Speak The Good News, Write the Bad News

When dealing with late payers, it’s always a smart strategy to “Speak the Good News, Write the Bad News.” This keeps you in the role of the "Good Guy" since you avoid delivering unpleasant news directly.

If someone complains about a letter’s tone, you can easily shift the blame. You might say:

• “It’s our policy.” (Whether you have one or not, they don’t know!)

• “The computer automatically generates those letters.”

• “The Board requires it.” (It doesn’t matter who or what you attribute it to.)

• “Jonathan Fortesque handles those things.” (Who is Jonathan Fortesque? He doesn’t even have to exist!)

If you need to take a tough stance on payment, it’s better to do so in writing because:

1. It gives the debtor time to process the message and decide on their response, rather than catching them off guard.

2. Trying to deliver bad news over the phone will likely lead to an argument.

For example, if you need to send a “Pay-Up-Or-Else” message, how can you say that nicely over the phone? You can’t. So, don’t! Write it instead. After they’ve had time to receive and think about the letter, follow up with a friendly phone call offering help.

You could say something like, “Is there anything I can do to help prevent this from happening?” Now you’re positioning yourself as an ally, even though your letter carried the hard message.

The key is to keep the difficult conversations in writing and use the phone to offer solutions. This way, you're delivering the bad news without the tension of a direct confrontation, and you're more likely to have a productive follow-up.

Lastly, if you already know what they’re likely to say, skip the call altogether and send a registered letter instead. That way, you ensure they receive it and understand that you’re aware they’ve got your message. This simple tactic makes a big difference in how your communication is received.