Extra Credit

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! Having a customer that pays on time and represents a large portion of your earnings may be a dream for the sales team, but when too much revenue sits with one customer, it can create vulnerabilities in otherwise healthy portfolios. While a consistent, large customer can be good for business, sudden changes to their payment habits could be worrying. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! Business-to-business credit management can sometimes be viewed as a behind-the-scenes function, focused solely on risk control and compliance. Yet the true role of the credit profession reaches far beyond internal processes. Each day, credit professionals apply their expertise to support growth, build lasting relationships and contribute meaningfully to both their businesses and the credit community at large. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! Career development is the key to long-term success within any profession. In a rapidly changing field like business-to-business (B2B) credit, professional advancement is essential. Yet not all professionals know how to advocate for it, and not every organization prioritizes it. Without meaningful support, both professionals and organizations risk missing opportunities for growth. With the right resources and determination, credit professionals can take ownership of their careers while contributing to the success of their organizations. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! Leadership is often associated with job titles or years of experience, but the truth is, most people demonstrate leadership long before they even receive a promotion. Credit professionals, in particular, go beyond account management—making decisions that influence cash flow, customer relationships, risk management and cross-departmental collaboration. Taking the initiative not only sets them apart, but it also strengthens their team and contributes to positive change within their company. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! Noticing your customers troubling habits is one thing, but finding the root cause of the issue and a long-term solution that protects your company’s interest while maintaining a strong customer relationship takes time and dedication. Root cause analysis is the process of researching a problem to identify and treat the underlying cause, rather than simply addressing symptoms. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! Effective negotiation goes beyond “winning” an argument; it’s about reaching a mutually beneficial agreement. No matter how conflicting each party’s interests may seem, the right negotiation tactics help credit professionals increase the likelihood of finding a resolution while also mitigating risk and preserving the relationship. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as a powerful catalyst for growth, enabling organizations to innovate faster, operate more efficiently and unlock new opportunities across almost every part of business. As the expert system evolves, more credit professionals are looking to adapt, or at least explore, what it is capable of. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! Everything in life is a balance—an even distribution of weight that allows someone or something to remain upright and steady. Without balance, even the strongest structures falter. In credit management, the same principle applies. For credit professionals, major decisions are not driven solely by numbers or intuition, but by careful equilibrium between data-driven analysis and critical thinking. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! Working in credit management requires a keen eye for strange customer behavior, whether it’s a customer whose payments have slowed or a company you’ve had an increasingly hard time getting on the phone. But even the most eagle-eyed credit professional will have customers abruptly shut down without warning. Your first instinct may be to panic, but it’s important to remember there are steps to take when a customer shuts down to protect your company from major losses. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! No aspect of credit management epitomizes the give-and-take nature of your relationship with your customer quite like disputes and deductions. Whether it’s a complaint about an erroneous charge on a bill or items left unaccounted in your order, deductions and disputes can consume a lot of your time as a credit manager, which can leave you frazzled if your credit department doesn’t have a solid protocol in place. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! Credit professionals are wired for change, always adapting to new technologies and innovations. With so many options available, finding the right product or service can be overwhelming. Those who have a clear strategy and a willingness to learn can more effectively narrow their choices, and the Credit Congress Expo Hall is an invaluable resource, giving them a front row seat at the best show! Check out our upcoming webinar, Tariffs as A Driver of Financial Distress and of Value on December 15th. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! Not every customer has a perfect credit score or strong balance sheet, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth doing business with. Marginal customers often stand in a gray area: high potential, but higher risk. The challenge is to identify whether open, unsecured credit can be extended to a marginal customer or whether other tools must be used to create guardrails around the transaction. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! As day-to-day communication shifts to largely online, it is critical that credit professionals make the most of every conversation, whether it is in-person or virtual. From facial expressions to tone to body language, there is a lot to keep in mind in conversation to ensure that you are not only making your point clearly but effectively. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! From education to networking to vendor-shopping, Credit Congress is a one-of-a-kind experience for credit managers that stays with attendees even after the convention doors close. As we prepare for next year’s Credit Congress in St. Louis, many credit professionals are weighing the benefits of attending Credit Congress next spring against the cost, but the advantages of attending a conference for designed specifically for credit professionals greatly outweigh the price of admission. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! As a leader, it can be easy to focus on your own perspective. After all, you’re ultimately responsible for making key decisions. However, leadership isn’t just about giving orders; it’s about guiding your team and ensuring their needs are met. Leading selflessly, with love and compassion not only fosters trust but also strengthens relationships and boosts motivation within the team. In the process, leaders form stronger emotional intelligence and communication skills that will serve them well in their career and in life. In NACM and FCIB’s upcoming Author Chat webinar, James Hunter, principal consultant of J.D. Hunter Associates, expands on his book, The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership, which paints a vivid picture of the transformative power of servant leadership. Register now for free to save your seat on November 13th! Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! For many credit professionals, burnout does not happen all of a sudden—it creeps in slowly, like a phantom in the shadows. The pressure of the job, from managing high-risk accounts to chasing down mounting receivables, can begin to haunt even the most experienced professionals. If left unchecked, burnout can lead to reduced productivity, job dissatisfaction and loss of personal happiness. Recognizing the signs early and taking proactive steps to address them are the keys to escaping burnout’s grip and reclaiming control, because even when the phantom looms, it does not have to win. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! Credit managers can sometimes take on too much responsibility—from handling customer disputes to managing collections. A balanced workload significantly improves team performance and efficiency. By delegating tasks, credit managers can ease their own workload while empowering team members to think independently, develop skills and take initiative—ultimately allowing them to solve problems before they escalate out of control. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! Lien and bond rights are essential tools for protecting payments in the construction industry. Whether you’re a general contractor (GC), subcontractor or material supplier, these legal rights provide leverage when payments are delayed or withheld. However, these rights and the processes to enforce them vary significantly from state to state. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! In business-to-business (B2B) transactions, when customers aren’t satisfied with a product or service, they request a deduction—typically in the form of a short payment on an invoice or credit taken on a check. Customer deductions typically require approval from the credit department, as they directly affect collections and terms outlined in the contractual agreement. By managing deductions proactively, credit professionals can improve the order-to-cash process, prevent future losses and support strong customer relationships. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB

Tell us what you love about Extra Credit and what topics you want covered! Gathering job information for a construction project is an important part of the work of a credit manager. Having pertinent details on the customer, contractors and the project itself help the credit manager understand what to expect when they embark on a project. While this process is closely tied to the credit manager’s role, the task of collecting the information often falls to the sales team. The joint effort between credit and sales could see different aspects of the task doled out between the two departments. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @Nacm-National @FCIB Follow us on X: @Nacm_National @FCIB_Global