The Psychology Of Commercial Collections

Getting paid by a non-payer/slow-payer isn’t easy. Especially concerning a B2B debt. Often times the responsible party has made a lifelong habit of stalling payments on rightfully owed debts. Why is it that one person feels so compelled to pay debts and another seems so relaxed about putting them off?

Here’s what I think it is:

A feeling of personal connection to the debt or lack thereof is the underlying reason. One person feels personally connected to and responsible for the debt and the other has a disconnected and separated feeling about it. A healthy normal person will know how they created the debt and resolve to remedy it. A person who has decided that all debts owed by a company are separate from him/herself will often see no problem in being a non-payer unless it’s convenient for them or fits an immediate need they might have. They fail to see the impact their self-deception has on other people. Their creditor may be a small business employing 20 people who count on receivables to be paid to make payroll! Conversely, the creditor might be a large corporation with shareholders to satisfy. In either case, many people are affected and end up “paying” the debt for the debtor in the form of higher prices, lower returns, etc!
A good commercial collector will understand this thinking in a very intricate sense. They will know what to listen for and how to respond to every kind of excuse or reason a debtor might give. They will help the debtor understand the very PERSONAL nature of a B2B debt and the effect that an unpaid debt has on the people around them. Good commercial debt collectors understand the psychology of collecting commercial debts because in the end, there is no such thing as an unpaid debt. Someone will end up paying. If you need help with collecting unpaid commercial receivables or just advice on what to do with those problem accounts, give me a call… I would be glad to help.

Brent Anderson P.C.S.
Director of Business Development, Summit A•R