It's a common dilemma. On one hand, manually following up on client accounts with emails and phone calls is a time consuming process. On the other hand, generic, automated email notifications get slow responses, get ignored, or worse can give your clients the impression that you don’t care. Client relationship breakdowns can often be more costly than unpaid accounts!

So, what’s the most effective way for accounts receivable departments to send clients important notifications?

Research shows that including personalised elements to any email increases open rates and action-taking by the receiver. Making small tweaks to a generic email sequence, whether it’s for an overdue account or password reset reminders -- creates a personalised-automated hybrid that we find most successful.

But it’s not enough to throw a few merge tags into your email notification template! The trick is in crafting copy that feels personal, too. Here’s an example:

A Generic Payment Reminder

Subject line: Reminder: an invoice requires your attention‍

Dear {BillingContactFullName}

This is a reminder that you have an invoice {InvoiceNumber} for {InvoiceTotal} that was due {InvoiceDueDate} and requires your attention. The total due on your account is: {StatementBalance}.

Click {StatementLink} so you can review your current statement for {CustomerCompanyName}

You can also make a credit card or ACH payment via the customer portal, just click here {StatementLink}.

Thank you very much for your attention to this matter. We value your continued business.

*Kindly disregard this email if payment has already been processed.*

Regards,

{BusinessName}

While this email includes the recipient’s name, it still clearly reads as an automatically generated reminder. The generic language and the fact that it doesn’t ask for a reply are dead giveaways… and make it much easier to ignore.

A Personalised-Automated Reminder

Subject line: Hi {BillingContactFirstName}, reminder for {InvoiceNumber}

Hi {BillingContactFirstName},

A gentle reminder that {InvoiceNumber} on your account was due on {InvoiceDueDate}, but we haven’t yet received payment. Can you let me know when this has been processed?

You can make a credit card or ACH payment via our customer portal: {PortalLink}

If you need the current statement for {CustomerCompanyName}, you can check it here: {StatementLink}

Let me know if you have any questions, or need help navigating the customer portal. And if you’ve already processed the payment for this invoice, thank you – feel free to ignore this email.

Thanks {BillingContactFirstName},

{ARSpecialistFirstName},

{BusinessName}

This template uses very similar merge fields to the generic email, but the language better mimics how we write personalised emails.

Even for business with a more formal language style, including a question and signing off with the name of the relevant accounts receivable team member suggests that someone is waiting for their action or reply in response, creating better accountability.

The best part? It’s the same amount of work – once the personalised elements and language have been incorporated into your automated email templates, the work is done!