I Cant Get Paid to Save My Life

this ^ if they can't pay half up front, then they obviously aren't a client you want to work with

I have had this happen as well and it is very frustrating. It really makes you learn a lot. Obviously you know now to get a deposit up front and make certain that you have a signed contract that states how much the deposit is and when the balance is due. I actually started doing a 60/40 split so I get 60% up front and I give the client the option to pay the other 40% over two months but I outline in the contract when those payments are due and if they are late the site will automatically be suspended. I know you don't want to piss client off by suspending an account but they must know that you are a business too and you need to be paid on time.

As far as what you should do about this particular guy I agree with everything that hpgoodboy said. You need to let the guy know you mean business.

Holy Camoly....use yer Noggin! (Ooops...sorry, you haven't been "thru the Gauntlet" yet)

Here's a technique I've used that "Got My SLOOOW Payers, to Pay, when I was starting out.

I, as everyone else starting out, wanted to "be Nice" to any prospect who said, "Let's DO IT!"

WoW! Holy Camoly! Someone said "YES!" to my proposal! Well....when the same thing you're taling about happened to ME.....I thought, "Hey! WHAT will MOtivate this guy to pay?"

One word, "Competitors"! So...what I did was contact 6 other biz owners in the same Niche and....(pay close attention here to understand the Psychology).....told them that I had completed a Website (or whatever) for Mr. Non-Payer and....I can do the SAME for them (Go ahead Take a look, here's the URL!)

Then....when FOUR competitors contacted me and asked "How Much for the Same thingee for me?"

The result being....I was able to sell THREE the Same Price as my Non-Payer using him as a "Testimonial" to what I can do.

And....guess what? Not one of these prospects phoned my "Non-Payer" to see how he "liked my Service"! (That was the Fear my wife had. What if your new prospcts CALL the Non-Payer? Don't worry, it never happens!)

So....even if any of your New Prospects calls your Non-Payer, WHAT do you think your Non-Payer will think?

Yup....I had BETTER PAY THIS GUY!

Hope this helped,

Don Alm.....Loong Time sales guy

Loooooooong after.

I had one chargeback 5 months after the fact. Visa/MC have a6 month chargeback period and, believe it or not, AMEX has 9.

Everyone is giving the same advice. And it's because it's true and it works...

I can only speak from my experience here. But I don't lift a finger until every cent has been cleared. And I don't build $500 websites...In fact as I type this I'm arranging the checks this week to make a deposit. The totals are as follows...seriously....

$2,600
$1,250
$1,675
$1,300

This is just new websites...I have 6 other checks totaling a little over $13,000 for other services rendered.

This is only the weeks checks. The other 80% of clients use CC. Half the time we only use checks when the clients card has a limit lower than what we're charging.

My point here is not to show off any numbers, or size up compared to you or anyone else...It's to prove that businesses WILL pay up front and they SHOULD.

When you take your car to get it fixed do you pay half before and half after? lol no.... you pay right then and there and don't expect your keys back until you do...

Or what about when you break down on the side of the road and have to be towed. Does mr. tow man accept a 50/50 payment?

Or what if god for bid you get drunk and somehow leave your car on the side of the road. It gets impounded, do you think you're getting that back when they tell you it will cost $600 to get it out and you hand them $200 and tell them you'll pay the rest later? nope

Think about it....how often do YOU get allowed payment plans, 50/50 splits in life? Very seldom nowadays. Yeah credit card companies maybe but that's only because you're making someone a billionaire from it.

Your problem is you're working for free. You have no problem coming here and saying "that doesn't pay the mortgage", so why is it so hard to tell a client that?

Don't get me wrong man, I'm not calling you a P*ssy but ive said it before. Business is a dog eat dog world. If you can't hack it then step aside so I can succeed. Otherwise get a backbone and start acting as a real business, not someones playtoy.

Tough love sucks man. But that's what you're going to get from me. This can be fixed, so fix it. You have a page full of common advice. Listen to it, and take it.

Best of luck

Hi Ayebud,

you have more internet experience than me but I was probably doing business before you were born and am considered an expert in getting people to pay their bills.

Hopefully what I write below will help others as well as you.

The sad fact is that you are probably as much to blame as anybody for giving clients the view they can keep throwing your invoice to the bottom of the pile simply because you approach it the wrong way.

Failing to pay for your services is the ultimate lack of respect by your clients, so here's the way every business I've ever been involved in collects money successfully and this includes as an owner of private corporations and a director of public listed corporations..

Step 1: You politely phone your client and ask: Is there something you don't like about the website we built?
Usually they will say: No, it's fine" Because they approved it.

Now ask:

What is your next bill paying day (You may ask: When is your next check run) or something of this nature.

Usually they will give you a date............ If they refuse to then cut them out and remove the site you did for them. No need to tell them, just do it.

Step 2: If they give you a date ask: You've probably noticed that your account with us has exceeded the terms. Can you assure me that our payment will come on that date?

They may say something like: I'll do my best but cash is tight and I can't be certain.

Explain that our (your) accountant has ordered that the site be taken down and we list you as a bad debt. Now I don't want to do that and I'm sure you don't either! I can stretch this out until your stated payment date but if it goes beyond that we have to pass it to our accountant for action.

Debt collection is that simple and I've moved into businesses with an average debt payment time of over 90 days for a 30 day account and within a few months have dragged this average figure down to 40 days.

Before you start doing this I'm assuming you take 50% up front before you start a job, so be sure that your contract states this deposit is non-returnable. If it doesn't insert that clause now to protect you in the future.

You don't want clients that don't pay because that's the express route to your bankruptcy.

I do have a small portfolio of off-line businesses that I do similar services to and my contracts demand 50% payment as a deposit before work starts and the balance at the time of handover. Monthly fees I have them pay direct to my bank - paypal or they can use a credit card payment as we are card merchants.

If an ongoing payment is 3 days late it is flagged and I will phone and follow roughly the above procedure..... It works.

Cheers
Davmac40

Jason nailed it.

I once sold a job to install lights and fixtures for a large company that handled apartment housing across several states. Over $120K contract, so it was a nice one.

The customer was relying on money that they received through a government backed agency to pay for the job.

We got right up to "go time" and they pulled the plug. The government funding had dried up.

This stuff happens. Can't get mad about it.

Fortunately, I asked for and received a nice deposit upfront and it covered my costs and then some.

Being "understanding" with them about the situation, worked out well. I kept them as a customer for years and they always paid on time.

It doesn't get better than that.

Do you want your time and activities to be all about hounding customers for tiny payments?

Either they can afford it or they can't work with you. Start using this as a qualifying tool instead of wasting time with flakes.

reminds me of this movie line:

"Congratulations. Tell the Warden he now owns 100% of 'Prisoners Of Love.'"