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Working in credit management requires a keen eye for strange customer behavior, whether it’s a customer whose payments have slowed or a company you’ve had an increasingly hard time getting on the phone. But even the most eagle-eyed credit professional will have customers abruptly shut down without warning. Your first instinct may be to panic, but it’s important to remember there are steps to take when a customer shuts down to protect your company from major losses.

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No aspect of credit management epitomizes the give-and-take nature of your relationship with your customer quite like disputes and deductions. Whether it’s a complaint about an erroneous charge on a bill or items left unaccounted in your order, deductions and disputes can consume a lot of your time as a credit manager, which can leave you frazzled if your credit department doesn’t have a solid protocol in place.  

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Credit professionals are wired for change, always adapting to new technologies and innovations. With so many options available, finding the right product or service can be overwhelming. 

Those who have a clear strategy and a willingness to learn can more effectively narrow their choices, and the Credit Congress Expo Hall is an invaluable resource, giving them a front row seat at the best show!

Check out our upcoming webinar, Tariffs as A Driver of Financial Distress and of Value on December 15th.

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Not every customer has a perfect credit score or strong balance sheet, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth doing business with. Marginal customers often stand in a gray area: high potential, but higher risk. 

The challenge is to identify whether open, unsecured credit can be extended to a marginal customer or whether other tools must be used to create guardrails around the transaction.

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As day-to-day communication shifts to largely online, it is critical that credit professionals make the most of every conversation, whether it is in-person or virtual. From facial expressions to tone to body language, there is a lot to keep in mind in conversation to ensure that you are not only making your point clearly but effectively.

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From education to networking to vendor-shopping, Credit Congress is a one-of-a-kind experience for credit managers that stays with attendees even after the convention doors close. 

As we prepare for next year’s Credit Congress in St. Louis, many credit professionals are weighing the benefits of attending Credit Congress next spring against the cost, but the advantages of attending a conference for designed specifically for credit professionals greatly outweigh the price of admission. 

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As a leader, it can be easy to focus on your own perspective. After all, you’re ultimately responsible for making key decisions. However, leadership isn’t just about giving orders; it’s about guiding your team and ensuring their needs are met.  

Leading selflessly, with love and compassion not only fosters trust but also strengthens relationships and boosts motivation within the team. In the process, leaders form stronger emotional intelligence and communication skills that will serve them well in their career and in life. 

In NACM and FCIB’s upcoming Author Chat webinar, James Hunter, principal consultant of J.D. Hunter Associates, expands on his book, The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership, which paints a vivid picture of the transformative power of servant leadership.

Register now for free to save your seat on November 13th!

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For many credit professionals, burnout does not happen all of a sudden—it creeps in slowly, like a phantom in the shadows. The pressure of the job, from managing high-risk accounts to chasing down mounting receivables, can begin to haunt even the most experienced professionals.  

If left unchecked, burnout can lead to reduced productivity, job dissatisfaction and loss of personal happiness. Recognizing the signs early and taking proactive steps to address them are the keys to escaping burnout’s grip and reclaiming control, because even when the phantom looms, it does not have to win. 

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Credit managers can sometimes take on too much responsibility—from handling customer disputes to managing collections. A balanced workload significantly improves team performance and efficiency. 

By delegating tasks, credit managers can ease their own workload while empowering team members to think independently, develop skills and take initiative—ultimately allowing them to solve problems before they escalate out of control. 

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Lien and bond rights are essential tools for protecting payments in the construction industry. Whether you’re a general contractor (GC), subcontractor or material supplier, these legal rights provide leverage when payments are delayed or withheld. However, these rights and the processes to enforce them vary significantly from state to state.

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In business-to-business (B2B) transactions, when customers aren’t satisfied with a product or service, they request a deduction—typically in the form of a short payment on an invoice or credit taken on a check. 

Customer deductions typically require approval from the credit department, as they directly affect collections and terms outlined in the contractual agreement. By managing deductions proactively, credit professionals can improve the order-to-cash process, prevent future losses and support strong customer relationships. 

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Gathering job information for a construction project is an important part of the work of a credit manager. Having pertinent details on the customer, contractors and the project itself help the credit manager understand what to expect when they embark on a project. 

While this process is closely tied to the credit manager’s role, the task of collecting the information often falls to the sales team. The joint effort between credit and sales could see different aspects of the task doled out between the two departments. 

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With the role of credit managers expanding each day with new responsibilities, outsourcing tasks within the credit department can be a key part of a risk mitigation strategy.  

Collections brings a lot of problems for credit managers, making it one of the first processes many departments decide to outsource. Third-party collections improves cash flow by having dedicated collectors pursuing a debt rather than overwhelming the credit department.  

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When most people think of a credit professional, they picture someone focused on collecting payments and monitoring customer balances or credit scores. In reality, the job extends far beyond credit and collections. 

The multi-faceted nature of the credit professional makes them an asset to the organization, facilitating communication, improving efficiency and mitigating risk. 

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The credit and sales departments both spend their days closely monitoring customers and transactions, albeit from different perspectives, making it easy for each department to recognize the needs of the other. 

As the credit team works to mitigate risk by carefully considering the possible ramifications of each transaction, they rely on the sales team to bring in customers. 

With the sales department often in a better position to advocate for new technology, buy-in from them on much-needed upgrades to the credit department can be immensely beneficial.  

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Join us for this special Industry Insight episode with Shane Norman, CCE, senior account executive with Handle, as he discusses his 20-plus years of credit experience, and shares his perspective, both managing credit risk and now working with hundreds of credit teams nationwide. 

Today we're talking about:

• Lessons learned as a credit manager
• The future of tech in the credit department
• Common habits for great credit teams

Tune in now and reshape your credit strategy! 

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Join us for this week's episode on the power of proper documentation!

Certain credit practices are grounded in the roots of the profession, unchanging in a dynamic field where change is constant. Documentation is one of these habits, with thorough records of even the simplest day-to-day credit decisions protecting credit departments from risk down the line. 

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The nature of credit and collections requires credit managers to always keep an eye out for risk on the horizon, whether it’s concern towards a customer’s persistent cash flow issues or a weariness towards extending credit in a country with growing political instability. 

Why it matters: During periods of economic uncertainty, customers may begin acting erratically, paying late or asking for extended terms. Recognizing economic trouble is one thing, but addressing the onslaught of delayed payments and requests for new terms that comes with it is a larger task.

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Sales and credit are two sides of the same coin, both aiming to grow the business, but from different perspectives. While sales focuses on closing deals, the credit team works to manage risk, ensuring customers are financially reliable and contract terms are sound. These different priorities can often lead to tension.  

When the sales team understands the “why” behind the fundamentals of credit, they can structure deals that not only close faster but also protect the company’s cash flow. 

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When a salesperson is pushing for a credit manager to finish their credit investigation and determine a credit line so they can close the sale, it is important that credit managers find a balance between speed and risk. Organizing the workflow within the credit department to accommodate these requests can help ease stress and take some pressure of credit managers. 

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🕵️‍♀️ Scene 1: The Case File

Did you hear that? A company’s accounts receivable (AR) suddenly spiked. Collections slowed, and cash reserves dropped. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) smells trouble. Soon after, you’re brought in to investigate the scene of the crime. You’re left wondering...was it overdue invoices? Was it an ineffective collection? Are they just difficult or unresponsive customers? Of all the mysteries credit professionals encounter, nothing compares to the mystery of disappearing cash flow. 

Credit managers act as a company’s true financial detectives, solving the mysteries behind customers’ cash flow issues.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed how the world operates, integrating itself into nearly every facet of business. For credit departments, AI is being used to enhance email communication, draft demand letters, review contracts and even predict collection trends. 

Despite its rapid advancement, AI presents significant challenges, particularly regarding accuracy and reliability of information and data privacy and security. Implementing clear, refined policies and procedures within the credit department can help mitigate these concerns and ensure AI is applied ethically and effectively. 

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As a credit manager, you’re no stranger to difficult customers. Whether there is a disagreement over a late payment or a clash over company policies, conflict can pop up anywhere in a credit manager’s day to day work. Mastering emotional intelligence can help credit professionals de-escalate conflict and ease tensions. 

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This week we are talking about building relationships outside of the credit department!

The last decade has seen tremendous evolutions within the business credit field, with advancing technology transforming the credit management profession. With technology’s growing importance in modern credit processes, the relationship between credit and IT departments is more important than ever.  

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We’re diving into one of the most valuable tools available to global credit managers—the FCIB Credit & Collections Survey.

The monthly survey serves as a global pulse check on real-world credit conditions. It gathers input from credit professionals across key international markets, on things like payment behavior, risk levels, and economic confidence. The Credit and Collections Survey’s insights help you stay informed, benchmark your practices, and even support your internal reporting.

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