Unpaid invoices don't just hurt cash flow – they drain the time and mental energy you need to run your agency. Most owners cobble together a response from blog posts and gut instinct, sending inconsistent follow-ups that either let clients stall indefinitely or accidentally burn the relationship. This playbook gives you a complete, stage-by-stage dunning process built specifically for agencies and B2B service providers carrying $5,000–$50,000 in outstanding receivables. You get ready-to-send templates, documented escalation logic, and workflow references for Stripe and QuickBooks – so you can move a delinquent account from polite reminder to formal demand to collections decision without improvising at each step. Every stage is mapped, every template is written, and the decision of when to escalate versus write off is laid out as a structured framework rather than a judgment call made under stress.
What's included
- A four-stage escalation framework – polite reminder, firm demand, certified mail, and final collections decision – with specific timing, tone guidance, and ready-to-send templates for each stage
- Three distinct touchpoint templates for Stage 1 that maintain the client relationship while creating a documented paper trail from the first contact
- Stage 2 language shifts and consequence framing that move the conversation from friendly nudge to formal demand without requiring you to write anything from scratch
- A complete certified mail formal demand letter template with guidance on exactly when to send it and why it matters legally and psychologically
- A structured escalation decision tree for Stage 4 that walks you through the collections agency vs. small claims court vs. write-off choice based on your specific situation
- A Stripe and QuickBooks workflow reference that shows how to operationalize the dunning cadence inside the tools most agencies already use
- A contract armor section covering late fee clauses and payment terms you can add to future agreements to reduce the likelihood of ending up in collections again
