Job Description & Specifications for Telesales
A telesales representative is someone who markets a product or service over the phone. Telesales workers are often referred to as "customer service representatives" or "telemarketers." Most make their calls from a pre-selected list of numbers and follow a uniform script once they get a potential customer on the other end of the line. Telesales representatives often work for "call centers," which are hired by larger corporations--such as phone, cable and catalog companies--to sell their products.
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Basics
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Telesales representatives usually make their calls from an easy-to-use system that consists of a headset and a computer. Many receive a base salary, along with bonuses and commissions. Telesales representatives often have to undergo a few weeks of training where they learn to use the equipment and how to make a sale, before moving onto the "floor," where the calls are made. Those who do well are often promoted into training or supervisory positions, where they listen in on calls for quality assurance.
Skills
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A telesales representative must possess strong communication skills. He should be organized, motivated, courteous and professional at all times. He also needs to be resilient, as even the most skilled salesmen experience rejection on a regular basis. In addition, telesales representatives must have a firm grasp of how to operate the needed equipment and typically need to be capable typists.
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Background
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Requirements to become a telesales representative vary by company, although the majority only require applicants to be at least 18 years old. Most call centers prefer candidates with a high school diploma or the equivalent. Some require their representatives to have a customer service background or some experience working as a telemarketer.
Prospects
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More than 345,000 workers were employed as telesales representatives in May 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs for customer service representatives are expected to grow by 18 percent, the BLS reported. That is a faster rate than for all occupations. "Rapid job growth, coupled with a large number of workers who leave the occupation each year, should make finding a job as a customer service representative relatively easy," according to the BLS.
Earnings
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Telesales representatives earned a median wage of anywhere from $8.77 to $15.65 per hour in February 2010, PayScale.com reported. Much of those figures were based on the representative's experience, as well as the industry in which she worked. Meanwhile, the BLS reported that some customer service representatives earned more than $23 per hour in May 2008.
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References
- Photo Credit lln 1 image by sebastien tibeau from Fotolia.com
