Telemarketer Kaihoko ā-Waea

Telemarketers promote and sell goods or services by telephone.

Telemarketers may do some or all of the following:

  • take or make calls to sell goods and services to customers
  • explain the product or service they are promoting to customers
  • persuade customers to upgrade their existing service
  • raise funds for charity
  • ask people to pay their bills
  • keep and update records of sales and customers
  • make appointments for sales representatives
  • follow up on telephone messages left by customers
  • gather information about customers and conduct polls or surveys.

Useful Experience

Useful experience for telemarketers includes:

  • sales experience
  • customer service
  • work that involves helping or motivating people.

Personal Qualities

Telemarketers need to be:

  • good listeners and communicators
  • good at customer service
  • tolerant, tactful, and patient
  • confident and persuasive
  • motivated
  • resilient and able to cope with rejection
  • able to manage their time well.

Skills

Telemarketers need to have:

  • knowledge of the companies, products or services they call people about
  • customer service and sales techniques
  • the ability to explain technical details clearly
  • the ability to solve problems and make decisions quickly
  • a good telephone manner.

 

Conditions

Telemarketers:

  • usually work flexible hours, which may include weekends or evenings
  • work in call centres and offices, and may work from home.

Telemarketers can earn around $23-$25 per hour.

Pay for telemarketers varies depending on experience.

  • Telemarketers with up to two years' experience usually earn minimum wage to $25 an hour.
  • Telemarketers with more than two years' experience, and those with managerial responsibilities can earn up to $38 an hour.

Some organisations pay commission only, and some pay a commission on top of salary.

Source: Hays, 'Hays Salary Survey 2017', 2017; and Trade Me, 'Trade Me Salary Guide 2018', 2018.

Telemarketers may progress to become market research analysts or sales representatives, or move into management roles.

Telemarketers can specialise in the role of:

Appointment Setter
Appointment setters books appointments for leads (people who have shown interest in a company's goods and services) to meet with sales representatives.

Years Of Training

There are no specific requirements to become a telemarketer. However, you need to have a good standard of spoken and written English.

Telemarketers are trained on the job.

Telemarketer