Ten Commandments of Better Credit/Sales Relationships
By Michael C. Dennis, MBA, CBF

1. Return calls from salespeople as quickly as possible - and always on the same day as they are received.
   
2. If your credit decision is overridden by management, don't be bitter? and never say: "I told you so!" if things go badly down the road.
   
3. Look for reasons to release orders, not for excuses to hold orders pending.
   
4. Treat salespeople as peers, never as your superiors, and never as objects of contempt or derision.
   
5. Never talk down to salespeople.
   
6. Do not behave in a condescending manner towards them.
   
7. Don't take shortcuts in your discussions with salespeople. Make the time to fully explain your decisions, and to answer their questions, and to respond to their concerns.
   
8. Maintain a professional distance from the sales department in order to maintain your objectivity, but don't become aloof.
   
9. Don't worry about whether or not salespeople like you, but don't go looking for a fight. Senior management usually believes that a positive working relationship between sales and credit will help maximize sales and profits.
   
10. Encourage an ongoing dialogue with your entire salesforce about everything from broad policy related issues to specific problems relating to individual customers and/or individual invoices or debits or credits.