Is there anything more insulting and discouraging than doing a great job for someone on a voice over, and then having to fight with them to get paid? It happened to me a few times in 2012 and it really ticked me off. Can you relate?
Convinced there had to be a better way, I set out to find a system that would help me never experience an unpaid invoice again. This search included a lot of research on the subject, and even took me into some of the psychology involved.
In my research, there are a few things I learned.
3 Tips For Getting Paid
1) Assume Nothing: On one particular invoice, which had gone unpaid for a couple of months, I began to send some slightly aggressive emails to the “offender.” Imagine my humiliation when I came to find out the reason the invoice had gone unpaid was due to a death in the family that occurred right around the time I sent my invoice. It was innocently lost in the shuffle. Sometimes, there really is an honest, innocent and reasonable explanation.
2) The easier you make it to get paid, the easier it is for clients to pay: One frustrated talent came to me explaining that they’d only accept certified cheques after having been “screwed over” a time or two in the past. It’s never a good idea to make all clients pay for the errors of a few. Most won’t jump through those hoops.
3) Be Professional. Always: How you conduct your business matters. It matters because people talk. Especially now, in the days of social media. If you call out clients, subject them to public humiliation, shame them on social media, or send angry and offensive notices, trust me… you’re NEVER getting paid.
The system I’ve put into practice in my voice over business has lead to 100% payment for three years running. I’m closing in on nearly 1,000 invoices paid in full. Out of that number, only one time did I have to hire outside counsel to assist in collecting – and even then, it was an extreme circumstance.
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Want to dive deeper into this topic and learn specific strategies for getting your invoices paid and for raising your voice over rates?
You’ll learn how I’ve maintained 100% payment in my business. You’ll even get to see the exact emails I use for collecting late payments. Proven emails that get it done!
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