How to Let Workers Know You Wish to Work With Them Again in the Future

Some clients are TERRIBLE about paying on time. That's why you lot need to learn the art of the payment request, specially if you're a freelancer…

…but when it comes to how to enquire for payment, what's the best way to practise it?

Y'all do it politely — and with scripts.

Specifically, this one:

Case of a polite email request for payment:

Of course, you're going to have to mold this script to fit your situation, but I promise you lot it works.

I know because it's based on the aforementioned one I used when I freelanced. I created a simple, ii-role system that has worked for me time and time again. Now, I'm giving information technology to you.

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The iv-step system tin exist divide upwardly into 2 parts:

Office one: How to enquire for payment politely

• How to (nicely) send a payment request electronic mail
• Backup: How to send a follow-up email that works

Role 2: How to break a customer'due south legs firmly enquire for payment

• How to stop them from hiding behind their computer
• The Nuclear options (for when all else fails)

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Part one: How to ask for payment politely

The following system merely works subsequently ane stipulation is fulfilled:

You've done great work for your client.

If yous oasis't fulfilled your obligation to your customer and given them great work that yous both agreed you lot'd provide, and then yous only have yourself to blame if they're not going to pay y'all.

To assist you with this, be sure to bank check out my 16-minute video with Steve Dublanica on how providing globe-class service to your customers can attract even amend customers.

Footstep 1: Ship your client a payment request

When you consummate the deliverables for your client, it'south time to pull out that email script we gave y'all upfront.

What do y'all notice about the email?

First, it'south friendly. When crafting an e-mail asking for payment, it's easy to default to the this-is-super-serious-business-and then-I-need-to-exist-super-serious tone — just you take to remember that you're trying to develop a proficient relationship with your client, and that's built on friendliness.

Another slap-up reason this email simply works is that the subject line does not incorporate any mention of prices at all. At that place's no easier way to let your email go unread than to include the price in the subject field line and your bulletin volition have a 100% better run a risk of being read if information technology didn't.

A few more observations:

• Ask for the payment just and be straightforward. Tell them you lot have included the invoice as office of the e-mail and how you want to be paid.
• The conclusion is polite and lets them know that you'd dear to work more with them in the future.
• This script also uses the assertion point very strategically. Its placement at the end is intentional and leaves everything on a playful tone.

Overall, it's simple, direct, and actionable. Yous can use this email for both old and new clients. Employ this script and nigh of your clients should pay you within 2 weeks.

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Stride ii: Send a follow-up email

If your customer hasn't responded in two weeks, send them a follow-upwards email. This message will be more firm and use a piffling bit of pressure while making it seem like you're doing them a favor.

Here's the script:

Notice the framing. You recognize that they're probably busy and that you didn't want the message to "fall between the cracks," then you lot're simply reminding them of the invoice before they're charged with a belatedly fee. Yous don't want to accuse your customer of anything, or else you lot risk alienating them. So always give them that chip of deniability.

Make it easy for your client to get dorsum to you by attaching the invoice likewise equally the original e-mail.

However, this electronic mail is clearly not as playful every bit the last one. Observe there's no exclamation signal at the end. When compared to the initial email, this message projects that you lot're much more serious. Yous want your customer to know you are serious about existence paid.

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Part 2: How to firmly ask for payment (without breaking whatsoever legs)

In life, though, there are 4 things that are guaranteed:

1. Expiry
2. Taxes
3. Frugalistas being wrong
4. Clients non paying you on time

And y'all might be at a signal where you're ready to really shake down your client in guild to get your payment. That'southward okay. Trouble clients happen from time to time. Information technology's inevitable.

What matters most now is that you have activeness in order to get them to pay you. That ways y'all'll accept to start dialing the phone.

Pace iii: Call them (so they tin can't hibernate behind their computer)

If your client hasn't responded to your messages after 3 – four weeks since the first email, yous'll desire to call them.

Calling people takes away the protective layer of anonymity that emails provide — making it MUCH harder to ignore your payment request.

And if you're worried virtually not knowing what to say, fear non. Because I have a script that will boot the conversation off:

"How-do-you-do, [CLIENT'Due south Proper noun]. It's [YOUR Proper noun]. I worked on the XYZ project with you most a month ago. I've sent a couple of emails most payment for the project, and I think y'all might've missed them. Have you received them?"

A few things of annotation:

• The script reminds them of the project and your agreed-upon payment.
• You're all the same friendly and even assume that they oasis't seen your emails (this shows that you trust your client).
• If something did go wrong (e-mail went to the spam binder, yous used the wrong email address, etc), you and your customer can address the upshot to forbid it from happening over again.

When you lot're finished, make certain y'all shut the loop using this script:

As with the emails, y'all want to remain friendly and never lose your cool. It's surprisingly easy to offset bravado upwards at a person and demand, "YOU PAY ME NOW, OR ELSE!!!" but the moment you lot exercise that, you stand up to both tarnish your reputation and lower your chances of ever getting paid.

Remember: Exist like Fonzie.

Pace 4: The nuclear options (for when all else fails)

If for some reason your customer continues not paying after three emails and a phone conversation, you have iii options:

1. Cut ties with the client
2. Exist annoyingly persistent
3. Hire a collection agency

one.) Cut ties with the client

I actually suggest you exercise this option above all others.

You'll want to cut ties with the client as soon as possible. The reasoning is simple: As a freelancer, you are your own best asset. Yous need to value your fourth dimension and energy as such by non wasting either on awful clients.

2.) Exist annoyingly persistent

If the payment is worth the trouble, you should email your client the invoice and call them…

…Every. Single. Day. Until they pay, that is (or y'all put them on Clients From Hell and call it even).

Y'all need to brand certain yous keep your cool during these emails and phone calls because it'll be easier now more than ever to blow up at them.

When you connect with them on the phone, you can use this unproblematic script to get the chat started:

"Hi, [CLIENT'S Name]. Information technology'due south [YOUR NAME]. I worked on the XYZ project with you dorsum in [Time FRAME]. I've sent a couple of emails about payment for the project and besides tried connecting with you on the telephone. When tin I wait my payment?"

Afterwards a while, your client should realize that you're not going to surrender and pay y'all. If they don't, though, you can always try the next selection.

3.) Rent a collection bureau

This tactic is typically reserved for situations where y'all put a lot of work into whatsoever it was you provided for your client (and then the bill is LARGE).

Collection agencies be to assistance businesses (e.g. you) accomplish any debt that is owed to you. In social club to practise that, though, they typically require that you have all the debt that is owed to you in writing, and then brand sure you take records of all the email exchanges (as well every bit the invoices) with your customer.

Unfortunately, many collection agencies have a bad rap due to a few that continually harass debtors. That'southward why yous're going to want to find a reputable agency that will help you go your money back without resorting to unscrupulous means.

Here are a few ways yous tin can discover one that'll piece of work for you lot:

• Refer to the Better Business Bureau. The BBB provides ratings for all of the drove agencies near you. Definitely check them out if you're looking to hire one.
• Search the IDCA and ACA directory. The International Debt Collectors Association and the Association of Credit and Drove Professionals are organizations fabricated up of debt collection agencies that be to promote ethical standards and practices in the industry.
• Enquire other business organization people. Referrals are some other great way to find out whether or not an bureau is good.

No thing how they're found, the agency you rent will take payment through a percentage of the recovered debt (typically 10% – xxx%). Yes, it's a bummer that you won't get paid the full corporeality for the work you put in — but something is ameliorate than nothing.

If you lot've let the back payments stack up so much that they are worth bringing in an agency, you should learn a valuable lesson: Respect your own time enough that y'all never proceed piece of work with someone who is behind.

How do I avoid this in the future?

Remember: Prevention is always improve than a cure. Then to avert getting a late-paying client again, yous'll want to make sure you:

• Did the work. It might audio obvious, merely nothing's more embarrassing than asking your customer for payment on deliverables you…well, never delivered. That's why you want to make sure that all the expectations y'all and your client agreed upon take been fulfilled on your stop.
• Invoice promptly. As soon as y'all've finished doing the piece of work for your client, make sure you immediately transport an invoice. That way, it'll be fresh in your client'southward mind while they're happy because they received your service.
• Include a due date. Make sure your invoice includes a clear due engagement that the client needs to pay y'all before — lest they incur the wrath of your late fee. Also make certainyou didn't write downward the incorrect due date or even charged your customer for the wrong things.
• Don't evangelize your service until y'all are paid. Another choice is to take very strict criteria for when you evangelize your product or service. If lazy clients know they don't demand to pay to receive the deliverable, why would they?

These things might seem small just tin go a long manner in ensuring a solid relationship with yous and your customer.

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