Debt Collection: The Art and Science of Mental Rehearsal

What is Mental Rehearsal?

When learning about mental rehearsal, it’s important to understand that it is a proven tactic that can help anyone who wants to improve the way they perform. It has been put through the process of the scientific method with consistently reproducible results.

Mental Rehearsal Definition

Mental rehearsal is the act of using your internal voice and practicing a task inside your mind without the need to physically act it out. Research by Dr. Srini Pillay has found that imaginary practice stimulates the same regions in our brains when visualizing an action that are stimulated when actually performing that action. Many top performers, including professional athletes, report naturally practicing mental rehearsal without first being taught. It is, however something anyone can learn.

Why Use Mental Rehearsal in Debt Collection?

Why should front line collectors use mental rehearsal to improve their job performance? When Debt Collectors do so, it can help them to make sure they’re not overlooking important parts of their work.

By practicing mentally, people have been found to gain the same benefits they would have from physically and/or verbally practicing the same activity. The added benefit, however, is the chance to catch mistakes and avoid real-world consequences of those mistakes before they occur. This way, those practicing this technique can work to improve while eliminating errors.

Learning Techniques

There are three different, and primary types of learning that help humans absorb and retain information. These types of learning can be applied both at work and in daily life to improve efficacy.

Implicit Learning

Implicit learning is unconscious absorption and imitation of information – learning without learning. This can be explained by learning new information or picking up new habits without intending to. For example, if you hear a coworker use specific phrasing on a call, you may then find yourself using this same phrasing on your own calls without intending to.

Associative Learning

Associative learning is the ability to perceive and adapt to relationships in our environment. In other words, associative learning takes place based on the input you receive from your surroundings. In collections, many Collectors participate in this learning style when noticing the consumer’s tone of voice or the types of questions they ask and make adjustments accordingly.

Visualization (Perspective Taking)

Visualization, also known as perspective taking, can be done at any time or place. It is done by envisioning conversations one may have or scenarios they might encounter and practicing the appropriate ways to respond.

This type of learning can help employees better understand those they interact with by considering the other person’s point of view. The most seasoned and experienced Collectors visualize their audience, they consider:

• What consumers want
• Who they are
• How they feel
• What type of circumstances they may be in

This type of learning can help Collectors practice conversations and even reverse how it might feel if they were the audience, and someone was speaking to them this way. In debt collections, perspective taking is especially helpful in practicing empathy with consumers.

Compassion is an essential collection tool to build consumer connections and succeed in closing accounts. Scripts can help Collectors create these visualizations and practice having mock calls any time.

Even in agencies where they don’t provide scripts to work with, the very best Collectors have the tendency to use their individual knowledge and past experiences to create their own.

Putting it all together: Art and Science

There are two sides of collections that work together to create effective execution. The science of collections, based on proven facts, is the foundation on which the practices and techniques are based. The art of collections is the other half of the equation. It involves executing these techniques in an effective manner.

Science of collections: proven facts

The science of collections involves using techniques such as mental rehearsal, that have been scientifically proven to be effective. This science gives you the tools you will need to maximize collection success.

Art of collections: putting it into practice

The art of collections is the practice of taking the scientific tools you’ve been presented, and implementing them in an elegant, natural flow during each consumer interaction. The better your collection science is, the more confidence Collectors will have to execute high quality consumer interactions and a consistent basis.

Mike Hiller has a Master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Detroit Mercy. He is the V.P. of Collections at American Profit Recovery, a national collection agency, headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan. He lives in Mitten State with his wife (Dr. Jennifer Hiller) and two kids (Levi and Everly) where he holds his Debt Collections license and serves as Chairman for the Board of Collection Professionals.