Q & A Table of Contents
Penny Wise And Pound Foolish
From: Linda, San Diego, CA
Question: Our employer could not afford to have everyone here attend a negotiation skill seminar. Our work involves collections and my staff includes many inexperienced people. Can you suggest a training mechanism I might use with new collections people that deal with collections from specific people--not companies. Or can you suggest some basic knowledge I might provide to them that might assist me in bringing up their level of productivity? Our collections involves money or even gathering paperwork from delinquent debtors. Any assistance you can provide would be appreciated as my people seem to be in many various levels of ability.
Response: It is penny wise and pound foolish to think that people who are faced with the responsibility to collect debts can do a good job without serious hands-on training -- in negotiation as well as other people skills. There are many negotiation books on the market as well as videos and web-based offerings; none of these offers people a chance for the kind of hands-on practice they need to develop the confidence needed to do a good job.
The folks who collect debts are the fundamental asset of your organization; investing in them should pay real dividends.
Collectors need to ask non-judgmental questions, then listen carefully to the responses before they make any suggestions or -- heaven forbid -- threats to induce prompt payment of existing debt. This skill is developed through training as well as experience.
If your company is not in a position to give formal training to collectors, successful collectors should be used as mentors for new or inexperienced people. The hands-on help that experienced people can provide creates opportunities for folks to learn skills and have a trusted colleague help them through a difficult and demanding job. Offering mini-lectures by lawyers, accounts, law-enforcement officials, social workers and others who deal with folks with debt problems can provide substantive ideas -- even though the experiential learning process may not be addressed directly.
Good luck,
Steve
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