Getting a fellow professional’s input on a problem or decision is always helpful to
gain perspective and move forward,
especially in the ever-changing credit
and collection industry. Sometimes the
advice you receive can help guide your
business for years to come.
Collector recently asked some ACA
International members: What is the
best business advice you’ve ever gotten?
Brad Klein, president, Paid in Full
I was encouraged to become active
with ACA International and, on a local
level, the Arizona Collectors
Association. I joined ACA in 2002 and
started serving on the Arizona Unit
board in 2006.
Access to critical industry
information from these organizations,
the people I’ve met through them and
the advice they’ve given me throughout
my career have been instrumental in
taking my company from a fledgling
start-up to where we are today.
Matt Laws, president/CEO, Wakefield &
Associates Inc.
There have been many excellent
pieces of business advice I have received
and implemented over the years.
However, without question, the best
business advice with the most positive
impact for our company was to
surround ourselves with the smartest
and most talented people in the credit
and collection industry. It’s imperative
to have a group of all-stars in every
position in your company.
Richard Perr, attorney, Fineman,
Krekstein & Harris
The best business advice I have ever
received was to never forget that you
Career Advice
ACA members describe helpful advice they have received from mentors and colleagues during their careers
are working for your client.
As much as we may have
opinions about how the
client can best go about
achieving their goals, it is
the client’s choice and the
client’s goals. We do not
substitute our judgment for
our client’s.
And when the client
makes a decision, you do
everything in your power to
support the decision and to
ensure it succeeds.
Kenneth Ross, president,
Evergreen Professional
Recoveries
The best business advice I ever
received was, “Don’t just put a Band-Aid on it, fix it.” If you take this
approach, with honesty, integrity and
hard work, you will succeed in
whatever you do.
This holds very true with the ever-changing landscape in the collection
industry. If you don’t fix the small
problems, they become large ones.
Have a plan execute it, and stay on
course.
After 27 years in business, I always
surround myself with the best support
possible, and most of my management
staff have been with me for more than
20 years.
Michael Ryalls, president, RGS Financial
A great mentor taught me
something that is seemingly simple, but
critically important: “How do you
communicate an issue, requiring a
decision, to a coworker or supervisor?”
The answer is to describe the issue,
outline the options to consider, give
your opinion on the best solution and
ask for a decision. How this is done
makes all the difference in how you are
perceived to your colleague or
supervisor.
Following these steps will show you
respect the authority of the decision
maker. Done enough—you become the
authority. cm
Katy Zillmer is a communications
specialist for ACA International.
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By Katy Zillmer