You are on top of your aging receivables and have done everything you can think of to bring in anything over 90 days old. You have sent letters and made phone calls, and have received only broken promises or gotten no response at all.

Ready to begin the process of recovering that money? Great! First, you must “break up” with your receivables. Even though it is shame not to be paid for the work you do or for the products you provide, you must let go of any personal feelings. If you like, you can always have a plan to take them back as a customer once their bill is paid, but for now, write the accounts off to collection. Engage an attorney or collection firm, and then let them do the work for you. Do not keep any contact with the customer and direct all calls and inquiries to the collector.

Focus on running your business and let the collector do their job and recover for you.

Speaking with someone about money they owe is not easy. You begin in an adversarial position. You must have a very thick skin. It is important to be a good listener, to try to understand why the bill is unpaid. However, you must also have the discipline to stay on track, to remember your goal – to recover money owed to your client.

You must always remain professional and courteous, but you are not trying to befriend the person on the other end of line. You are trying to find a way to get your client paid. It may not be possible, but if it is, it is up to you to find a way.

Will being nice help you get there? Maybe. Or, perhaps being calm, professional and focused will be more effective.