About the Course

Effective credit and receivables management is the lifeblood of financial sustainability. Organizations of all sizes and sectors struggle with overdue invoices, disputed payments, and inadequate follow-up systems. This results in strained operations, unpredictable cash flow, and even bad debt write-offs.

This course bridges the gap between finance, sales, and operations, offering practical strategies and tools you can apply immediately. It’s not just theory, we’ll walk through aging reports, simulate collection calls, troubleshoot common barriers, and teach you how to prevent future issues before they escalate.

You won’t become a debt collector. You’ll become a financially responsible, relationship-savvy professional who protects revenue and cash flow with confidence and clarity. This course is your playbook for stronger cash flow and fewer payment headaches. Whether you’re dealing with government contracts, donor reimbursements, or commercial clients, we’ll equip you to assess credit risk, enforce payment terms, and recover money owed, without burning bridges.

Target Participants

This course is ideal for professionals who manage, monitor, or influence credit and collections processes:

• Credit controllers and credit analysts
• Accounts receivable officers and finance assistants
• Sales and customer success managers
• Procurement and supply chain officers
• Grant and project managers handling reimbursements
• Treasury and cash flow managers
• Admin professionals involved in invoicing and payment follow-up
• SME owners managing credit in-house
• Legal or compliance staff involved in collections
• Any professional responsible for following up on payments

What You Will Learn

By the end of this course the participants will be able to:

• Understand the principles of credit management and receivables
• Assess customer creditworthiness and set smart payment terms
• Use aging analysis and credit limits to reduce risk
• Apply best practices in collections and follow-up communication
• Handle overdue accounts with professionalism and persistence
• Resolve disputes and minimize conflict
• Align credit policies across departments
• Improve forecasting and reporting for receivables performance

Course Duration

One week

Course Outline

Credit Management Essentials

• The purpose and power of offering credit
• Understanding credit risk and cash flow impact
• Common credit control problems and how to avoid them
• Credit policies vs. sales pressure: striking the balance
• Role of credit control in organizational health

Assessing Creditworthiness

• Key indicators of a customer’s credit health
• Performing basic credit checks (internal and external sources)
• Evaluating credit applications
• Establishing credit limits and terms
• Monitoring ongoing risk: what to watch for

Structuring Effective Credit Policies

• Building clear and enforceable credit terms
• What to include in a credit policy document
• Integrating policies with invoicing, sales, and finance teams
• Setting clear consequences for late payment
• Getting buy-in from stakeholders

Accounts Receivable Management

• Understanding the accounts receivable cycle
• Generating and interpreting aging reports
• Tracking Days Sales Outstanding (DSO)
• Prioritizing collections efforts
• Preventing overdue accounts with early intervention

Collections Strategy and Execution

• Structuring follow-up processes
• Writing firm but professional reminder emails
• Phone call scripts and tone best practices
• Using templates for different follow-up stages
• Tools and platforms for tracking collections

Handling Overdue and Disputed Accounts

• Diagnosing why a customer hasn’t paid
• Strategies for difficult or high-risk clients
• Offering payment plans or renegotiated terms
• When and how to escalate issues internally
• Dealing with dispute resolution and documentation

Preventing Bad Debt and Credit Losses

• Recognizing early warning signs
• Risk segmentation: tiered customer strategies
• Using credit insurance or factoring options
• Writing off bad debts: process and controls
• Audit readiness and reporting obligations

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Aligning sales incentives with credit discipline
• Sharing customer information across functions
• Ensuring consistent messaging from sales, finance, and customer service
• Case study: Breaking the sales vs. collections bottleneck
• Creating shared dashboards and reporting tools

Forecasting and Reporting Receivables

• Projecting collections and cash flow
• Using data to inform credit decisions
• Monthly reporting of receivables performance
• Presenting reports to leadership or donors
• Building a receivables dashboard

Legal and Ethical Considerations

• Understanding local laws and global standards (e.g. fair collections practices)
• Protecting customer data during follow-ups
• Avoiding harassment and unethical behavior
• Working with legal counsel or debt recovery agencies
• Maintaining professionalism in all stages

Training Approach

This course is delivered by our seasoned trainers who have vast experience as expert professionals in their respective fields of practice. The course is taught through a mix of practical activities, presentations, group works and case studies.

Training notes and additional reference materials are provided to the participants.

Certification

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be issued a certificate.

Tailor-Made Course

We can also do this as a tailor-made course to meet organization-wide needs.