Creditors are the companies that you have credit with.
This can be your bank, your phone, or your hospital.
All these companies expect you to pay them each month and if you don't for whatever reason they are going to ding your credit reports.
Traditional credit repair strategies will only contact the credit bureaus to help remove your negative listing with your creditors.
This works well, but sometimes some derogatories will just not come off.
You might owe a large amount or it happened very recently.
Contacting your creditors can help in many ways.
It asks as an attack from two sides, one directly at the company you owe and one at the credit bureaus who are reporting your credit.
Here are a few strategies that can work when contacting your creditors directly:

• Goodwill - Sometimes all it takes is talking to them.
  Let them know your situation, why you couldn't pay your bills on time.
  Especially if you have had a good payment history with them in the past, some companies will just remove a late payment.
  
• Payments - Paying your bill slowly over time is much better than getting a charge off account or account sent to collections.
  You will be surprised what they are willing to let you pay, so that they can get there money.
  Let them know what you are capable of and you might get what you want.
  
• Deletion Upon Payment - Paying off your debt won't remove the negative listing on your credit report.
  Don't pay your debt until you get in writing they will remove the negative listing once it is paid.
  You your leverage while you have it, once it is paid, they have no reason to help at all.
  

Be honest with your creditors.
Let them know what your situation is.
Why you weren't able to pay your bills on time.
They want their money, so they will work at it with you to get paid.
Doesn't mean you can't try and fix your credit reports while you are at.