Telemarketer

Kaihoko ā-Waea

This job is sometimes referred to by alternative titles

Telemarketers promote or sell goods or services to people and companies by telephone.

Pay

Telemarketers who are permanent employees usually earn

$14-$15 per hour

Experienced telemarketers who contract out their services usually earn

$20-$40 per hour

Job opportunities

Chances of getting a job as a telemarketer are good due to high turnover.

Length of training

There are no specific training requirements. Find out more about how to enter the job.

About the job

Pay

Pay for telemarketers depends on the organisation they work for. Some companies pay a low base wage, but offer commissions based on sales.

According to industry sources, telemarketers can earn up to $15 an hour.

Some experienced telemarketers are self-employed. They contract their services to market research companies for an hourly rate, which is usually between $20 and $40.

What you will do

Telemarketers may do some or all of the following:

use the telephone to take calls from, or make calls to customers
explain the product or service they are promoting to customers
raise funds or make sales over the telephone
ask people to pay their bills
keep records of sales, and interested customers
make appointments for sales representatives
follow up on telephone messages left by customers
gather information about customers and conduct polls or surveys
update company databases.

Skills and knowledge

Telemarketers need to have:

knowledge of the companies, products or services they call people about
knowledge of different sales techniques and how to approach people in ways that will invite them to answer
a good telephone manner.

Telemarketers may also need to have keyboard and data entry skills.

Working conditions

Telemarketers:

usually work flexible hours, which may include weekends or evenings. Some telemarketers work regular business hours
work in call centres and offices, and may work from home.

What's the job really like?

Thava Guy - Telemarketer

Great job for talkers

“I like talking to people full stop,” laughs Thava Guy, a customer service representative for a telephone call centre.

“I work in inbound and outbound calling, which gives me a nice variety of work. I either answer incoming calls for one of our many clients or make outbound calls to members of the public to try and sell them a client’s product or service."

Challenging but rewarding work

"It can be a real challenge trying to sell a product and reach sales targets. It sometimes feels like I’m trying to sell myself. But it’s always rewarding when I know I’ve sold the product by the way a customer responds to me and my questions. And some of the people I talk to are lovely.”

Systematic procedures help

Apart from the opportunity to talk to so many people on a daily basis, Thava finds the set procedures in her work very satisfying. “I’ve always liked procedures and a systematic working environment. We are given a lot of guidance and ongoing training to improve our work, and we are always setting targets and goals to keep us motivated and on the ball.”

How to enter the job

Entry requirements

To become a telemarketer, you need to have a good standard of English.

Telemarketers are trained on the job. Employers may also send their staff on telemarketing courses.

Secondary education

NCEA Level 1 is preferred.

Personal requirements

Telemarketers need to be:

good listeners
skilled at communicating
good at customer service
tolerant, tactful, and patient
confident
persuasive
motivated
able to manage their time well.

Useful experience

Sales and customer service experience or any other work involving contact with the public is useful.

Physical requirements

Telemarketers need to have clear speech and good hearing.

Find out more about training

New Zealand Marketing Association: (09) 361 7760 - marketing@marketing.org.nz - www.marketing.org.nz

Check out related courses

Job opportunities

What are the chances of getting a job?

Drop in job numbers, but vacancies fairly common

According to Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment estimates, the number of telemarketers fell by about 10% between 2010 and 2012.

This was caused by:

a growing trend to use overseas call centres rather than local telemarketers, due to cheaper overseas rates
ongoing effects of the 2008-2009 economic recession, such as organisations spending less on market research.

Despite these trends, vacancies often arise because many telemarketers work on a casual or part-time basis, and tend to stay in the job for a short period only.

Experience analysing survey data and doing business-to-business research sought after

Employers are keen to recruit telemarketers who can also analyse the data from surveys. This can be valuable experience that helps you progress to the role of market research analyst.

Also, business-to-business research, which involves surveying business people to find out more about them and their organisation, is a growing area. Employers are often looking for telemarketers with experience in this area.

Types of employers varied

Telemarketers can work for:

research firms
large private organisations
government departments.

Some experienced telemarketers are self-employed and work on contract.

Sources

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, '2003-2012 Occupation Data' (prepared for Careers New Zealand), 2012.

Progression and specialisations

Telemarketers with leadership skills may progress into supervisory positions. They may also move into other roles such as market research analyst, retail sales assistant, or survey interviewer.