Are you sick and tired of being in debt? Then today is a good day to handle your creditors! However, what stops a lot of people from actually taking this step isn’t lack of knowledge, it’s lack of patience. We assume that the other person on the line is going to make our day harder than it really should be, and that keeps us from pursing the bright financing future that we would otherwise deserve. It’s better to make sure that you can handle your creditors with grace.

Grace? Yes, we got the word right — if you really want to get anything done, you will need to make sure that you’re handling your creditors with grace. Getting angry only makes your position look weaker. You might be able to get a lot more out of your creditors in terms of flexible repayment than if you just assume that you have something that you’re being owed. You don’t want to look entitled to anything when you contact your creditors, but at the same time you want to make sure that you fight for the rights that you know you have.

So, how do we really get started? So glad you asked!

1. Remain Calm

It goes without saying that you want to remain calm, but that doesn’t stop a lot of people from getting fired up! You might think that it helps your case to get mad, but it does the complete opposite — no one is going to want to take you seriously if you aren’t going to work towards being serious. Stay professional — it’s really the best way to get things done.

2. State Request Clearly

You might think that your sob story of choice might sway the creditors one way or another. While there is something to be said about circumstances, you don’t want to try to waste an hour of someone’s time going over your negative experiences. This doesn’t look good on your part, and it takes away your negotiating power. You want to come off as someone that has things under control, you just need a little assistance and you want to get the debt settled for good. This will give you the most power when it comes time to actually negotiate for a brighter future.