How to make customers pay on time - SkillsUp - a convenient catalog of lessons on design, computer graphics, Photoshop lessons, Photoshop lessons. How to make customers pay their bills and still be happy? Persuade the client to pay for the billed

So, you sit and look at your empty bank account, and already you are on the verge of hysteria. You do not know what to do with a client who is still unable to pay for the work. And you counted on this money - even if you lowered them in a nearby bar.

The thing is, you're in trouble. What about your client? He is silent.

Know your rights

Personally, I don't want to go to court. Of course, I put a lot of time and effort into writing a large contract, but this is already an extreme case, a fallback.

None of us creates contracts with the aim of dragging a client through the courts. A contract is such a thing, looking at which we are sure that the client will definitely pay.

Which, of course, he should do.

However, when you write or call your debtor client, you want to know your legal rights. You want to know that the contract can actually protect you.

Legally speaking, what is a contract between two people?

You may be surprised to learn that a contract does not have to be written. Indeed, an oral contract can carry as much weight in a court of law as one written on paper. An oral contract is valid as long as it includes three factors, legally binding for a written one:

1. Offer

2. Acceptance of this offer

3. Consideration

The first two are obvious, we all know that the offer and acceptance of this offer are obligatory, otherwise what kind of contract is it? But what is "consideration"?

It's simple. Consideration means that "I will do it if you pay me." It's just that both parties agreed that what X does will pay for Y.

And this is the main thing - you do not work for free. You work honestly for fair pay.

And as long as you and your client agree on that, you have a consideration.

Now it is important to provide evidence that you have an agreement with the client. In this case, the benefit of concluding written contract comes into play. If the contract is in writing, it is easy to prove.

But how can you prove a verbal agreement? Or one that was created between dozens of letters?

I don't have a contract

This can really be helpful for you, for all your client calls, even if you have a written contract in place.

What if you met this problem face to face and didn't record the conversation?

Then, you should ask yourself if there is a possibility that someone overheard the agreement reached between you and your client and could back up the claim. Because without it, words like "he said/she said" won't help you win the argument.

However, in the absence of a written contract or a written one, you can still legally prove a contract based on the actions of both parties.

For example, if your client claims that he did not agree with you about any work, but he accepted and commented on the layouts that you sent, it is easy enough to prove that he is lying.

After all, why did he send you a request for revision of the project? Boredom?

I don't think so. And most courts probably won't think either.

Ideally, you would always sign contracts and record conversations. But in real world, you can get into a situation where the client does not pay, and you have nothing on hand.

In this case, save every bit of information you discussed with the client. text messages, emails, even records telephone conversations and whatsapp screenshots. Whatever you get, keep it now.

Talk first...

When you've dealt with non-payers before, it's easy to panic when a customer is only a few days behind on payment.

Oh no, again, you think. And your instinct immediately makes you do whatever it takes to get your money.

But you know what? You won't win by writing threats. In fact, most people will immediately go on the defensive in such a situation, and this is a sure way to ruin customer relationships.

You need to keep calm.

For now, let's give them the benefit of the doubt. The client, for example, could not know that he was late with the payment, or that you are suffering because of it. Of course, he must remember that he is in your debt, and you must not remind him of this.

Is not Kindergarten and it's not your job. But sometimes, customers just forget. This happens. Remain calm, at least in the beginning. It is better to be smart and with money.

First things first, keep an eye on your score. Make sure you actually sent them an invoice, and then set a reminder every 10 days after the fact. After these 10 days have passed, write to them at e-mail and politely remind them that they must pay for the work. For some clients, this is all that is required. According to others, every reminder is a hint that you are serious and will come to them even in dreams.

Write. Remind, contact higher authorities, subtly hint that non-payment of bills is unprofessionalism. It should work.

combat readiness

But what happens if your attempts to remain polite don't work?

If you have the budget for this, hire a lawyer to mail your client a letter. Having a great lawyer on your side can help you reduce the chance of having a non-paying client.

Clients who don't pay tend to be cowards. They don't pay you because they think they can just disappear. They think you are weak and easy enough to ignore. So if months go by and your reminders go unanswered, it's time to scare them a little.

You must state in the letter that the client is in breach of contract and you have no choice but to withdraw your services. You file a claim with the court on a certain date and they will be responsible for all debt recovery costs.

If you have a contract, threats of lawsuit and intimidation by a lawyer will be even worse.

But even without it, good legal jargon can intimidate a client enough to make them fork out, which they should.

If you don't have the budget to hire a lawyer, look for a friend (or girlfriend) who is a lawyer (or who isn't afraid to pretend to be a lawyer).

But in this case, be sure of what you are doing. Because if your client catches you on the fact that you are just pretending, he will laugh and never pay a dime.

On that note, never make the mistake of pretending to be a real lawyer. It may seem like good idea at the time, but the last thing you want is to get sued for fraud.

Or…

There are clients for whom none of the standard methods will work. They have nerves of steel, the ability to ignore, and have no desire to pay.

Many freelancers in this case go to extreme measures. They write comments on the customer's website, contact the media, use social media to get the case public. Scandal, of course, has a great impact on the customer. But he puts a stain not only on his reputation, but also on yours. It is unlikely that then someone else will want to do business with you.

Stay tuned!

Information frombooks"Pay Me Or Else" By Lior Frenkel, The nuSchool and Webydo

How to make the client pay on time? Seven ways from an expert

The foundation successful business- money, money and more money. How more money floats into your pocket (and the less that floats out of it), the more firmly you stand on your feet. Make it a rule to carefully plan all monetary transactions and count every penny. Of course, optional clients can confuse all your plans by violating the terms of payments. Here are seven ways to get them to pay on time.

1. Ask for a signature

The terms and conditions of payment must be drawn up by the legal adviser and signed by the client. No one wants to pay interest on late payments - but resist the temptation to let things take their course "so as not to scare the client away." By the way, if you are dealing with a large company - be especially careful. Large companies - those still non-payers!

2. Check solvency

An indulgence like a thirty-day payment deferral should be a conscious decision based on facts, not a self-evident right of everyone. Having made inquiries about the client, you will certainly not give a loan to a bankrupt. Make a ranked list of your clients by choosing the size of their potential annual debt as a criterion, and pay close attention to those who top this ranking.

3. Make inquiries

Try to keep abreast of the affairs of your customers. If the client is new - make inquiries. For example, contact those who have already worked with him. How long did the collaboration last? Were there any outstanding payments? If yes, how much was the total debt?

Of course, no one will give you the contacts of those with whom he did not have a relationship. If you are guided by recommendations provided by the client himself, keep a fig in your pocket and remember that in addition to “ideal scenarios”, there are harsh everyday life.

4. Watch and listen

When talking to managers who work with your new client, ask how things are going. The slightest signs of anxiety or phrases like “It could have been better” should be a wake-up call for you. Perhaps the problem is not a quick enough manager. But it is possible that the client is not a gift either.

5. Offer a Discount to the Most Disciplined

The main thing is to approach the implementation of this idea wisely. Offer a discount to those who pay their bills quickly, such as within a week. You will see: those customers who will try (and be able) to get it will themselves be very successful in business. As a result, you will strengthen ties with reliable partners, and if you put a discount in the budget, the slowest customers will provide you with additional income.

In order for an idea to work, it needs to be promoted. Include a promotional card describing the promotion with every invoice you send out. Constantly tell customers about the discount - let them want to get it.

6. Make invoices clear

Some people think that an invoice is just another marketing tool. Meanwhile, an account is a tool for making payments, nothing more. He must tell the client how much, to whom and when he must pay, as well as how he can do this. For this, the presence of your logo is not even necessary on the form.

7. Act decisively

The longer you wait for money, the less likely it is that you will eventually get it. Let customers know that they intend to take decisive action in the event of a payment delay. They say that some can be re-educated.

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83 in response to “HOW TO GET A CUSTOMER TO PAY FOR A PROJECT?”:

Indeed, sometimes at least beat out money for your work with a bat. and interestingly, the customer sometimes does not have any complaints about your work. empty nonsense. Which is annoying. Next time I will definitely use your methods. And then I'm already tired of humiliating myself, persuading, explaining and appealing to the conscience of customers.

Sore topic and very timely raised! Unscrupulous customers take advantage of the fact that a freelancer is not protected by law and scoff as best they can. Often, when accepting a job, they begin to say that this and that has not been done, they refuse to pay. But this was not in the TK!

Ruslan, thanks for the master class! Most of the recommendations have been used by us for a long time, so I can say that it really works. And as for the act “signed by the cleaner”, the responsibility will be borne by the one who certified the signature of the person who is not authorized to approve such documents with the seal of the company.

I came to a lot by trial and error, but splitting the prepayment is an interesting thing. Well, you have to keep your ears open. And you certainly can’t trust anyone’s word, otherwise you’ve heard enough, like “don’t be afraid, we won’t offend”, and then it starts ... And then they get offended, so now I have the motto “contract plus prepayment”. And thanks for reminding me about the clear terms of reference, otherwise it was already the case. It seems that everyone understood everything, but in the end everyone had their own vision of a series of articles. I had to rework it later.

Vsevolod, thanks for the response! Yes, everything should be clearly spelled out. And being offended is not serious at all. As they say, nothing personal - it's business.

Ruslan, thank you so much for the master class. I liked that you systematized the above. In my studio, it’s not the scale to sue anyone (much on trust) ... but as a reminder, I want to hang these rules in my inner closet, and at the moment of “artistic emotions” strictly adhere to the recommendations. You are right - BUSINESS, and no "friendship".
Thank you. Good luck and interesting work.

Ruslan, and my “thank you” to you! It seems to me that no one mentioned a certain mindset of a creative person, for whom this material was made. Creative people, having received an order, first of all begin to think over the concept, visual range, style, and so on. But in no way how to protect yourself from the arbitrariness of the customer. And in general, it is often difficult for a creative person to operate with documents and issues related to laws and bureaucracy in general. So, such a master class is needed! You present the material very clearly and intelligibly. Of course, the nuances - darkness! But you have to start somewhere!

Julia, thank you for understanding! You are absolutely right. I recorded this master class specifically for creative people who sometimes have to be brought back to earth and reminded of the obvious.

Thanks Ruslan! I think it will help. In the field where I work - "jewelry freelance", especially a lot of things are built on trust. Everyone has known each other for many years, the circle is narrow, and even a “muddy” customer or an intermediate person is almost inevitable! Time after time you have to work with someone who once “annoyed”. Therefore, your “tricks” are useful to me. Please enlighten me further.

Ruslan, good afternoon. very interesting video and very good advice. some I subconsciously use already now. (before your video) and some tips are just super cool and very practical. I will try to work on my experience in a new way. thank you))) go to my page syksin.com (website) on the Internet. By the way, I did it guided by the minimal design for the site. without seeing a post about minimalist design yet. when I created my site, more time was spent with a web designer, to simplify everything. as a designer, everyone wanted to set up buttons for me and all that unnecessary garbage that almost every site is full of.

Sergey, thanks for the feedback! Looked at your site. Very cool visualizations..com Perhaps we will work))

Thanks a lot, Ruslan! very helpful tips.
We will send the link to your video to all our friends.
We artists don't like to think about bad things until they happen.
I want to trust, think over the concept, engage in creativity,
the result is a bitter experience.
Thanks again!
I wish you success!

We use everything, just recently we discovered a bonus tip for you. Helps very well. Daily calls greatly speed up the payment process.

I liked very much advice No. 7 “Automatic acceptance of the act” - there were no problematic cases with this, but a very correct recommendation, special thanks for it.

Everything else is useful, but we have long come to this with our experience. :-)

Thanks, it was educational!

Thanks, Ruslan!
I'll take it on board. Very useful information!
I'm just about to go freelancing and so far I don't have all the intricacies of working with customers on freelance. Before that, I worked in studios and unscrupulous customers were, say, not my problem :) so I didn’t go into the subtleties of methods for knocking out payment from them. But now, apparently, it is definitely worth knowing about such techniques.
I'm interested in your opinion on how to protect yourself for freelancers working remotely. After all, it often happens that the Contractor and the Customer are in different cities and countries.
Someone advises to work through intermediary web services, secure transaction services, etc., which require their share.
Someone advises to work only on 100% prepayment. But this is not entirely convenient for customers (it's like working with customers on a postpaid basis) and hardly anyone agrees at all.
Someone advises to do so that the bank acts as an intermediary, to the account in which the payment is deposited, but they can be withdrawn only by mutual agreement of the parties (is this real?).
If you draw up a contract, then how to check
The Internet allows you to erase geographical boundaries and take on foreign orders that you don’t want to lose at all.
Did you have experience working with foreign customers and what measures did you take to protect yourself in this situation?
Thank you.

I apologize for the typos. Dial from phone :)
..while \KNOWLEDGE\ of all the subtleties of work..
..definitely worth knowing..
..If you draw up a contract, how to check\?\..
- Jenish, freelancing is no different from working in a studio. My advice is to conclude an agreement as a private person, or make yourself an individual entrepreneur. So you will translate communication with customers into a business plane. Without this, the issue of integrity and reliability is not a matter of business, but a matter of psychology. Contracts can be sent by mail, courier or, in extreme cases, scans. Most of my customers are in other cities and countries. We simply translated contracts with foreign customers into English.

Thank you Ruslan for such a detailed study of the issue!
Your advice was so helpful that it is impossible to imagine! Just before the end of work with an Indian client (I am a photographer and I work in the field of tourism), the question of payment arose. Before the start of work, no contracts were concluded, all the details were discussed only in a personal conversation. This option, of course, is in no way suitable for working with hotel chains, all these details must be present there. And since Indian partners, no matter how hospitable they are, become incredible misers in the matter of money and even after the work done they try to “slightly” drop the price (this is a feature of all Indian business, and without exception), the question arose of whether how to make sure that the preliminary agreements remain unaffected, given the lack of a formalized contract.
All your advice, such as putting a watermark on the finished product, “nerdiness” in the reminder of payment, increasing the importance of your product for the customer to the level of his MORE interest in you than you in it, all these points were used intuitively, but not purposefully. Now a very clear, unemotional work was carried out using all your advice. Of all of the above, the most powerful and effective moment was the full-screen logo with the designation of an unpaid demo. It did not interfere with the performance check of the completed project, but it introduced a very strong irritant. At the same time, each time I focused on the fact that every passing day without this project is a loss of money for them, and they will be able to use it only after the final payment.
This detail in the end proved to be decisive for the successful completion of the project.

Thank you, Ruslan, once again for such simple but practical advice!
Success in creative work!

Hello Ruslan!
Thank you for the informative and useful course for the “young fighter” (I am just starting my independent creative path). As they say, everything ingenious is simple, and, as a rule, lies on the surface. The main thing is to see and understand in time. I am from Kazakhstan, I recently opened my own IP. It was difficult to find what you need in the classifier. I write poetry to order, I am also a journalist with great experience. Therefore, for the implementation of activities under the patent (so far), only the item “Activities in the field of art” has been found:
– activities of individual writers, including genres such as fantasy, technical literature etc. (apparently, somewhere here, in “etc.”, my poetry is laid down, because it is not written about “poetry” in its pure form);
– activities of independent journalists.
Some people try to correlate commissioned poetry with "entertainment, leisure or holidays." But after all, there are a great many reasons and events for poetic presentation, isn't it?
Once again, thank you very much!

Helpful Hints! Thanks! To me (I am a marriage agent), some unscrupulous clients do not pay for the result, and I am embarrassed (still disgusted) to be a bore. It looks like it would be interesting to cooperate with you to improve and promote my dating site http://www.a-jour.ru. Thanks again!

Thanks, Ruslan!
I should have received this information half a year earlier!
By the way, you mentioned somewhere that you learned to recognize “trustworthiness” potential clients. Share a secret?
:)

Sergey, a flair for the trustworthiness of a client is developed only with experience. But it is better to build the work so as not to relax and protect yourself in any case. Today the client is trustworthy, but tomorrow he may have problems. When there is a contract, everything is easier.

Ruslan, hello!
Thank you).. recently I have been working on my own.. I will paraphrase the well-known expression - “everyone can offend a freelancer” .... Your master class helped me, finally, to gather all my thoughts together. everything that was already understandable intuitively, but randomly dangling in my head, now lined up in a clear set of rules) .. not so long ago I got bumps only because I couldn’t speak competently with the customer .. I’m sure, thanks to your advice, I no longer I'll make the same mistakes..)

Good afternoon, Ruslan!
I watched your video today, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of really useful information for my work.
Until I encountered really unscrupulous behavior of the customer, I did not understand how important this is!
In general, I wonder what I hoped for, working without a contract (
Thanks to!

Good video. From the 6th mode the information was new. Some experience in this matter.
What is valuable is that infa is built on personal experience (I think rather big). I think just such videos from “experienced” are the most useful and carry protection from their own bumps. Thanks!

I myself am engaged in cooperation with carpentry workshops - I do a job for the manufacture and installation of stairs, interiors made of wood, furniture ... Sometimes from scratch, sometimes I process designers' drawings for an existing room. It seems that we have been working with them for a long time, but somehow it turns out that initial stage they are ready to make an advance payment, but the final payment takes a very long time, although I have already completed my work. Excuses usually boil down to the fact that - the customer has not yet paid them, etc. The agreements between us are verbal. And so problems arise - such as:
-Give me a job
-Give me money
- You made, decided to blackmail ...
So I want to go to the official level ...
I liked the idea of “NOT PAID” - I will apply
I would like to add from myself, maybe it will be useful to someone. For several years now I have been keeping something like a diary of work performed - what I did, to whom I sent it, who called and what adjustments I made, how I answered, etc. And - every day I fix everything as it comes. As a result, since most of the intermediate questions and approvals take place either by phone or by mail, when situations arise such as:
-Why is that?
-Yes, because you made such and such a number, so many changes ...
Human memory is a strange thing. When asked such a question, you immediately begin to doubt yourself, although you are sure that you are right. A diary - helps to restore justice. After the date and what was said - questions disappear

Thanks a lot! Very useful tutorial!
From my own experience, I know that the way to “be a bore” works best, especially if you communicate with an intermediate link on which nothing depends!
I really liked the idea about protecting the project “Unpaid version!”
The most difficult step if you work privately is to switch to work with a contract :) but now it is very important to do it!
Thanks again! Good luck and success!

Ruslan, thank you very much for your video!
I'm in the same situation right now and I've already received some of the money.
and with your advice, my confidence in the rightness increased and more motivated points appeared to force the customer to pay the full amount
thank you very much

Ruslan, raised a good topic. The measures proposed by you are purely technically possible and correct, but they are not client-oriented. You actually made a guide on how the studios always win, and not on how to come to the common good and the most harmonious solution for both parties - the studio and the customer. It all depends on the philosophy of the entrepreneur and business. If business is a money-making system, then you are completely right in your approaches. But if you look at business as a system for bringing value, satisfaction, and happiness to its customers, then you are wrong in your methods. If you earn money first of all, then your clients are just cash cows from which you need to knock out the promised money by any means. But if your clients are living people, then your task is to create and come to the common good in the process of joint activity. And if the client was dissatisfied with the work, then appropriate his money means leaving him dissatisfied, unhappy and lost money. Therefore, over the course of 15 years in my business, I came to the conclusion that it is not my selfish gain and not the gain of my company that is important for me, only the overall gain of me, the company and the client is suitable for me. Any other situation where I leave a client unsatisfied for his money is unethical, theft of his funds. Therefore, I always return the money back to the client in such a situation and perceive losses simply as an important experience. It is important for you to understand that there is only one form of ethical exchange of value - when both parties are completely satisfied. Any other exchange is a form of violence and taking money from someone who is dissatisfied. Only the common good and complete satisfaction of the client and you as a manufacturer leads to harmony and happiness. Other forms of interaction are built on theft, violence and deceit. Therefore, while they are present, there will be disharmony and consequences.

Max, thanks for your response! In my opinion, you did not understand very correctly the initial situation for which my methods are intended. Firstly, I am not suggesting any measures, I am only summarizing my experience. That is, this is not a theoretical construction, but a squeeze from what I personally came to in 10 years of working with clients. Secondly, in my practice there has never been a case when a client refused to pay because he was dissatisfied with something. The reason is always the same - no money. Thirdly, my business is obliged to earn money, as I am responsible for my employees and for their families. I can't give sermons instead of a paycheck.

Imagine a situation. You went to a restaurant and ordered lunch. Ate well and was satisfied. It's time to pay the bill. But instead, you tell the waiter that you just bought a new car and you don't have any money right now, but you will definitely bring it in some other time. To the waiter’s objections that you ate everything and don’t want to pay, you accuse him of unethical business, because you really wanted to eat. There is logic in this, but this does not make it easier for the waiter. Now he will have to pay for your lunch out of his own pocket.

I understand your business philosophy. But my experience suggests otherwise. My business and myself began to feel much better when I began to resolve issues in the legal plane. We have many won court cases and pre-trial decisions. As a result, my sense of justice is satisfied. I can honestly look into the eyes of my employees, knowing that my promises are valid and I will not have to throw anyone after the customer.
- Ruslan, you are correct. If I ate lunch, then I received the final value for myself and not giving money for it in a situation where there is an agreement on payment is a violation of balance and ethics.
  
  Now imagine another situation with the same example. I come to a restaurant, order lunch for myself, and when I eat it, I understand that it does not match the quality, the food turns out to be made not from the products of the first freshness, but from the day before yesterday. And after eating, I begin to feel nauseous and in general I begin to feel bad about myself. In this situation, should I pay for a meal of this quality? Or should I start a case with the staff and management of the restaurant about why I was fed some kind of filth?
  
  As for the production of websites and videos, I have a lot of experience interacting with both freelancers and studios. A typical situation is that at some point adequate interaction is lost and the performer begins to impose something on me as a customer. Imposing your own rules, imposing your own view and understanding of the final product is not going to be improved. At a certain point, work becomes a punishment. And here the question arises - either it is to endure for your money, or terminate this relationship. But then another problem arises - I, as a customer, did not receive any value, I was not given a valuable final product, which I expected because of the unwillingness to create and cooperate with me on the part of the performer, but despite this, I must give him part of my money to cover his unproductive work, lack of a client-oriented approach and interest in me as a client. Giving my money for paying for the processes, the time of the performer, which are valuable only for him, but for me they have no value. This is where the ethics comes in. My money is actually taken away, stolen in order to pay salaries and reimburse some of their expenses. But I do not gain anything from this, but only bear losses. This is extra-ethics, inharmonious action.
  
  In such a situation, when the customer could not get the right attitude from the contractor, interest in the customer's victory, customer-oriented approach, not only one party, but both should suffer losses. The customer loses his time and his efforts, and the performer loses his time and his efforts. If people or companies do not agree, then they just need to disperse, and not beat their costs out of each other.
  
  The exception is the situation you described, when the client was satisfied with the result, but did not pay. Here, of course, I agree with you that this is also out of ethics and such people need to be settled. But you may not give them the fruits of your production until they pay for them.
  - Max, yes, that's right. Most often, clients do not pay for reasons that are not related to the quality of our work. The situation in business is changing, priorities are changing. For example, it turns out that the project for which we made the site is frozen by the owners. But what are we to blame? Some companies simply have a principle of not paying. This happens when the company operates on credit money. The longer you delay payments for contractors, the more you can save on loan interest. And, finally, there are completely “clinical cases” when clients order work, planning to pay off the future income of their business. And if the business does not go, then they shrug their shoulders and say: there is no money.
    
    Not giving away work without pay is exactly what I'm talking about in the master class. It's surprising that most creatives don't do this and then complain about financial problems.
    
    The issue of interaction between the contractor and the customer that you raise is not so simple. Continuing the restaurant analogy. Either you like the cuisine that the restaurant offers or you don't like it. If you don't like it, then you go to another. But giving advice to the chef on how to cook is something that even the most picky client will not allow himself. By the way, there is a great video on this topic: https://youtu.be/6pPP67Qu9K8
    
    Specifically in your situation, it is a matter of choosing a studio or a freelancer. There are production-oriented people and there are creative-oriented people. Production studios are engaged in a purely technical implementation of the customer's task and do exactly what they are told. Creative studios (like our studio), on the contrary, offer solutions. The customer turns to us not for the implementation of their ideas, but for our ideas. Therefore, in our case, the issue of evaluating the result is our area of responsibility.
    - Ruslan, the question of evaluating the result is always a question of who pays for it. Whoever pays for the music orders the music. Of course, if someone writes music for himself and listens to it himself, then he can do whatever he wants, but if this is an order for someone, then he will have to create and take into account the opinion and customs of the customer. A customer who does not have his own personal criteria for order evaluation is an extremely rare case, if any. What about terms of reference, then I compiled them for years both for my staff and for external performers. It is never possible to take everything into account and describe everything in a technical specification key points. There should always be a buffer for variation, experimentation and refinement. If the performer is not ready for this cooperation, then I will never start working with this
      
      I'm saying that specifically in your case, you need a very executive contractor. There are such people and we ourselves work with them too. Another thing is that our customers are sometimes ready to pay dozens of times more, just not to take part in our work. They want to get immediately ready-made high-quality results. Perhaps the fact is that we work with large organizations where there are no “personal” criteria.
      
      When the customer begins to engage in “creativity”, it turns out something like this: https://youtu.be/q7AR1kj1hzc

I also wanted to add that the final valuable product or service that any business produces is only that which sufficiently satisfied the client. Only when the customer is satisfied is the product or service of real value to him. And then what the client received can be evaluated through the absolute value of “Money”. As long as the client does not receive a result that satisfies him, he has every right not to pay for it, because it does not matter to him how much and who spent his time and effort. The client does not see the ultimate value for himself in this, so he is not obliged to pay for it with his own money. When I realized this, all the problems and conflicts associated with such clients left my business personally, and all the clients who were not satisfied with something with us left. Only our clients remained and we have mutual understanding, resonance and excellent relations with them.

Max, in my business, I broadcast my values. If this does not suit someone, then this is the problem of his personal biography. Everyone can create their own business and do everything in it in their own way. We live in a free country. For me, the fundamental value is responsibility. And if the customer has concluded an agreement with me and does not fulfill it, then I will insist on my own, let him refer at least to the Lord God. With regard to my promises, I am no less demanding. Therefore, our studio has a reliable reputation that allows us to conclude contracts worth millions.
- Ruslan, besides your values, there is such a thing as ethics. She is not yours or mine. These are the laws of the universe, which are not determined by us, but we agreed with them when we got here. These laws keep reality as it is. And these laws put a bolt on your value system, which you invented for yourself and which does not correspond to Ethics. Among these laws there is such as the law of exchange and conservation of energies, the law of balancing potentials, which always strive for balance. So, if money is the highest value for you and you put it above ethics, then ethical laws will make your life hell until you realize that it’s easier to be ethical and not violate the laws of the universe, relying on them, and not on self-proclaimed values . Ethics is above the level of personal values. So, if the case comes to court, then this is always a sign that non-ethics has existed for a long time. That is, somewhere you broke the balance and went against the balancing forces of the universe, believing that you are cooler than the universe and everything around you must comply with your system of values and your rules of the game. Therefore, in such a situation, people, companies, situations will appear that will teach you ethics and balance where you rock the boat and break the balance. Balance in the universe is more important than your values, more important than you and your company. Equilibrium forces can wipe out not only individuals and companies, but entire empires and continents that imagine themselves to be someone who has the right to do what he thinks is right, and not how ethical and harmonious it is. Therefore, if the quality of your life, peace of mind and balance and real success is important to you, which is measured not just by profit, but by the happiness and prosperity of you and everyone who touches you, then the level of values will not help you here. Move higher to spiritual ethics. And it is ethics that will show you that only one harmonious type of exchange is possible, when everyone was satisfied and there was no violence.
  - Max, ethics are part of business culture. Equal exchange is accepted in our culture. If you have been rendered a service, then you must pay for it. So my methods are just restoring the balance. In your words, I help the universe to come into balance))
    
    And by the way, I never wrote anywhere that I put money as the highest value. I have lived long enough to have other more important priorities in life))
    - That's right, business ("business") cannot wait until the Universe balances the system and the client pays for the work. Otherwise, it comes to the form of beneficence, and it can only be a personal matter - I cannot do good deeds at the expense of my employees.
      However, Max set a very important dimension to the business - whether it is a “business”, or whether it is a “lifelong business” - customer focus, or humane relationships. It is necessary to give the client an opportunity to express his wishes and even help in this. But: do not indulge in pampering. “Play some more fonts” or “try something else (I don’t know what - but you are professionals?) should be limited to clear boundaries. And if these frameworks are spelled out in the agreement, this is only a plus. Reminding the client about the limits is part of the work of the designer, his managerial incarnation.
      
      Thank you, Ruslan, for the concentrated report - it helps even when all the described collisions have already been passed, and similar conclusions have been made.
      
      Having passed this stage (which is described by you and in the comments above), some moments subsequently go to the next level, and a bifurcation point appears again.
      So, it also seemed convenient to me to divide the work of a designer and a manager in one person (a classic freelancer) into two: 1. a strict and boring manager who, when necessary, returns the client to reality; 2. a kind and understanding designer who has become almost a friend to the client. The important thing here is that the client is ready to believe this designer - "friend" in those issues where it is impossible to prove anything "on figures" - aesthetics, construction experience, only trust is needed.
      It is also important that you cannot explain to a “boring manager” about your personal problems that interfere with payment - he has the role of a soulless mechanism that does not understand the word “trust” (“I will pay later, for sure, do you believe me?”).
      Such a scheme - "artist - soul" and "manager - mechanism" is good for everyone, but it does not work everywhere.
      The problem is that such a division is difficult or impossible to apply in working with clients who work with you (the head of the design studio) directly - such a scheme is only possible when the work of the client is performed by one of the designers of the workshop. One of the designers can translate the arrows into org. and fin. questions on acc. manager, but not the head. And then the “freelancer” model comes into play again. One in all faces.

Good day! Thanks for your advice. We are engaged in interior design, periodically we encounter consumer extremism (of the customer). Of course, we learned from mistakes, but still sometimes customers deceive us! This happens mainly in the second stage of payment, they find an excuse, any, to not pay the final amount. The contract indicates the number of adjustments for the project, but customers want to see more and more other examples, and there may be tens or even hundreds. They don’t like something, but they themselves don’t know what and can’t give a motivated answer in the comments. Favorite phrase: if we ourselves knew what we want, then we would not turn to you for design! And one enterprising client sold our proposed designs to his neighbors with a similar layout. At what stage to sign the final acceptance certificate before or after the transfer of the final project with all those. documents? How can you protect the project from its use by the customer in case of non-payment of the final amount (the client can implement everything on the basis of visualizations, albeit with a logo on them)?.

Thanks for the feedback. Usually, raster drawings or materials in pdf are transferred to the customer before payment. After payment, editable files are transferred to dwg. But this does not protect against theft of ideas. In your case, I would advise you to split up the stages of work as much as possible. That is, to receive payment after the delivery of each stage. Proceed to the next stage only after the completion and payment of the previous one. It can be broken down as the project is detailed: from the first sketches to the work. Can be divided into separate rooms. Here you can see how your business process is built. You can even charge by the hour. In this case, the customer can do the project even indefinitely, if he is ready to pay for it. Invoices can be issued when a certain number of hours are reached. For example, 40 hours worked - payment, after payment - the next cycle of work. In any case, in order to build work with clients, you must have a separation between “sellers” and “creators” in your company. It is impossible to allow the same people to talk about money and work on projects. Very often all problems stem from this.

Thanks, useful information. By the way, in the 3rd section of the video “Agreement on paper” there is a typo, instead of “Let's give you” the letter “y” is omitted.
And a question, from your practice, if you have come across - My payment with the customer is determined by the annex to the contract, and in this appendix there are already specific numbers, and in the same appendix there is a typo in the text, in one place the date of the contract is incorrectly indicated. Question: can such a typo put an end to a successful trial? Can the Application be considered void due to this typo.
And another question, here in the comments, Art. 782, and so I have a contract for the provision of services, it has automatic recognition of the act of work performed (namely, work), once the act was recognized under the contract automatically, payment was made by the customer. Now the customer has sent a notice of unilateral termination of the contract. Half of the services have already been rendered, but no invoice or act has yet been issued for them. Question: Can the customer, referring to Art. 782 of the Civil Code, do not pay me for these services (do not sign the act), but dispute the automatic recognition of the act, citing Art. 782 of the Civil Code, or will he still have to pay for these services (actually rendered) in accordance with Article 781 of the Civil Code, and the act of work performed will be recognized if he does not write a reasoned refusal? And if he writes a reasoned refusal, how to challenge this motivation. Actually, from the terms of our contract, he simply has nothing to motivate this refusal (it seems to me) ... Thank you in advance for your answers.

It is better to ask these questions to a lawyer who will guide you on the situation and determine the most effective actions. As far as I know, upon termination of the contract at the initiative of the customer, he is obliged to reimburse the costs that the contractor actually incurred. Therefore, it makes sense to prepare some evidence of your expenses under the Contract: settlements with your contractors, checks, some reports on the salaries of employees. According to our contracts, in the event of a reasoned refusal, an act must be drawn up with a list of improvements and the timing of their implementation. Refusal by itself cannot serve as grounds for terminating the contract. In any case, if the customer officially notifies you of the termination of the contract, then you need to send him in response the same official response with objections, which will then be subject to consideration in court. Most of these disputes are settled out of court. If the customer sees that he will lose the court, then it is easier for him to pay immediately.

This is a business letter, which refers to the approach or expiration of the deadline for the implementation of certain tasks, obligations, events

The reminder must certainly be friendly, unobtrusive: in no case should you blame the addressee, since the reason for the delay in payment or non-payment, for example, can be a very difficult financial situation in which he finds himself.

The content of the reminder letter primarily depends on whether for the first time, the second or third time you remind the partner of the fulfillment of his obligations, non-compliance with the deadline for paying bills tosho. If the client does not respond to your reminders, then, of course, you will be forced to inform him of your intention to go to court and terminate the contract. However, even in this case, the writing style should be polite, restrained.

For instance:

. Dear!

. Let me take this opportunity to remind you. You, what is the due date for payment of bills. Your order no.(date) expired

. We will. You are grateful if(date). You will send a translation. your debt in the amount

apologies for having to disturb. you about this

. Remain with respect

. Dear Sir!

. going. To meet you, we continue the payment term until(date) / execute at the same time. your new orders. If you do not pay the debt by (date) and do not send a check that shows payment, we will be forced to temporarily suspend the execution of all. Your deputy broadcaster.

. We wait. Your answer

. Sincerely

. Dear Sirs!

. Sorry to disturb you again. You, but, unfortunately, we have not received any response to our previous reminders distressed that. Your company treated our requests so casually, although we, for our part, always strictly adhered to the terms of the contract and fulfilled all your orders with high quality.

. Despite repeated reminders and Taken measures,. Your debt not only remains outstanding, but also continues to grow, so we consider it necessary to report. You about your intention to terminate and contract.

. It's a pity, but we see no other way out of this unfortunate situation.

. Dear Sirs!

. I'm sorry, but we have to remind you again. Wali about the large debt to our firm, which continues to grow. We have always tried to understand. Your financial difficulties, but this time the debt exceeds all the previous ones, and the due date is long past.

. We hope. You understand that we can no longer neglect the interests of the company, and therefore are forced to file a lawsuit in court

. It is unfortunate that our cooperation turned out to be unsuccessful.

TYPICAL turnover

First mention

1 will allow. remind you of

2. Taking this opportunity, let me remind you that. you are in debt

3. Please. turn you Special attention to what u. You have a debt in the amount

4. Would like to remind you. you about

5. We remind you. You that the deadline for submitting reports has expired on (date)

6. We consider it necessary to remind. You that according to the contract, the commission must be paid before (date)

7. Forced to remind. You that the deadline for payment of bills for printing ordered. Your printing products pass (date)

8. Q. By the way, we remind you. You that the shipment. You were out of stock on (date)

9. It would be appropriate to recall that

10. We believe that this non-payment is only an omission, and we hope that. You will eliminate it within

11. To. You were able to quickly navigate the situation, send. You will receive copies of invoices that have already expired

12. Our accounting department reported that. You failed to pay several bills on time

13. We hope that this non-payment is just an unfortunate mistake that will be corrected?? in the near future

14. Sorry (we are offended) that we have to disturb. you about this

Repeated reminders

1. We are very uncomfortable that we are forced to remind you again. you about

2. Unfortunately, we have to remind you again. You that still have not received from. you paid bills

3 we are very sorry that we have to remind you again about the presence of several bills that have not yet been paid

4. Delay. Your payment is contrary to our previous agreements on the terms of trade. We reserve the right to take further action

5. Your failure to strictly adhere to the terms of payment is a violation of the terms of the contract

6. Sorry, but we have to inform you. You about the changes in the system of payment for orders, which are caused by the fact that. You did not pay the previous

7. We would never bother. You such reminders, if. You met your payment obligations on time

8. We remind you. You that. You agreed to pay in the term determined by us. Payment delay causes us to charge monthly. Your account % unpaid

9. Sorry, but we have to remind you once again. You that the debt is very large (significant)

10 consider it their duty (we consider it necessary) to remind once again. You about a debt that has expired on (date)

11 over the past weeks. You have been sent three official reminders of our company's significant debt. Unfortunately, we have not received from. you no answer

12. It is unpleasant for us to contact you again. On this occasion, however, all our reminders of the need to ship goods to our company have so far remained unanswered.

13. We just continue. You have a due date for invoice payment

14. Please pay the debt within days

15. We have been waiting for our bills to be paid for months. Please transfer the appropriate amount to our bank account by the end of this week

16. Our cooperation was quite fruitful, and its continuation will be possible only if the debt is repaid by (date)

17 we have written to you several times (multiple times) asking you to explain why. You will not pay bills, but, unfortunately, you have not received a response

18. You've been delaying performances for months already. annual report, so we have to

19. Your neglect of our requests harms our cooperation, which was once fruitful

Last reminder and warning about the next legal steps

In the event that delicate reminders and demands do not give the desired results, you will be forced to go to court or terminate the contract. You should inform the addressee about this, but do everything possible so that the tone and style of the letter finally convince him that this is extremely unpleasant for you, but the only possible way out of the situation ї 34:

1. Your late payment of bills is a serious breach of contract, so we are forced to refer this case to our legal department

2. Because. You did not respond to our repeated reminders, we referred the case to our lawyer

3 we are very sorry to report that due to a large debt. Your loan is temporarily closed

4. Unfortunately, a long non-payment. Your bills made us refer this case to a lawyer

5. Due to the fact that. You, despite our urgent request to repay the debt, have not yet sent a check certifying the payment, we are forced to suspend the execution of all. your orders

63 given the situation forced to take drastic measures

7. Your debt has exceeded all previous ones and is still due for payment on (date). We can no longer neglect the interests of the company and are forced to file a lawsuit

8. Given the current situation, we are forced to announce our intention to terminate with. By you contract

9. Delay. You paying bills made us go to court. We got upset. Your careless attitude to our requests

10. We can no longer wait for payment. By the end of the week you have to ask our legal department to arrange debt repayment

11. Due to systematic and long delays in the delivery of goods, we are forced to terminate with. By you contract

12. Warning. You about your intention to terminate the contract

13. All our requests for repayment. Your debts were in vain, so we are forced to file a lawsuit. Believe me, we are very sorry, but now we see no other way out of this situation.

14. It's a pity that our cooperation turned out to be unsuccessful

I do all kinds of work: I repair turnkey apartments, fix and assemble furniture, carry out minor electrical work and change faucets. Sometimes I work alone, sometimes with a partner. All this design work or classes "master for an hour." Of course, there is no talk of any salary. Therefore, each call is also an exercise in arithmetic: you need to be able to correlate not only the number of services provided, but also the time spent, while maintaining a balance in your favor. If you are a freelancer, you have to work in this mode all the time. And it doesn’t matter if you are busy at a construction site or cutting dogs.

If you have a strong internal accountant, you will not be lost. But a certain financial clarity is also a matter of experience. When you take your first orders, a lot of things are new. Not all customers behave in the same way, not all work is carried out in the same way, even if you screw on the same brand of faucet. There is always room for unforeseen circumstances. You need to be prudent and as prepared as possible for force majeure. This is especially true for money.

When to ask for payment

You can demand money before, during or after work. It all depends on what you have to do, whether you need a purchase Supplies and how many days the work can take. If this is something short-term (in my case, this is, say, a fixture for a chandelier or a picture), you can ask for money later. If you plan to work for several days, break it into parts and agree on a phased payment.

A separate issue is the purchase of materials. The master always knows better what materials are needed in each case. For example, you need to change the lock. It costs about 2500 rubles. I buy it, but I ask that its cost be transferred to me on the card. This is a kind of deposit and prepayment. Naturally, I provide a check for him. In case something breaks due to the fault of the customer, I will have a lock that I will either put in for someone else, or I can return it to the store and get a refund.

If the customer forgot to pay

There are situations when the work is done, and the customer says “thank you” and waves his pen. You never know, I forgot, maybe a man. Or does it on purpose. And asking for payment is somehow inconvenient, or something. Some of us have an altruistic streak in our mentality. It happens, but not with me. Seriously, how can you not get paid? After all, you've wasted your time. First of all, start respecting yourself and your work, and only then do charity work, if you have such a need for it.

If you are jarred by the phrase “So many rubles from you”, use a more neutral one - “Does it convenient for you to pay in cash or put it on a card?”. This is a very convenient move, because immediately after this question there is a price clarification if there were any additional work.

Another thing is if they really want to “throw” you. The main salvation is an advance payment. I always take at least half of the listed price. In addition, there are many more schemes that are best stopped at the very beginning. For example, you agreed to do work with one person, but another person turned up at the facility. Immediately ask him if he knows that he will have to pay you off.

Caution can also save you. Once I was invited to repair the roof. It was a third-party object that had nothing to do with the customer. As soon as I asked about the payment, he immediately built a very strange scheme in front of me: “The person who is in the other entrance will give you the money.”

In order not to get into such situations, try to probe the customer in advance. For example, on the site YouDo.com I always read first. If someone recommended me, I ask who exactly.

The human factor is also an important thing. It is essential to build trusting relationships with customers. I have regular customers, who not only never forget to pay me, but also give me their card so that I can buy the necessary materials. In this case, the purchase amount can reach 300,000 rubles.

How to say that the cost of work has increased

Often, the job on site is more difficult than anticipated. Find out in detail in advance what exactly you need to do. Ask for photos or videos. First, I discuss everything in detail with the customer in a chat, and only then I go to the place. If already at the site you understand that the work will take longer, or additional materials will be needed, warn the customer immediately. Explain what and how and why it will affect the final cost. Do not put the client in front of a fact when everything is already done.

When I finish doing something to order, I am often asked what else I can do. Suddenly it turns out that in addition to replacing the mixer, you also need to hang a chandelier or repair a bedside table. I undertake to do something else, but I immediately stipulate how much the total amount will increase.

Some customers ask about the extra cost right away, others don't. In the latter case, it can turn out to be very inconvenient, because a person counted on one amount, but more came out. Make a price list and feel free to introduce it to your customers.

But even here there is a subtle point - it is necessary, among other things, to be able to correlate the total time spent and the additional work that has arisen. For example, I came to fix something. I will be paid 4,000 rubles (2 hours of work) for this. It takes me 40 minutes to do the whole thing. And then they ask me to do something else, which will take me another 10 minutes. I will do it for free, because my time turned out to be, roughly speaking, paid in advance. Sometimes people themselves appreciate such a kind gesture and add something on top as a thank you. And everyone is happy.

Don't be afraid to talk to customers. So you can avoid awkward moments at work and protect yourself. And most importantly: do not be shy about money, and then money will not be shy about you!

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