Award-winning author, and collector mentor Editorial Advisory Board member, Michelle Dunn, recently let us know that she has a free ebook up for grabs. The ebook, Effective Collections: A Proactive Approach to Credit Management, can be downloaded at http://www.updatefrom.com/wcg/1105/in_the_toolbox.asp free of charge for a limited time.

The book is perfect for small business owners and anyone else who is interested in gaining a better understanding of the credit cycle.

I first became acquainted with award winning author and columnist Michelle Dunn several years ago while searching the web for information on the ins and outs of starting a collection agency, and her book, Starting a Collection Agency, was one of the resources that I added to my library. Turns out that years later Michelle would become an member of the inaugural editorial advisory board for collector mentor Magazine. When asked to review her latest book, The Guide to Getting Paid, I was eager to take a peek at what would soon become the credit and collection industry’s newest resource for teaching others how to get paid.

Briefly describe what your book is about:

The Guide to Getting Paid:  Weed out bad paying customers, collect on past due balances, and avoid bad debt teaches you how to manage your business credit and accounts payable and receivable in an efficient and effective way. With sample letters and forms, you’ll get detailed advice on how to create a simple credit policy that is tough but flexible, has specific action guidelines, and gets enforced consistently.

What led you to write this book?

When the economy took a nosedive in recent years, businesses in every industry suddenly had to make more collection calls than ever before. I found that many of those businesses didn’t have an effective credit policy in place, and they found themselves scrambling. Many fell behind on their own bills, and bad debt rippled through the economy.

What many business owners fail to realize is that credit management IS your business. A good credit policy will help you make more sales, increase cash flow, and make a profit.

A simple and effective credit policy will save you time, money, and headaches. I wrote this book to help business owners do just that, and I found a great publisher in Wiley who also thought this was an important book for business owners during these tough times.

 How will this book help business owners?

 The Guide to Getting Paid will help business owners to avoid the common mistakes businesses make, such as not checking credit, not getting any signed paperwork, or being unfamiliar with laws. The Guide to Getting Paid delivers step-by-step guidance on how to:

• Check and issue credit, determine credit risk, and limit that risk
• Outline policies and procedures that will help provide your customers with options when they cannot pay in full
• Use email and social media in collections
• Legally collect money from slow or non-paying customers and enlist third-party collection services
• Deal with customers who make deductions on their payments
• Improve your phone delivery, and conduct compassionate, rather than angry and aggressive, debt collection calls

 All things that are very important to a businesses bottom line, not just in this economy but in any economy.

What do you most enjoy about what you do?

I like being my own boss and publishing a new book that can help people be successful, I also enjoy teaching the classes I teach based on my books.

Can you share a business tip with our readers?

Educate yourself and never stop.  Network effectively, and help others.  It will come back to you and you will be successful.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Reading is learning. You can never know to much but you can know to little. Never stop learning and you will continue to grow professionally and personally.  All resulting in good things.

How would someone reach you?

Michelle Dunn

P.O. Box 40

Plymouth, NH 03264

michelle@michelledunn.com

www.MichelleDunn.com

www.Credit-and-Collections.com

The latest issue of collector mentor Magazine is now available for download.

In this issue:

• Finding Your Passion
• Loving the Industry; Loving the Job w/Trish Chavez of CollectionCenter, Inc.
• Rozanne M. Andersen Discusses Email Communication
• Bookshelf: Everyone Communicates, Few Connect
• The cm Challenge: Listen to What Isn’t Being Said
• Tomio B. Narita Weighs in on the Practice of Pay-For-Delete
• Collecting Accounts in the Commercial World w/Donald B. Kramer, Esq. of Kramer & Frank, P.C.
• Michelle Dunn Helps a Locksmith Unlock Payment
• 5 Tips for Dealing With Office Stress
• Developing an Attitude of Gratitude
• Checking Up on Healthcare Collections w/Gina McNaughton
• Plus more!

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The latest issue of collector mentor Magazine is now available for download.

In this issue:

• A New Year, a New You
• Climbing to the Top w/Albert Rookard of ClientAccessWeb.com
• Understanding the Importance of Better Business Bureau Complaints
• Bookshelf: Getting Paid Using Social Media
• The cm Challenge: Become More Valuable
• 6 Ways to Quiet the Overly Talkative Consumer
• Avoiding Critical Errors w/Jaci Minges of Security National Automotive
• 7 Signs You May Need to Hire a Professional Collector w/Michelle Dunn
• 6 Strategies for Effective Professional Development w/Carol Freeland of Acts Plus
• Best Places to Work in Collections – Winners announced for 2010!
• Exploring Student Loan Collections w/The Bursar Brothers, Dennis DeSantis and David R. Glezerman
• Plus more!

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The latest issue of collector mentor is now available for download.

In this issue:

• Looking ahead to 2011 goals
• Frontline interview w/Sheila Carr of QC Holdings Companies
• 7 steps you can take when nobody answers
• 10 tips for managing B2B credit risk w/Michelle Dunn
• Usingactive listening skills to take your talk-offs to the next level
• How many calls are too many? w/Attorney Tomio B. Narita
• Holiday office party do’s and don’ts w/Dr. Randall S. Hansen
• Reviewing ACA International’s “Ask Doctor Debt” 
• Plus more!

The July/August 2010 issue of collector mentoris now available. Inside you’ll find helpful tips for keeping motivated this summer, dealing with negative influences, and tuning up your goals. Also, inside are articles and advice from industry members Joel LeBlanc, Jaci Feirstine, Michelle Dunn, Carol Freeland, and John McNamara. Learn how to speak your mind (professionally), handle customers who demand late fees be waived, and take a peek at the differences between commercial and consumer collections. Plus, much more!

Plymouth, NH – With social media taking over as the new way to market, network and grow your business, the credit and debt collection industry is no exception. Michelle Dunn, the founder of the American Credit and Collections Association has created a social networking website for anyone who wants to learn more about collecting money, credit management and networking with others within the industry.

Membership is free and members can create a profile, upload videos, start a blog, join groups, ask questions and much more. Visit Americancreditandcollections.ning.com/
to join and keep up to date on what is happening in the industry, meet new people, learn about industry events and expand your network.

As Michelle Dunn’s American Credit and Collections Association has grown, so has its website, www.Credit-and-Collections.com. Any industry is only as strong as its members and membership has skyrocketed over the past few years. Michelle created her association in 1998 to serve as a vital networking function, bringing members together with similar interests and to share best practices and in the process, make the entire debt and credit industry stronger.

Individuals join Dunn’s Credit and Collections Association for many reasons. Some join because they are thinking about starting a collection agency, or they may work for one. Some other members include credit managers, business owners, book keepers, lawyers, collectors, vendors, media and the list goes on. Dunn’s new web site has been designed to present different levels of information to all members and visitors while delivering member-specific information and special discounts to members when they log in.

The member-driven website provides all members with critical information and educational tools including e-courses, conferences, webinars, books and updates on products and services.

Michelle Dunn is an award winning author and columnist. She is the founder and CEO of the American Credit & Collections Association, one of the Top 5 women in Collections, and one of the Top 50 most influential collection professionals in her industry. Michelle has been quoted and featured in The Wall Street Journal, Smart Money Magazine, CNN & other National publications.

The addition of “Getting Paid” represents commitment to reader satisfaction

ADEL, IOWA (January 21, 2009) — Skills World announced today that credit and collections industry expert Michelle Dunn’s “Getting Paid” column will appear regularly in collector mentor starting in March.

Dunn, who is the president of Michelle Dunn’s Credit and Collections Association, and author of the popular “Collecting Money Series,” offers a unique perspective on the credit and collections industry. Her past experience as a collection agency owner, coupled with an extensive knowledge of the credit granting process, makes her column on answering challenging credit and collections questions an ideal fit.

“Michelle has an extraordinary history of achieving success and promoting education in the credit and collections industry,” said Gary Jensen, founder and Chief Learning Officer at Skills World, “Her experience and insight will be a tremendous benefit to our subscribers.”

As the premier skill-development publication for credit and collections professionals, collector mentor delivers insightful and powerful articles in the areas of collections, credit, skiptracing, industry regulations, and soft business.
For more information about collector mentor, or to download a sample electronic copy, please visit www.collectormentor.com.