Anything that looks different gets attention. This is no different with invoices. So look critically at your own invoice. Does it stand out? Here are three tips for having better paying clients.
1. Easy to recognise payment details
Make everything as easy as possible for your client. Try to make all the payment details easy to copy from your invoice.
- Are the payment details clear and easy to find?
- Is the font big enough?
- Is your bank account number easy to copy with handy spaces between the numbers?
We regularly see invoices submitted for debt recovery while they were long paid. This is because no invoice numbers were stated in the bank transfer. The result is that payment is not or is incorrectly booked and this results in complications that could have been avoided. Small actions can make a big difference.
2. Friendly text
The text in a quotation is usually inviting and pleasant to read. In contrast, invoices are often a cold piece of paper.
Imagine that you receive an invoice that says:
“Thanks for this great order. We’re really proud of the result and are happy with you as a client!”
Or
“We would like to thank you for this wonderful order. We are looking forward to hearing how your clients responded to the flyer.”
A personal note on your invoice makes it stand out and this is exactly what you want with your invoices. Everything that stands out gets attention!
3. Pleasant phrasing of the payment due date
“Please ensure payment within 30 days” could be better!
What about:
“Thank you for paying the invoice within 30 days”
Or
“Our payment period is 30 days, but we very much appreciate fast payment!”
A simple sentence like this encourages faster payment.
I hope this tip has made you think about your invoices and I hope that you get fast paying clients!