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The fee course of might be difficult for small enterprise house owners. Particularly in the case of unpaid invoices, you need to preserve a steadiness of being well mannered sufficient to maintain a fantastic relationship along with your shopper, however stern sufficient that your shopper feels a way of urgency to pay you.
Whether or not your shopper is every week late or a month late on funds, we’re right here that can assist you stroll that tightrope.
On this article, we’ll begin with ideas for politely asking a shopper for fee, after which we’ll present e mail templates for each stage of the fee reminder course of that can show you how to receives a commission quicker.
Let’s begin with some ideas!
Strive automated fee reminders
Activate computerized fee reminders and make sure you by no means need to elevate a finger to be sure to receives a commission on time.
What ought to I embody in my fee reminder e mail?
Get straight to the purpose. Embody these essential gadgets that it’s best to embody in your reminder message:
- The preliminary fee due date
- How lengthy the fee has been overdue
- The excellent steadiness
- Cost choices
- Attachments or hyperlinks to invoices which are related
- Directions on the right way to make fee
- Your late fee phrases and insurance policies, together with relevant late charges or penalties
These are the minimal necessities for what to offer in your follow-up emails. To be sure to’re speaking clearly, let’s stroll by way of 10 ideas for crafting your reminder messages.
10 greatest practices to writing fee reminder emails
1. Use a transparent topic line
Make your shopper’s life simpler by giving all of them the knowledge they want instantly out of your e mail’s topic line.
When writing your e mail topic line:
- Use clear key phrases like “Cost reminder” or “Overdue bill”
- Embody the bill quantity
- Embody the fee date
Right here’s what that appears like in motion:
Topic: Cost Reminder: Bill 1/3 – Due October 1
2. Confer with the bill
Don’t make your shopper dig by way of their e mail historical past to seek out the excellent bill. Re-attach the bill to your e mail, or present a hyperlink for those who’re utilizing an on-line bill. Should you’re liable to forgetting so as to add attachments, connect the bill earlier than you sort a single phrase, or use a system like HoneyBook that attaches the bill file to every fee reminder e mail routinely.
3. Begin with a well mannered introduction
You don’t need to come off as too chilly. Begin your e mail with a well mannered and private introduction. This ensures that you simply’re utilizing a pleasant tone, which can be extra more likely to get a response. That may be so simple as greeting the shopper by title after which together with a single line wishing them effectively.
Simply make sure you strike a steadiness with knowledgeable tone as effectively. I like to recommend avoiding exclamation factors or emojis so your shopper is aware of you continue to imply enterprise.
4. Personalization might help
Personalizing the fee reminder might help preserve a constructive relationship with prospects. Methods for personalization might be based mostly on buyer historical past, preferences, or previous interactions. The hot button is balancing professionalism with personalised touches to encourage motion.
5. Tone and language
Write in knowledgeable and courteous tone whereas conveying the urgency of the state of affairs. Keep away from accusatory language. Concentrate on problem-solving and help. Take into account expressing appreciation for previous enterprise whereas requesting well timed fee. This communicates that you simply worth your relationship with the shopper.
6. Make the fee phrases clear
Sure, this sounds apparent. However it’s crucial a part of your e mail is to remind the shopper how a lot is due, and when the fee is (or was) due.
Don’t be imprecise: embody the precise due date of the bill and keep away from making complicated statements like “due on receipt.” If you need to ship a number of reminders, proceed to replace the timeline, whether or not it’s a day overdue, every week, or extra. Doing so will show you how to doc the late fee in case you could refer again to your reminders.
7. Embody particulars on the right way to pay
When you could embody fee particulars on the bill itself, you must also embody a transparent name to motion in your e mail to finish the fee. You’ll be able to both embody a hyperlink to your fee portal or present detailed directions for making a fee. For instance, for those who settle for checks, you’ll need to ensure that your shoppers know who to deal with the verify to and the place to ship it.
8. Affirm receipt
If this isn’t your first reminder, chances are you’ll need to use this chance to verify along with your shopper that they’ve truly acquired your bill. Not solely does it provide you with peace of thoughts, nevertheless it’s additionally a handy strategy to shift the dialog to one thing apart from “please pay me.”
For instance:
Please affirm receipt of this bill so we are able to ensure that we now have your right contact info.
Should you’ve already acquired a reply to a earlier e mail from the shopper, you possibly can modify this part to ask your shopper when it’s best to count on to obtain fee.
9. Embody penalties of late fee
If the fee is already late, you could have to remind your shopper about your late fee coverage. However except the fee is actually late, strive to not sound too threatening.
For instance:
As a mild reminder of our fee phrases, a late payment of 5% can be utilized for each week the overdue fee shouldn’t be paid.
Different insurance policies may embody canceling the contract. You may not must repeat your full late-payment coverage, however make sure you remind your shoppers about any milestones which are arising, corresponding to canceling companies at a sure date or making use of one other late payment.
Simply remember the fact that you could set up late fee phrases at first of your working relationship—ideally in an on-line contract. In any other case, you’ll be able to’t pursue any authorized motion in regard to those insurance policies.
10. Reap the benefits of automated emails
Preserving observe of which funds are late and the way late can take up an excessive amount of of your time. Should you’re manually sending reminder emails, it’ll change into tedious. As a substitute, use automated e mail reminders which you can arrange for every shopper. Simply because they’re automated doesn’t imply that they’ll’t be personalised. Once you arrange your e mail templates, you’ll be able to nonetheless incorporate your pleasant, pure tone.
With a system like HoneyBook, you simply activate fee reminders so that you don’t even have to consider them. Not solely do you improve your possibilities of getting paid on time, however you may as well spend much less time writing emails.
3 examples of fee reminder emails
Listed below are some helpful fee reminder e mail templates that can show you how to receives a commission quicker.
Cost reminder e mail upfront
Sending this e mail every week upfront is a superb sign to your shopper that you simply count on to be paid on time. In your first fee reminder e mail, hold it well mannered, quick, and informative.
Right here’s the right way to write a fantastic one-week reminder e mail:
One-Week Reminder E mail
Hello Maria,
I hope you’re doing effectively! It is a pleasant reminder that bill #1, totaling $1,000, is due for fee on October 1—one week from in the present day.
Please be happy to contact me when you’ve got any questions concerning the bill or fee particulars.
Thanks,
Rick Roberts
On this e mail, you don’t should be too aggressive. On this case, we didn’t connect the bill or embody fee particulars, as we assumed the shopper has this info and is ready to pay on time.
Due date fee reminder e mail
It’s additionally advisable to ship an e mail on the date the bill is due. On this case, you continue to need to hold it pleasant, however it’s best to embody extra fee particulars.
Right here’s an instance of a fee reminder e mail on the fee due date:
Due Date Reminder
Topic: Cost Reminder: Bill #01 – Due At the moment
Hello Maria,
Good morning! I simply wished to remind you that bill #1, totaling $1,000, is due for fee in the present day (October 1).
I’ve connected a duplicate of the bill to your comfort. Cost might be made by direct deposit, financial institution switch, or verify.
Greatest needs,
Rick Roberts
As a result of the shopper nonetheless hasn’t paid by the due date, you need to make it as simple as doable for them to pay you by offering the entire steadiness, the right way to pay you, and the unique bill. However you’ll be able to nonetheless hold the fee reminder message gentle and pleasant as a result of there’s nonetheless the possibility that they’ll pay you while you ship the e-mail.
Late fee reminder e mail
As soon as the shopper has reached every week with out paying you, you’ve gotten the inexperienced gentle to shift to a firmer tone.
Right here’s the right way to write a late fee reminder e mail:
One-Week Reminder
Topic: Cost Reminder: Bill #01 – One Week Overdue
Hello Maria,
I hope all is effectively. My data point out that I’ve but to obtain fee for bill #1, totaling $1,000. The bill was due on October 1st, making it every week overdue.
I’ve reattached the bill to your comfort. Cost might be made by direct deposit, financial institution switch, or verify.
Greatest needs,
Rick Roberts
As soon as once more, this past-due e mail instance provides the shopper every thing they should know to have the ability to pay you. Notice that it’s worded as “I’ve but to obtain fee,” neutralizing the difficulty of the late fee and never putting any blame in your shopper.
The right way to ship a fee reminder e mail
You’ll be able to ship your reminder messages manually by way of any e mail platform like Gmail. Nevertheless, you’re lacking out for those who’re not utilizing some sort of invoicing or fee software program.
The correct software program is designed to take work off of your plate. So, it makes it simpler to check with earlier invoices and helps you enhance shopper communication by way of templated emails and computerized reminders.
When must you ship fee reminder emails?
The precise variety of emails and while you ship them will fluctuate based mostly on your corporation and invoicing schedule, nevertheless it’s greatest to ship reminder emails earlier than the fee is due, on the due date, and after the fee due date (if mandatory).
Right here’s an instance fee reminder e mail cadence:
- Superior reminder: despatched every week or a number of days earlier than the due date
- Due date e mail: despatched on the due date
- First late fee reminder: despatched every week after the fee due date
- Second late fee reminder: despatched two weeks after the fee due date
- Third late fee reminder: despatched when the bill is a month overdue
By preserving a predictable and common fee reminder cadence, you’ll set up the professionalism and worth of your corporation—displaying your shopper that you simply take getting paid critically.
The right way to keep away from late funds within the first place
Figuring out the right way to deal with late funds is one factor, however one of the best technique is to keep away from them within the first place.
I like to recommend organising bill reminders at first of any venture or shopper relationship. As soon as once more, that is the place an bill software program can turn out to be useful, since a lot of them do that routinely. With out lifting a finger, you’ll be able to positive your shoppers are conscious of upcoming funds.
It additionally helps to arrange recurring billing when doable. With this technique, your shoppers can add their bank card to your on-line fee portal and choose computerized funds in order that they’re billed routinely in keeping with the accredited fee plan.
Buyer retention methods
Past simply securing fee, take into account discussing methods for sustaining constructive relationships with prospects even when sending reminder emails. This might embody providing versatile fee choices, demonstrating empathy for purchasers going through monetary difficulties, or offering incentives for immediate fee.
What to do for those who don’t obtain fee
Earlier than you even face excellent funds, it’s greatest to determine your fee insurance policies on the outset. This implies writing down your phrases and procedures and together with them in your whole contracts. That approach, you’ll know the right way to proceed in each state of affairs.
It’s greatest to find out what steps to take when a fee is any variety of days overdue in addition to the right way to deal with completely different quantities. For instance, if a fee is 30 days overdue and greater than $500, chances are you’ll need to seek the advice of a lawyer. At 90 days overdue, it might be time to show over the bill fee to a group company.
These procedures are solely examples, nevertheless it’s greatest to seek the advice of with a enterprise lawyer to find out your greatest plan earlier than taking any authorized motion.
What are you able to do in case your shopper doesn’t pay?
You’d hope that your respectful, cheap, {and professional} e mail reminders—interspersed with a number of agency however compelling voicemails—would immediate your shopper to reply in order that issues might be labored out amicably. However hope is neither a technique nor an answer.
Nevertheless, if all of your communication channels are failing to retrieve your shopper’s unpaid debt, chances are you’ll must take extra formal motion, starting with a debt assortment letter. A debt assortment letter could inform a debtor of their debt, provoke a compensation plan, preview impending authorized proceedings, or mix these duties. If the debtor doesn’t reply promptly with full fee of their debt, you’ll be able to formally start the collections course of, both by doing it your self or by hiring a group company.
Earlier than partaking an company, take into account this: Assortment companies will hold a considerable fraction of the debt as their fee, which regularly makes them a poor alternative for gathering small money owed. Moreover, sending a shopper’s debt to collections is a predictable strategy to sever ties with that shopper. Ask your self for those who’re keen to burn that bridge earlier than you’re taking any motion.
Getting paid on time isn’t nearly efficiently reminding your shoppers. It’s about setting the precise phrases in your contracts, providing a simple strategy to pay, and monitoring funds seamlessly. You are able to do it by yourself, or it can save you time with a clientflow administration platform.
With a system like HoneyBook, you’ll be able to create one of the best collateral for promoting your companies, ship on-line invoices and contracts, and receives a commission by way of the press of a button