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Telemarketers

Solicit donations or orders for goods or services over the telephone.

What you’d do

  • Contact businesses or private individuals by telephone to solicit sales for goods or services, or to request donations for charitable causes.
  • Obtain customer information such as name, address, and payment method, and enter orders into computers.
  • Explain products or services and prices, and answer questions from customers.
  • Record names, addresses, purchases, and reactions of prospects contacted.
  • Maintain records of contacts, accounts, and orders.
  • Answer telephone calls from potential customers who have been solicited through advertisements.
  • Deliver prepared sales talks, reading from scripts that describe products or services, to persuade potential customers to purchase a product or service or to make a donation.
  • Telephone or write letters to respond to correspondence from customers or to follow up initial sales contacts.

Skills that matter

  • Persuasion
  • Speaking
  • Active Listening
  • Service Orientation
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Social Perceptiveness

How to get there

Little to some preparation: usually a high school diploma or GED, though some jobs do not need one

Also called

  • Telemarketer
  • Telephone Sales Representative (TSR)
  • Telephone Service Representative (TSR)
  • Telesales Representative (Telesales Rep)
  • Call Agent
  • Inside Sales Representative (Inside Sales Rep)

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