What Do Telemarketer Do?

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

Telemarketer Responsibilities

• Record names, addresses, purchases, and reactions of prospects contacted.
• Telephone or write letters to respond to correspondence from customers or to follow up initial sales contacts.
• Schedule appointments for sales representatives to meet with prospective customers or for customers to attend sales presentations.
• Answer telephone calls from potential customers who have been solicited through advertisements.
• Adjust sales scripts to better target the needs and interests of specific individuals.
• Maintain records of contacts, accounts, and orders.

Skills Needed to be a Telemarketer

Telemarketers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Types of Telemarketer Jobs

• Telemarketing Sales Representative
• Telephone Service Representative (TSR)
• Call Center Telemarketer
• Telesales Specialist
• Telephone Sales Representative (TSR)

What Kind of Telemarketer Job Opportunities Are There?

There were about 216,600 jobs for Telemarketer in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Telemarketer. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 33,300 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Telemarketer are Washington, Nevada, and Tennessee. Watch out if you plan on working in North Dakota, Vermont, or South Dakota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Do Telemarketers Make A Lot Of Money?

The average yearly salary of a Telemarketer ranges between $18,680 and $41,740.

Telemarketers who work in Washington, Massachusetts, or New Hampshire, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Telemarketers in different U.S. states.

State	Annual Mean Salary
Alabama	$25,640
Arizona	$29,780
Arkansas	$22,440
California	$31,880
Colorado	$29,980
Connecticut	$34,950
Delaware	$30,000
District of Columbia	$28,680
Florida	$25,330
Georgia	$24,780
Hawaii	$25,620
Idaho	$26,060
Illinois	$29,840
Indiana	$29,960
Iowa	$27,510
Kansas	$27,900
Kentucky	$28,120
Louisiana	$29,960
Maine	$30,550
Maryland	$30,040
Massachusetts	$42,270
Michigan	$28,480
Minnesota	$33,400
Mississippi	$29,480
Missouri	$25,940
Montana	$24,090
Nebraska	$26,800
Nevada	$29,580
New Hampshire	$38,250
New Jersey	$30,120
New Mexico	$26,200
New York	$31,790
North Carolina	$26,810
North Dakota	$23,570
Ohio	$25,670
Oklahoma	$27,230
Oregon	$31,930
Pennsylvania	$27,380
Rhode Island	$31,620
South Carolina	$28,440
Tennessee	$25,040
Texas	$29,400
Utah	$33,040
Virginia	$27,060
Washington	$37,020
West Virginia	$25,050
Wisconsin	$33,470

What Tools & Technology do Telemarketers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Telemarketers:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Dynamics

How do I Become a Telemarketer?

What kind of Telemarketer requirements are there?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Who Employs Telemarketers?

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

References:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• College Factual
• O*NET Online

Image Credit: via

More about our data sources and methodologies.