How to Become a Telemarketer
A telemarketer is a salesperson who contacts leads, sometimes unsolicited, over the phone. As a telemarketer, you may use several methods to sell products and services. Among these are outbound calling, where leads are contacted directly based upon data concerning their past buying behaviors, and inbound calling, where you will receive a call from a customer inquiring about advertised goods or services. Read on to learn more.
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Instructions
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Become a Telemarketer
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Ask yourself if telemarketing is right for you. Many people respond negatively to unsolicited telemarketing calls, and you may receive quite a bit a verbal abuse as a result. Remember to remain positive, friendly and professional and not to take the rejection personally.
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Choose the type of telemarketing you would like to do. Many people are drawn to charity fundraising, and others might prefer to conduct surveys and opinion polls. It's important to find a type of telemarketing that you find interesting, since potential customers may respond to the genuine enthusiasm in your voice and react more favorably to your sales pitch.
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Avoid so-called "boiler room" operations, or telemarketing businesses that seem to be hastily set up in an empty office or room. Legitimate telemarketing companies have professional call centers with modern phone equipment, cubicles and computers with database software. If your new telemarketing company lacks these features, it could be a scam.
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Find out if you can be a telemarketer from home, if that appeals to you. Be prepared, however, for the fact that you may have to pay for some of the equipment yourself, including the phone line that will have to be installed to link you with the telemarketing main office or call center.
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Use a specialized online employment resource such as TopUSAJobs or Monster.com to find telemarketing jobs that are convenient to you (see Resources below). Or, you can use more common methods, such as contacting a local employment agency or reading the classified section of a local newspaper, where telemarketing opportunities are often plentiful.
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Tips & Warnings
While the image of the modern telemarketer may be somewhat tarnished by the stereotype of a pushy salesman calling at dinnertime or late at night, many telemarketing companies try to restrict their leads to people who have already expressed interest in their products, or have followed certain pre-determined buying patterns.
Remember that one of the main reasons for high turnover among telemarketers is boredom and repetition. To avoid this burnout, you should try to find jobs in an industry you know you will enjoy.
