Telemarketers Job Description

Using scripts, product knowledge, and communications skills, telemarketer or telesales representatives generate sales and interest. They work to engage the customer and ask questions that keep the conversation going. They may make the initial contact and hand the prospect off once interest is established or an appointment is made, or they might be responsible for the sale from start to finish. Quotas are often set which require a telemarketer to make a specified number of calls or reach a minimum dollar or sales number. Sales to individuals may require evening and weekend shifts.

Requirements

Telesales representatives must have excellent communication skills, including a clear, confident speaking voice and a friendly rapport with customers. While they may work from a script, telesales reps must also have the ability to be flexible and creative in dealing with customers. They must represent the company in a positive light at all times; this calls for optimistic people who aren't easily upset and who naturally like working with others.

Sales representatives must be persuasive and highly motivated to make sales. Since it is often necessary to establish a relationship with a client before a successful sale, they must also be patient and persistent.

Telesales representatives are often required to input sales data into a computer while on the telephone with a customer, so keyboarding skills are required. Employers sometimes look for sales representatives to be able to type a certain number of words per minute.

Education

While sales of scientific products or other products requiring technical knowledge may require a bachelor's degree, often there are no formal educational requirements for a career in telesales. A high school diploma or GED is frequently all that is required. It may be helpful to study business, economics, statistics, or other business courses while in high school.