The check is in the mail ...<\/p>\n
Getting Paid and Loving it, Your guide to collecting debt with
\nthe muscle of the mind
\nBy Graham Edwards, Martin O'Shannessy and Rob Goodfellow;
\nPublished by Lily Publications, Singapore, 2000;
\n122 pages;
\nAS$27.75, online at www.getting-paid.com<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): That four-letter word that makes the world go
\nround, but is most difficult to get your hands on: Moolah, alias
\nbread, dough, spondulix. Okay, not exactly four words, but, hey,
\nthe only ones counting are those with lots of it: Cash.<\/p>\n
Remember those days around the dining table when Mom and Dad
\nwere so polite and nobody ever mentioned the \"m\" word? Not
\nacceptable in polite company, we've been conditioned to keep
\nmoney matters to ourselves -- one of the reasons we're so
\nunenthused when it comes to asking for it. We automatically
\nassume cash will be transferred to our accounts once a month and,
\nfor the majority, are loathe to ask for money owed to us, either
\nby friends or business partners.<\/p>\n
Getting Paid and Loving it is a nifty publication for those
\nwho find chasing up owed cash unpleasant and also for the likes
\nof you and me that break into a sweat at the very thought of
\nasking the boss for a raise.<\/p>\n
Get real, it's authors say, and wise up to what is your right.
\nAnd they should know. All Australians, Edwards is a professional
\ndebt collector, O'Shannessy an economist and Goodfellow a
\njournalist, consultant and businessman.<\/p>\n
This collection of advisories, foreworded by renowned lateral
\nthinking guru Dr. Edward de Bono, says that the primal fear
\nhumans feel in confrontational situations, which it says first
\nevolved to help us survive in a world full of animals, is why so
\nmany people will accept bad service without complaining, being
\nshortchanged without making a fuss and that some would rather do
\nwithout money than confront the people who owe it to them.<\/p>\n
Dealing with a range of salutary topics, from Knowing Your
\nDebtor to The Art of Positive Confrontation, the main thrust of
\nGetting Paid and Loving it is providing common sense ways of
\ngetting your hands on what is rightfully yours, overcoming the
\npsychological barriers in doing so; and getting paid and keeping
\nthe customer happy.<\/p>\n
Timing is the key, say the authors, in collecting debt. If
\ndebts age beyond 60 to 120 days, alarm bells should be ringing.
\nAsk to be paid upon completion of the job, and don't say \"you can
\nfix me up later,\" it advises. Chances of being paid then are
\nhigher as the customer appreciates you more and is willing.<\/p>\n
The greatest challenge in getting debtors to settle, says the
\nbook, is keeping your cool. Heated confrontations, involving
\npersonal slurs and retribution are not helpful and end up leaving
\nyou in a lather.<\/p>\n
To help you understand the necessary steps to take, the book
\nprovides a number of case studies and analogies. The chapter on
\nkeeping good records, for example, relates the case of Alan the
\narchitect. Alan made notes and kept records of everything that
\ninvolved his business. He made it a practice to answer letters
\nabout work and money in writing. This proved invaluable when he
\nwas taken on to design and oversee a large housing development.
\nBut things went wrong and after a while the project was scrapped.
\nHowever, Alan was due to be paid for his time and efforts to
\ndate, a payment the developers refused to make.<\/p>\n
After a number of efforts to collect what was owed, Alan hired
\na lawyer and took the developers to court. In the court room, the
\ndevelopers argued that Alan had not carried out all the work he
\nhad billed, and that, therefore, his claims were invalid.<\/p>\n
However, due to his diligent record keeping, Alan was able to
\nprove what had been said and done to the letter. He ended up
\ngetting his fees in full and costs were awarded against the
\ndevelopers. A case of simple record keeping, which cost AS$1.95,
\nusing a pencil instead of a ballpoint, working to full effect.<\/p>\n
The Art of Positive Confrontation centers on getting over
\nconfrontations as a goal of destroying your opponent, as the
\nconsequences are always negative. It is like herding a cow, it
\nsays, what you want is for the cow to go into the barn, so you
\ngently push and prod while showing her the way out of the
\nsituation. Following the rules of positive confrontation offer a
\nway of getting others to do what you want and doing it in such a
\nway as it does not backfire. Those rules include preserving
\ndignity at all times, keeping your motivation clear and avoiding
\nnegative feelings and having the facts at your disposal along
\nwith a system that supports you.<\/p>\n
Although the book acknowledges that there are some debt cases
\nthat are hopeless in that the debtors will never settle, it
\npoints out that one should weigh time, efforts and stress against
\nthe amount to be collected. Some people, it says, go overboard
\nwhen it comes to collecting, and that they are the ones that, in
\nthe end, lose out. It advises on dealing with debt collection
\nagencies, including when to write off the debt.<\/p>\n
In the business world, where it is all too easy to overlook
\nbasic systems and procedures in fulfillment of sales targets,
\nmanagers and bosses would do well to take a look at Getting Paid
\nand Loving it, which includes examples of basic forms, such as a
\ndelivery docket, customer information card and a final demand
\nletter. Basic business practices and the psychology of commerce
\ngo a long way toward achieving success.<\/p>\n
-- William Furney<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-check-is-in-the-mail-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }