Three Reasons Why Your Invoice IS a Marketing Document
Posted by Michael Guerin on September 23, 2008 under Client Billing | 
2 Comments to Read
When is a bill (or invoice) just a bill? How about never. Whether you like it or not, your invoice is a marketing document. How can I make that bold claim?
Well, for starters, check out this definition of marketing…
“Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, services, organizations, and events to create and maintain relationships that will satisfy individual and organizational objectives.” [emphasis mine]
-Contemporary Marketing Wired (1998) by Boone and Kurtz. Dryden Press.
It’s a question of practice management. The invoice is supposed to represent the effort expended on behalf of a client’s needs. And doing this effectively will certainly “create and maintain” the relationship.
We’re not just talking about keeping your clients happy. Or creating an invoice that they “rush to pay” (though that’s certainly important).
Let’s face facts.
Every document heading out your door addressed to a client (or would be client) must be considered a chance to either start a mutually beneficial relationship, maintain that relationship, or enhance it.
Listen, you work hard to build your practice. And getting new clients is certainly tough enough. So why blow it with a sloppy, incomplete, or hastily put together bill?
The number one rule of marketing is… that it’s easier to sell other products and/or services to existing clients than to find new clients to use our services. Which is why ALL communication between you and your clients must represent the simple fact that you APPRECIATE their business.
Let me share a short story with you.
A few months back I used a friend to do some graphic design work for me. And I had prepaid 50% of the projected cost to get the project moving forward. Sort of a “good faith” initiative to help push my work to the top of his “to do” list.
So what happens?
Two months into the “work” and still nothing from him. Then one day I finally get the work I requested, along with his invoice.
Now here’s where the problem begins. Forget the fact that he was at least 5 weeks late (but the bill shows up almost before my project). And forget the fact that there was no apology for the delay. To top all that off, when I read the invoice and look at the “Balance Due” section, I can’t find any mention of the deposit I made earlier.
Big mistake.
Was the “balance due” including my deposit? Or was the “balance due” the total amount, less what I already paid?
Perhaps many people would have assumed that he was listing the total cost of the project and that the balance due was overlooking my deposit. But why should I have to figure this out for him?
For my part, a few emails later straightened out the whole mess. He just “forgot” to include the deposit (and only after I was able to pull out cancelled checks with check numbers, along with clearing dates from my bank.
So… I’ll ask you this. What’s the chance I’m likely to use his services again? And what are the chances that I refer my friends, colleagues, and clients to him?
To summarize the points made above, I’ll break it down for you this way…
- A properly constructed invoice projects the effort you expended on your client’s behalf
- Fosters/builds a solid relationship between you and your client
- Helps you get paid, and may help to generate referrals because your invoice reflects your competence and professionalism.
So I’ll ask you one more time. After reading these points and my short story above, do you still doubt that your invoice IS a marketing document?
Next Steps…
So what key questions should you ask a billing company before signing up with them? Here’s a short list for your review:
- What is involved in the fee (i.e. postage, envelopes, etc)?
- Is there a monthly fee, even during winter months/downtime?
- What reporting is provided?
- Will follow up invoices (i.e. Second Notices) be included in the program fee
If you’d like to discover how we can help to automate your lawn service billing process, visit the link to give us a call at 877-262-3712. We look forward to helping you streamline your billing process.
