Just realized my polite payment reminders were doing more harm than good

I used to send super friendly 'no rush but just checking' messages when invoices were late, and my clients in Austin would take 45 days on average to pay. Then I got a blunt email from a small business owner saying my soft touch made it feel optional and they prioritized pushier vendors. Has anyone else tested being more direct and seen faster payments, or did it backfire on you?

3 comments

3 Comments

thomas.river1d ago

Whoa, 45 days average? That's wild!

angelamurphy20h ago

Oh, 100%. That soft approach is like saying "hey, if you have a spare minute, maybe send some money if it's not too much trouble." People will take that as a suggestion, not a deadline. I switched to a firm "payment is due by X date, here's the link" and my average dropped to like 10 days tops. Some folks got huffy at first, but they paid, and now they know I mean business. It's honestly cut down on the awkward back-and-forth reminders too.

the_robin19h ago

Honestly that firm deadline thing used to sound harsh to me but you make a good point.