of stuff he is pulling
on you, so
he doesn't try it on them. And you shouldn't let him pull it
on you,
either.
He wants you to feel sorry for him. By creating a situation
where he
has to lie, and then making him explain his lies he may
begin to
realize just how pathetic he sounds to others. I firmly
believe that
even someone with a comatose conscience can be awakened and
turned
around by using this approach.
-----------------
Jim Finucan is a "top gun" bill collector who has
been bringing in
unpaid bucks for over a dozen years. He is the author of
"Past Due –
A Debt Collections Manual" http://www.tiare.com/pastdue.htm
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