Credit and sales are both critical to a company’s success, but only one wins the spotlight. Often derided as “sales prevention,” “sales blockers,” or even “ambassadors of evil,” the credit department gets a bad rap -- one that it definitely doesn’t deserve.

Nobody knows this better than Thea Dudley, a 30-year credit veteran of the construction industry. At times both compassionate and brutally honest -- always with a healthy dose of humor -- The Credit Overlord’s Guide to Credit and Collections breaks down the skills, tools, and resources anyone can use in a step-by-step process to reduce financial risk, build lasting relationships -- and get paid.

This book will teach you how to:

The Credit Overlord's Guide to Credit & Collections

“Thea weaves her vast experience into humorous, instructive stories full of excellent advice. This book should be a mandatory read for credit functions, as well as sales functions, for organizations of all sizes!”

Praise for the book

"It took me two decades of hard lessons to learn what Thea explains expertly in this book: Credit and sales are symbiotic. One cant exist without the other. I wish this book was around when I kicked off my career."

Pete Kochis
Sales Manager at Frensco Building Products

"Thea is a fearless, experienced, and intelligent leader -- and a perfect role model for credit and financial executives."

Chris Ng
Managing Partner, Gibbs Giden Locher Turner Senet & Wittbrodt, LLP

"I highly recommend this book to anyone in the credit field -- and even salesmen who struggle to understand what we go through. Thea knocked it out of the park."

Dana Hovious
Credit Manager at Goley Insulation

About the Author

Thea Dudley

Thea Dudley is a 30+ year credit management veteran in the building material and construction industry. She started out working with her sub-contractor father and shortly thereafter moved into the power seat of the business - granting credit and collecting the money.

Thea has spent her career working across the credit departments of manufactures, suppliers, dealers, contractors and subcontractors, to help to improve business process and the cash flow of both the company and the customer. Having held Vice President of Finance roles at two major industry players, she has trained and managed credit managers, sales reps and presidents to think of the credit function in a profit-generating light.

She is active in the National Women in Roofing, Levelset, ProAdvisory Panel, Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Assoc. Board Member, numerous credit associations, Woman of LBM, National Insulation Contractors Exchange, and writes a credit Q & A Column and Webex series for LBM Journal. She is a past contributor to ProSales magazine and is a frequent speaker at industry events.

Thea also teaches Foundations of Construction Credit, a free masterclass in Levelset’s Payment Academy.

David Love
Senior Executive, Private Equity

Evaluate a customer’s creditworthiness
Extend credit safely to save a risky sale
Use mechanics liens, bond claims, and other payment security tools
Uncover a delinquent customer’s hidden assets
Negotiate effectively
Decide between small claims, lawsuits, and collection agencies
Navigate a debtor’s bankruptcy
Measure success as a credit department
Communicate with confidence
And much more

Download the first part of this book and be entered to win a signed copy at the end of the month