Graham D Sands BA (Hons), FACP, MICM

With over twenty years experience in the Credit Industry, it's all about the business relationship.

Before I started my own company Amril, I was the Group Credit Manager for a £100m turnover IT Company where I saw myself as the Profit Manager. As the PM it was not about how many businesses we could refuse to do business with but how we could accommodate a business at a risk we felt comfortable with. It could be that after credit checking the company, their credit rating was poor - so we would look at maybe shorter payment terms or even Cash on Delivery if needed. I also found when speaking to the sales team about the company’s credit policy, they supported it because they would concentrate on those companies where there was a greater chance of actually being paid their commission.

I strongly believe in Sales and Sales people but not to the detriment of the business, even as I run my own company, I have turned down business. It is not always about the customer wanting you, it’s also about you wanting that customer.

The credit team speak to businesses up and down the supply chain exte ally and internally, and if you are in business and you deal with Trade Credit you need to utilise the many talents of the credit professional.

It mainly comes down to the relationship you have with the business, and as the GCM I dealt with many companies small, medium and FTSE100.

A senior credit professional should be seated at board director level as they have insights other directors may not see. As a Director of Strategic Alliances for the Association of Credit Professionals, I have the opportunity to promote what is good in Credit Management.

I have also had the privilege to be asked to write in the international book “The Business Guide to Credit Management” endorsed and sponsored by the Institute of Credit Management (ICM) and the Institute of Directors (IoD) on UK Business Debt.