Hey there, it’s Marie Forleo and
you are watching MarieTV, the place to be to create a business and life you love, and
this whole shindig is Q&A Tuesday.
That’s right.
You know what we do?
We answer questions, Q’s and A’s, and today’s question comes from a lovely lady
called Wendy, and Wendy writes,
“How do you handle clients who use your services but then refuse to pay?
For example, I have a cat behavior consulting business.
I provide a written quote, get approval from the person to go ahead, then schedule my call,
provide the service, and send an invoice, which the client simply ignores.
Then they go on to ignore several second notice and follow up invoices.
These clients simply stop responding to emails, don't return phone calls, and ignore snail
mail.
This happens to me a lot and I don’t have any idea what to try short of insisting on
receiving payment before rendering service, which I think looks rude and demanding.
Are these clients of mine also blowing off their plumber’s bills and trash pickup fees?
Why don’t I rate being paid?
Any insights you could offer would be most appreciated.”
Ooh, Wendy, my girl, not to be catty, but it sounds like you’re having yourself a
little kitty litter pity party.
But, seriously, I understand your frustration.
And not being paid for your services is pretty crappy.
Ok, no more cat jokes.
But we are going to help you handle this right meow.
Here’s the deal, woman, I am so happy that you asked this question because so many of
us don’t feel confident enough to ask for payment up front, and we struggle with deadbeat
clients.
First, Wendy, I wanna remind you of the abundant market that you’re working in.
I did a little research, and according to the APPA, which is the American Pet Products
Association, in 2012 we spent approximately 52 billion dollars on our pets.
And there are nearly 39 million households in the US that have cats.
Translation?
There are a lot of cat owners who are your potential market, and they spend money.
So the problem here isn’t your market or your customers, it’s your approach to business.
I know from your words that you are passionate about what you do, and I bet you’re probably
a consummate professional.
But here’s the thing, Wendy, in business, perception is everything.
And I took a look at your website and the problem here is you’re not coming across
as the professional that you probably are.
And if you’re not perceived as someone who treats her business seriously, then people
won’t take your business seriously and it allows them to feel, however wrongly, that
they don’t need to pay you.
The good news here is you are not the victim and you can change this.
As Dr. Phil so wisely said, and, yes, it’s a tweetable:
“We teach people how to treat us.”
And you can teach your clients how to respect you just like you can teach cats and their
owners how to respect each other.
So here’s what you need to do.
Step number 1, you’ve got to get over the idea that requesting payment upfront is rude
and demanding, because it’s not.
Think about any time you go to the store and you buy something.
You pay for it on the spot.
Think about contractors, designers, and countless other service professionals who require you
to pay first before the service begins.
Step number 2, create a policy and a script to go with it.
Wendy, I know you love cats, but don’t be a pussy about your policies.
From this point forward, your new policy is that you require payment upon booking.
So if someone asks you about consulting, send them an email.
Tell them about your rates, your availability, and say this:
“To purchase a consulting session, click the link below.
Once you’ve completed your purchase, we’ll schedule your session right away.”
If you usually deal with clients on the phone and not email, you can say something like:
“Great, I’m so excited to work with you and Fluffy.
Here’s what happens next.
I’ll send you an email with a link to purchase your session and as soon as I receive your
payment, I’ll confirm your time and we’ll get started.”
And if you haven’t seen our MarieTV episode about dealing with late or no-show clients,
you can watch it right here.
That is my A to your Q, Wendy.
Now, no more pussy footin around your business.
It is time to get paid, girl!
Now, I’d love to hear from you.
Have you ever had trouble getting paid from your clients?
Have any deadbeat clients?
How did you deal with it?
If you’ve got stories, tips, or suggestions, I wanna hear from you.
As always, the best stuff happens after the episode over at MarieForleo.com, so go there
and leave a comment now.
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Stay on your game and keep going for your dreams.
The world needs that special gift that only you have.
Thank you so much for watching and I’ll catch you next time
on MarieTV.