Dear Sir:—
I notice that your account of .................. for goods purchased some time ago has not yet been paid.
From this date on, no more credit will be allowed any one owing overdue accounts; furthermore, definite particulars of credit requirements must be supplied in advance.
As I am anxious to close up these overdue accounts at once, I must ask for your remittance in full by return mail.
Yours truly,
..............................
When Fellows read that he laughed and said: "I don't think that hits the mark at all. If any one were to pay you on the strength of that letter, it would be with the determination never to do any more business with you. You want to coax the money out of 'em. You want to try to put it in such a way that they will pay you and feel glad about it. Do you think any one would feel pleased at such an abrupt demand for payment? Now I spent all last night and all the morning trying to—"
Here I broke in with "Does it take all that time to write a single dunning letter?"
"For one letter, no; but for a form letter that is going to sixty or seventy people, yes. It is really important that it will not offend any one and yet 'bring home the bacon.' Here it is," and he passed me this:
Dear Mr. ............:—
The enclosed account is so small that I feel sure you will not object to paying it when next passing the store.