Resonating with the person you are attempting to work with can be one of the most important factors in any collection scenario, but it is also one of the most overlooked aspects of commercial debt collection.
While the internet is filled with tips and tactics on how to get the most out of a debtor with minimal effort, the key component that is often left out is building a relationship in a way that makes the person actually want to work with you.
If you really want to get the most out of any collection situation, check out these seven simple tips to help you resonate with difficult debtors.
Empathize With Their Situation
Do you know that old saying about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes? Well, that holds true in most debt collection scenarios too.
Take a few minutes to think about what the person you are trying to work with might have gone through to end up on the bad end of a collection. This will instantly put you into an empathy mindset that will help you treat the debtor with respect.
Stay on Their Level
Speaking of treating the debtor with respect, our second tip for resonating with debtors is to be mindful that collectors can often come off as talking down to the people they are attempting to collect from.
Make an effort to keep your entire conversation on the same level as the person you are working with so that you don’t risk insulting them.
Build Engagement
Another way to get debtors to resonate with you is to build engagement by asking simple questions and finding common interests. This can take a lot of the pressure off of a collection situation, which will put the debtor at ease and make them more willing to work with you.
Share Success Stories
Many debtors find themselves on the wrong end of collection calls because they don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. One of the best ways to resonate with those people is to show them success stories of consumers who were able to get themselves out of difficult situations.
You obviously don’t have to share any personal details, but just showing a debtor that it is possible to rebuild their credit can go a long way towards resonating with them.
Be Yourself
When making collection calls, it can be easy to fall into an all-business mode and forget to share any personal details. Make a point to relax and act like yourself in any collection situation so that the debtor knows they are working with a real person and not an automated robot.
Answer Their Questions
Resonating with debtors is all about building a relationship through conversation, so make sure that you are willing to participate in an active one by answering any and all questions they might have about their situation.
Encourage the people you are working with to ask as many questions as they like, and be honest with them in your answers…even if you don’t know what the answer might be.
Focus on Positive Outcomes
Threatening people with negative outcomes does the exact opposite of resonating with debtors, so make sure that you are always highlighting the positive outcomes that come with working out their debt situation.
Point out the power of good credit and how easy it can be to improve your credit once you get those collection accounts off of your report.
Any type of commercial debt collection is always going to be based on getting people to want to work with you, and the best way to do that is to show them that you understand their situation and have their best long-term interests in mind.
That is how you resonate with debtors, and it also happens to be the best way to recover the most money in the long run.
