Part 9 (2/2)

Fellows, however, telephoned me that he could not get over till late the following afternoon with the collection letter, so I decided to write it myself.

When he arrived I showed it to him. I set it down here as a horrible example of how not to do it. This is it:

Dear Sir:--

I notice that your account of ...... for goods purchased some time ago has not yet been paid.

From this date on, no more credit will be allowed any one owing overdue accounts; furthermore, definite particulars of credit requirements must be supplied in advance.

As I am anxious to close up these overdue accounts at once, I must ask for your remittance in full by return mail.

Yours truly, ..................

When Fellows read that he laughed and said: ”I don't think that hits the mark at all. If any one were to pay you on the strength of that letter, it would be with the determination never to do any more business with you. You want to coax the money out of 'em. You want to try to put it in such a way that they will pay you and feel glad about it. Do you think any one would feel pleased at such an abrupt demand for payment? Now I spent all last night and all the morning trying to--”

Here I broke in with ”Does it take all that time to write a single dunning letter?”

”For one letter, no; but for a form letter that is going to sixty or seventy people, yes. It is really important that it will not offend any one and yet 'bring home the bacon.' Here it is,” and he pa.s.sed me this:

Dear Mr. ............:--

The enclosed account is so small that I feel sure you will not object to paying it when next pa.s.sing the store.

May I respectfully add that it materially aids me to get these small accounts paid promptly and out of the way.

Will you do your share toward helping me--to-day?

Very truly yours, ........................

P. S. Have a look at my new line of ”hot weather electrics”--fans, grills, toasters, etc.--at the same time.

I took it over to a young stenographer who promised to typewrite them for me as quickly as possible. I thought it was worth the little extra cost to send these people real individual letters, each one signed by myself.

Fellows offered to send me three more letters on collections. He advised me to put in a regular ”follow-up” system.

I was a little dubious, and told him so, of the wisdom of such a system in a small town. ”It's all right for San Francisco, or Chicago, or New York,” I said. ”But here, where I know so many people, won't they think I'm putting on side?”

”No,” he said, ”for you send a letter that is not a formal one by any means. Follow-up systems can be just as successful in a small town as in big cities, if you will see that the letter expresses your own personality. A high-falutin', high-brow letter would be a joke, but a human letter, written in the language you use, and that your customers are used to, will win out every time.”

CHAPTER XI

MORE FINANCIAL WORRIES

When I totaled my sales for the month, I was somewhat gratified to find that they were $2,280.00. The best month the store had had for a long time, I fancied.

The only fly I could see in the ointment was that over $600.00 worth of goods were charged during the month. I had considerably over a thousand dollars on the books, and it seemed to me a lot to have in two months.

However, the plan which I put into force the first of the month had certainly cut down charge accounts.

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