A seasoned debt collector or skip tracer has an uncanny ability that allows them to read a person on the phone. This is a valuable skill to develop, especially in cases where after you have located your target, you must now locate an asset for your client. With practice and a little know-how, you can read between the lines to figure out if your subject is lying and how to beat them at their own game.
Compel Information from Silence
The key to handling difficult or hostile people on the phone is to briefly and unemotionally state the reason that you are calling then give them a moment of silence. If they have not already hung up on you, their first inclination will be to start talking just to fill the gap of silence. Within this talk, you can often find the clues you need for successful skip traces or document retrievals.
If you feel you are getting double-talked, simply continue on with your purpose, not letting the subject lead you off track. You worked hard to find this person, so do not let them off the hook until you get the information that you need. Avoid asking “yes or no” questions, as these are easy to elicit false answers. Instead, ask open-ended questions and hush, making them answer the question. Too many details often denote a lie and too few details mean they are still hiding information.
Stay Impartial, Control the Situation
Another tip to tell if a person is lying over the phone is if they are talking over you or yelling. Your straightforward, unemotional interjections will keep the situation from escalating. You can start off on the right foot simply by asking the subject how they are doing before stating your name and the purpose for your call. Remain impartial but do not give up. Your non-threatening approach will usually breed cooperation.
Desperate times call for desperate measures and folks are getting more creative about hiding assets that are out for repossession or can be attached in a judgement to satisfy a debt. By learning some tried and true psychological tricks, you can turn your phone contact into your payday.
