If you’re finding that your clients are slow-payers, maybe your invoice language is to blame.

For instance, does your invoice invite action or inaction? An invoice that simply says, “Payable upon receipt” sends a non-urgent message to your customer that he can “Pay me when it’s convenient for you,” instead of “Please pay me now”. That’s just an open invitation to slow payers to drag out the payment process!

Another bad invoicing practice is visible account aging. You know, the little boxes that indicate the account as “current”, “30 days”, “60 days”, and so-on. This format also screams to slow payers that you are inclined to grant “credit” to them, because there appears to be no reason to pay immediately - the outstanding amount is just “rolled-over” until the next month.

Therefore, instead of such neutral or passive invoice language, use wording that encourages positive action and prompt payment. To prevent the problems highlighted above, include a specific payment date, such as “Due on January 31, 2007″. This forces clients to pay more attention to the date and invites prompt payment action. It also eliminates any possible misunderstanding or “loose interpretation” by some.