<aside> 📋 Frequency: Trigger-Based | Time: 15 min | Trigger: When an invoice is 7+ days past due

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Cash flow problems in a solo practice almost always trace back to inconsistent follow-up on outstanding invoices, not a shortage of revenue. Every day you don't follow up on a late invoice is a day you've decided the discomfort of asking matters more than your operating margin. This SOP makes collection a 15-minute procedure, not a week of avoidance.

Prerequisites

• Invoice details: invoice number, amount, due date, and days outstanding
• Client payment history: first late instance vs. pattern
• Current engagement status: active, wrapping up, or complete — affects tone
• Any prior payment-related communication with this client

Procedure

1. Pull the invoice from your billing system and confirm the due date and amount outstanding.
2. Run the Late Payment Follow-Up skill with the invoice details, days overdue, client payment history, and current engagement status as input.
3. Review the output. If the client is active and this is their first late payment, use the lighter-touch version. If the invoice is 21+ days overdue or there's a pattern, escalate to the firmer language option.
4. Send the follow-up. Do not modify the core ask language — softening it undermines the message. You can personalize the opening line.
5. Log the outreach in your billing records: date sent, message version used.
6. If no response in 5 business days, run a second pass with the Late Payment Follow-Up skill using updated days-overdue as input. If the project is still active, consider triggering the Project Pause Protocol SOP until payment is received.

Expected Outcome

You'll have a sent follow-up communication logged in your billing records, with a 5-day follow-up flag set. If escalation is warranted, a second-pass message is ready or scheduled.

<aside> ⚠️ Common mistakes:

— Softening the language past effectiveness — "just checking in" on a 14-day-overdue invoice tells the client payment is optional. The skill output is calibrated. Trust it.

— Delaying the first follow-up past 7 days — late payment patterns are set in the first instance. A prompt, professional response on day 7 or 8 trains the client relationship correctly. Waiting three weeks trains it incorrectly.

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