The check is in the mail ...

Getting Paid and Loving it, Your guide to collecting debt with the muscle of the mind By Graham Edwards, Martin O'Shannessy and Rob Goodfellow; Published by Lily Publications, Singapore, 2000; 122 pages; AS$27.75, online at www.getting-paid.com

JAKARTA (JP): That four-letter word that makes the world go round, but is most difficult to get your hands on: Moolah, alias bread, dough, spondulix. Okay, not exactly four words, but, hey, the only ones counting are those with lots of it: Cash.

Remember those days around the dining table when Mom and Dad were so polite and nobody ever mentioned the "m" word? Not acceptable in polite company, we've been conditioned to keep money matters to ourselves -- one of the reasons we're so unenthused when it comes to asking for it. We automatically assume cash will be transferred to our accounts once a month and, for the majority, are loathe to ask for money owed to us, either by friends or business partners.

Getting Paid and Loving it is a nifty publication for those who find chasing up owed cash unpleasant and also for the likes of you and me that break into a sweat at the very thought of asking the boss for a raise.

Get real, it's authors say, and wise up to what is your right. And they should know. All Australians, Edwards is a professional debt collector, O'Shannessy an economist and Goodfellow a journalist, consultant and businessman.

This collection of advisories, foreworded by renowned lateral thinking guru Dr. Edward de Bono, says that the primal fear humans feel in confrontational situations, which it says first evolved to help us survive in a world full of animals, is why so many people will accept bad service without complaining, being shortchanged without making a fuss and that some would rather do without money than confront the people who owe it to them.

Dealing with a range of salutary topics, from Knowing Your Debtor to The Art of Positive Confrontation, the main thrust of Getting Paid and Loving it is providing common sense ways of getting your hands on what is rightfully yours, overcoming the psychological barriers in doing so; and getting paid and keeping the customer happy.

Timing is the key, say the authors, in collecting debt. If debts age beyond 60 to 120 days, alarm bells should be ringing. Ask to be paid upon completion of the job, and don't say "you can fix me up later," it advises. Chances of being paid then are higher as the customer appreciates you more and is willing.

The greatest challenge in getting debtors to settle, says the book, is keeping your cool. Heated confrontations, involving personal slurs and retribution are not helpful and end up leaving you in a lather.

To help you understand the necessary steps to take, the book provides a number of case studies and analogies. The chapter on keeping good records, for example, relates the case of Alan the architect. Alan made notes and kept records of everything that involved his business. He made it a practice to answer letters about work and money in writing. This proved invaluable when he was taken on to design and oversee a large housing development. But things went wrong and after a while the project was scrapped. However, Alan was due to be paid for his time and efforts to date, a payment the developers refused to make.

After a number of efforts to collect what was owed, Alan hired a lawyer and took the developers to court. In the court room, the developers argued that Alan had not carried out all the work he had billed, and that, therefore, his claims were invalid.

However, due to his diligent record keeping, Alan was able to prove what had been said and done to the letter. He ended up getting his fees in full and costs were awarded against the developers. A case of simple record keeping, which cost AS$1.95, using a pencil instead of a ballpoint, working to full effect.

The Art of Positive Confrontation centers on getting over confrontations as a goal of destroying your opponent, as the consequences are always negative. It is like herding a cow, it says, what you want is for the cow to go into the barn, so you gently push and prod while showing her the way out of the situation. Following the rules of positive confrontation offer a way of getting others to do what you want and doing it in such a way as it does not backfire. Those rules include preserving dignity at all times, keeping your motivation clear and avoiding negative feelings and having the facts at your disposal along with a system that supports you.

Although the book acknowledges that there are some debt cases that are hopeless in that the debtors will never settle, it points out that one should weigh time, efforts and stress against the amount to be collected. Some people, it says, go overboard when it comes to collecting, and that they are the ones that, in the end, lose out. It advises on dealing with debt collection agencies, including when to write off the debt.

In the business world, where it is all too easy to overlook basic systems and procedures in fulfillment of sales targets, managers and bosses would do well to take a look at Getting Paid and Loving it, which includes examples of basic forms, such as a delivery docket, customer information card and a final demand letter. Basic business practices and the psychology of commerce go a long way toward achieving success.

-- William Furney