Newsletters

In This Issue
- Collection Calls - Make Them Work for You
- NACM Board of Directors April Election
- Considered a Promissory Note?
- Profile of a Great Collector
- 5 Keys to Building a Better Credit Department
- ICEL Recap: Conflict Resolution
- ICEL Spotlight: Gia McNaughton, NACM
- Scam Warning

Looking Ahead

Why should I submit potential members to NACM?"

Help gain information on your customers. As a member, their information could help build the database on your customers. It's not just a one-way street. more Info

Collection Calls - Make Them Work for You

by Kelley Kunz, CCE, Martin Door Mfg.

With Credit Congress just around the corner I am reminded about all the great credit related education that I have received in the past by attending Credit Congress. The first year I attended I went to a class about how to make a collection call. When I first looked at this class, it sounded so simple and basic I wasn't sure if this was the class for me. But, the information I received from the instructor has been next to my phone ever since. View full article

Oh the Economy We're In!

NACM Board of Directors
April Election

NACM Members: Cast your vote for Board Directors! On Monday, April 2, 2012, the member of record for each NACM member company will receive an email with an exclusive link to their electronic ballot. You may vote for three (3) of the following seven candidates.

Nominees for the NACM Board of Directors

ReBecca Poulsen, CCE, Henriksen Butler Design
Traci Flynn, Holladay Bank & Trust
Tammi Russell, CCE, KSL Broadcast
Boyd Ipson, Redman Van & Storage Co.
D'Ann Johnson, CBF, Roofers Supply
Lynette Jensen, U S Foodservice, Inc.
Dan Simpson, CCE,  Wright Express Financial Services

**For more information on candidates, click here.


Elections will close at 9:00 a.m on April 20th and new directors will be announced at the Stockholders Meeting to be held at the Hilton Salt Lake City Airport Hotel later that same day.

Considered a Promissory Note?

by Carolyn Thompson, Meadow Gold Dairies

As a credit manager, you are more likely to consider a promissory note when payments aren't being received but your customer is trying to resolve the situation and may still want to buy from you. A promissory note is a negotiable instrument where one party makes an unconditional promise in writing to pay a defined sum of money to the other at a future time. You've all seen them, perhaps in connection ... View full article

Profile of a Great Collector

by Duanne Lee, CCE, SOS Staffing Services

On the wall of my office hangs a baseball bat. Across the bat in large vinyl letters it says "No Deadbeat is too dead to beat!" Many that visit my office see the bat and give a smile or perhaps a nervous laugh. I love their responses, and I am quick to point out that all of our Executive Management has autographed my bat. It's an ice breaker that allows visitors to get a glimpse of my sense of humor and perhaps lead to a discussion about ... View full article

5 Keys to Building a Better Credit Dept.

by Tammi Russell, CCE, KSL Broadcast

First we need to clearly understand management's "design." We have to know the objectives and goals of our company. Where does our company place the most value, what is most critical? How can we as a credit department play a vital role in supporting management's vision? The easiest answer is to ... View full article

ICEL Meeting Recap:
Conflict Resolution

by Melissa Mickelsen, CBA, Geneva Rock Products, Inc.

Natalie Threlkeld, professional mediator with Agree-able Mediations, spoke about Debt Collection and Conflict Resolution at the March ICEL meeting. Natalie began her presentation by speaking about the process involved in conflict resolution and the steps to take while working through a disagreement. She first advised the group to ... View full article

ICEL Spotlight
Gia McNaughton

by Melissa Mickelsen, CBA, Geneva Rock Products, Inc.

Gia recently joined the Membership Sales and Marketing Department at NACM. Prior to working at NACM, she held several positions in credit and accounting for various other companies. Her formal introduction to credit came at Kaman Industrial Technologies where she worked as a credit analyst. From there she joined A.E. Carter as a buyer but quickly transitioned to become a credit manager and office manager in their organization. Gia then worked as an accountant at Coldwell Banker. She most recently worked as a legal assistant in the Office of Chief Counsel for the IRS before joining the team at NACM.

Gia served as a member of the United States Navy after graduating from high school and achieved the rank of 3rd Class Petty Officer. Her primary duty was working as an electrician, but additional duties encompassed base security patrol, purchasing and petty cash management. Gia was awarded the National Defense Service Medal for ... view full article

Scam Warning

Abuse of Hearing Impaired TTY Option

Scams come and go and then seem to come back again. The TTY Relay Operator Scam seems to be making a comeback. You receive a call from the TTY operator, which you have to take, and the operator relays an order from a supposedly hearing impaired potential customer. The customer, through the TTY operator, will explain something that amounts to an overpayment situation or perhaps that the delivery service they'd like to use won't take credit cards and asks that the business wire money to the shipper and simply tack the cost onto the overall order and charge their credit card for the total amount.Of course there is no shipper and the money is being sent to the scammer.

Here are some suggestions provided by the Better Business Bureau to help identify such fraud and then not be drawn in:

If the customer is using a TTY Relay Operator, ask the customer for his/her full name, address and telephone number.

Ask the customer to provide the name of the issuing bank and its toll-free customer service number as printed on the back of all credit cards.

Ask the customer for the three or four digit Card Verification Code that is found near the account number on the back or front of a credit card.

Tell the customer that you will check with the bank and call them back. When you do that, keep good notes. Verify all information the customer provides. If a customer objects, explain that these procedures are for their protection, as well.

If the customer still objects to providing any of the above information, abandon the conversation and advise that you are not prepared to do business this way.

The CreditWise Newsletter invites NACM members to write articles for upcoming issues. The articles should be based in business and credit management. Articles containing 350 words or more that are published are eligible for NACM Roadmap and CCE Recertification points.

Articles may be submitted to Georgette by email at GBevan@nacmint.com