Telemarketers are telephone marketing agents who sell to customers on behalf of the companies they work for. They are in contact with customers by telephone to market products, provide information or to address queries.
Through advances in technology, telemarketers are not restricted to the telephone but also use email, SMS messaging, fax and mail as ways of communicating with customers.
The job demands strong interpersonal and customer service skills since a telemarketer is often a customer's first point of contact with a company. Higher standards are required from call centre staff in some fields of work, where technical and linguistic skills are more important.
A telemarketer’s role and day-to-day responsibilities depend on the particular industry in which they work and the type of call they make. Their work may involve:
- direct selling, which may include 'cold calling'.
- taking catalogue or other orders and arranging delivery
- providing advice or other information requested, to customers
- carrying out market research
- providing a financial institution's customers with information requested, such as their account balances, or dealing with credit card bill queries
The work can be highly intensive, and repetitive. Telemarketers are usually set targets to answer or deal with a certain number of calls within a specific period. This creates a pressurised environment.
Most telemarketers work from 35 to 40 hours a week. Depending on the industry, the contact centre may be open 24 hours a day, including weekends, and operators may be required to work shifts to cover all hours. Part-time work is also available.
They usually work at desks or ‘workstations’ in a large open-plan office. Each call centre operator normally has a computer and telephone headset which enables their hands to be free to access information or input data.
Satisfying Aspects
- usually pleasant working conditions
- sense of achievement when goals are met
- speaking to many different people each day
- getting to know regular callers / customers
Demanding aspects
- remaining seated for long periods
- doing the same thing every day, depending on the type of company worked for
- dealing with demanding or unpleasant people
- in some cases, having to work shifts
- staying motivated day-in and day-out in the face of difficult customers
Requirements
Telemarketers play a critical role in providing an interface between customer and company, and for this reason employers seek out people who come across in a friendly and professional manner. The ability to deal patiently with problems and complaints and to remain courteous when faced with difficult or angry people is very important. The ability to speak a foreign language is an advantage.
In addition call centre agents need to have the following requirements:
- a pleasant telephone voice that conveys sincerity and confidence
- commitment to providing good customer service
- good written and oral communication skills
- organization and multi-tasking skills
- the ability to work independently or as part of a team
- the ability to remain interested and focused when repeating information
the ability to think quickly and respond to complaints smoothly and tactfully.
School Subjects
Depends on the industry sector chosen and the qualifications required, if any.
- National Senior Certificate with matric exemption for a degree course
- National Senior Certificate for a diploma for a certificate course, in most cases
In most cases, however, there are no specific formal qualification required for entry to this career, although some employers prefer applicants to have matric exemption with English (H.G.), computer skills and Mathematics. Employers also look for applicants with personal qualities such as confidence and a good telephone manner, and preferably some previous customer care and/or marketing experience. Employers may require applicants to undertake practical telephone and computer keyboard tests.
Training
Training is on the job usually, and may include in-house training courses and/or qualifications through professional bodies. Operator’s calls may be screened to ensure that customer service standards are met.
Applicable degrees or other qualifications may be studied full time, part time, via distance learning, or on a flexible basis. l
Employer
- financial institutions eg banks etc
- insurance industry
- sales and marketing
- medical aid companies and emergency services
With experience, it might be possible to gain promotion to team leader, supervisor or manager. Call centre operators may decide to move into different industry sectors, perhaps seeking jobs where they deal with customers face to face. They could also move into another area of business such as human resources, marketing or training.
Contact
Any of the above potential employers.