If you’re the owner of a company that provides certain services daily or delivers goods to its customers, then you know that invoices are an indispensable part of the business. High turnover of products and services daily require more up-to-date form writing and sending, but this shouldn’t affect the quality of the look. Each of your documents must look professional in order to leave the best possible impression on your customers who will always want to come back to you for this reason.
An incomprehensible and messy document you send can have the exact opposite effect. In order to be able to expect your payment within the agreed deadline, you must send invoices regularly in a form that won’t be overbearing or threatening. On the other hand, it must clearly express your attitude and desire to get your money on time.
1. Up-to-date writing
We’re sure that you don’t like irresponsible associates who will wait until the last moment to do what they need to do – so try not to become that kind of person. Adopt smart habits from the very beginning and try to be up-to-date in delivering invoices for your services and goods, as only in that way can you expect timely payment.
The first rule you should apply and our first piece of advice is that once you deliver your products to a customer, you should sit down immediately and start invoicing. If you don’t do this, you lose the right to complain in case of late payment. On the other hand, by doing this promptly, you’ll eliminate the creation of a big mess on your table and prevent yourself from forgetting to write it later. Believe us – this can cause further consequences with the income you don’t even want to mention.
2. Find the right software
Good software can be a great assistant in creating your invoices. First of all, you can save a lot of time and it will no longer be such a big chore for you. Today, various software developers offer their services on the Internet – therefore, you can inform yourself a little bit more about each of them. You can be sure that using these will make this task easier for you and make your document look much more professional.
The software will keep the desired form you have assigned to it so that you can take advantage of it each time you create a new bill. Another advantage is reflected in the regular automatic update, which means that your invoice will be created following the current legal regulations
3. Nicer design
We agree that the beautiful design of that piece of paper won’t make the customer pay you faster, but it’ll definitely leave a good impression. You must try to leave a unique impression that’ll make you stand out compared to the competition in every sphere of your business. By creating a more attractive design of the bill you send to different clients every day, you’ll surely be noticed.
In addition to the regular information that every document like this must contain, it’s time to start considering certain design ideas. Let it be something simple but effective – put your logo and some other creative details (for example, a small craftsman or a tool in a corner if you run a construction company), but avoid bright colors that may immediately cause a headache.
4. Write it in your client’s native language
Firms whose business involves international cooperation usually deliver invoices written in English to their clients. And that’s okay because after all, the most important thing is to be understandable, right? Not bad – but try to overcome it and do something even better and even more respectful, such as writing in the client’s native language.
This move can look very nice, professional, and respectful. You’ll let your co-worker know that you’ve made an effort to make the document as understandable as possible for them so that they won’t have to spend time translating. This change should be considered especially by those who write in their native language, which usually further complicates the situation. The software we mentioned earlier can also help you with this.
5. Insert a short personalized message
Speaking of details, there is another idea that you can use and make things even more effective. Once you’ve completed the billing and entered the final amount in the document, try to get a positive reaction from the customer by writing a short personalized message at the very end. If there’s a possibility that a large amount and the deadline you set negatively affects the mood, you can try to fix it this way.
Every client loves when you give them the importance they believe they deserve, and that’s why personalized messages are the key trick for a good continuation of cooperation. Whether you send an invoice by mail or e-mail, there’s always room for something like this. The text of the message can contain gratitude for the excellent cooperation, gratitude for the fact that they chose you, your good impressions, with the obligatory emphasis on the name and surname of the customer.
6. Try using a template
You’ll admit that re-entering all the data every time you want to create a new invoice could be very tedious and time-wasting. It would also affect the efficiency of doing the job and most busy workers wouldn’t be able to afford such a waste of time. To eliminate this, people came up with PDF invoice templates that allow you to complete this part of the job quickly and professionally.
Observing the patterns found on Billdu.com, it will be enough to fill in all the fields once and your document will be ready to send and print. Of course, make sure you update the info you provide when you change the client to whom you send the bill. A special advantage is that these templates have the option of automatically calculating the total amount, so you won’t need a calculator or any similar device.
7. Different payment options
Do you want a quick payment? If so, you have to learn to be flexible when it comes to payment methods. By providing more different options, you’ll show your professionalism, reliability and tolerance. Leave your customers a choice, and even if you have domestic associates, if it’s easier for them to send you money through a bank account instead of going to the post office, you should allow them to do so. Trust us, they’ll be very grateful to you and your payment will likely arrive faster than you expect.
Therefore, you can include various methods such as sending money with PayPal, then through a bank account, electronically, checks, even in installments if your company’s budget is stable and you can afford it. The only thing that matters is to come up with something that will attract some attention and separate you from your competitor in their eyes.