2010 Annual Conference

What is the best way to contact debtors to get them to pay? Correspondence, telephone, email, text message? Each methodology has its strengths and weaknesses. Does the type of debt drive the method of contact? In this session you will learn some of the successes from each method of contact.

How do you help your existing collectors stay actively engaged on the job? In this session, we will explore ways to keep this important set of team members fresh, focused and contributing to the bottom line.

In this session you will learn about the 5 major components of a collections call. You will discover where each of the components fit into the call and how they affect your ultimate outcome. The goal is to increase the effectiveness of the collector. We'll will walk through these and provide examples of “the good, the bad and the ugly”. At the end of the session you should be able to work with your team and create a “talk-off” that works for you.

Taking online payments is easier than perceived. Every government could be accepting payments online. We'll take a look at what virtual collections is and what it is not, controlling the fear of this newer technology, easy steps to getting started and how best to market the product both to your debtors and to your prospective clients.

The ability to negotiate a successful arrangement is the single most critical skill each collector can possess. This session focuses on the key components of a solid negotiation from beginning to end.

Today’s governments face ever increasing pressure to do more with less. When it comes to collections, vital decisions need to be made regarding staff efforts, technologies and vendor offered services that a government agency might employ to minimize costs while maximizing their revenue and collections results. This session will discuss these issues, available options and important factors that innovative government collection professionals can consider when trying to be more efficient, productive and effective in these challenging times.

This session will feature a host of initiatives (internal and external) one office has taken over the past three years to tackle the challenges of the economic downturn. Learn about the tools and techniques her office is implementing to increase effectiveness.

In today’s environment collection staff is often questioned about how ethically they conduct their duties. Building public trust plays a vital role in the success of our collection efforts. In this session we will discuss where ethics fit into our professional careers and how organizational norms and values influence the decisions we make. In addition, we will evaluate how “explicit” and “implicit” ethics play a role in this process. Finally, we will review some ethical exercises to illustrate the importance of the decisions we make as professional collectors.

The difference between winning and losing athletic teams is a coach who is better at recognizing superior talent as well as better at motivating that talent to perform at its peak. Exactly the same is true for organizations. In this session, we'll discuss the successful practices of such quality organizations as Disney, Southwest Airlines, and Google when it comes to scouting, recruiting, interviewing, selecting and inspiring staff. We'll share performance data which will document that improved 'hiring and inspiring' practices can improve an organization's productivity by 25% or more.

Team Building is a practical presentation, using group exercises to examine the qualities of high-performance teams, elements of an engaged workforce, and the process of reaching agreement with diverse team members and perspectives.

Collection managers need to prove and then market the value of their programs to keep resources flowing. During this session we’ll talk about steps you can take to show the benefits of your program. Some of the topics we’ll cover include: low budget approaches to creating a top notch collection program, gathering and using data to improve and market your program,managing relations with elected officials and other decision makers, and building and making your case for additional tools and resources.

Motivating Your Team tackles the tough question: What can you do to motivate people during this climate of fear, uncertainty and desperation? In this session, we will discuss the qualities of resiliency and how to “celebrate what’s right with the world” while collecting revenue!

Learn how your overall department goals can be applied at the collector level. Then stay on track by measuring productivity throughout the year with some simple tools.

The presentation will provide a framework for reviewing your current operations to identify opportunities for improvement by comparing your practices to other agencies. The presentation will show you 10 specific process improvements that you can implement right away to increase collections.

General Session: Interacting With Collection Agencies

Selecting your agency, determining what services they should provide, and maintaining your relationship. An expert panel will break down how to keep your partnership running smoothly.

Come hear about the collection programs at the DC Courts, Johnson County, KS and Montgomery County, OH. The panel will discuss their challenges, successes and where they're heading with collections.