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What Skills are Needed for Telemarketing Jobs?

By Jodee Redmond
Updated Mar 02, 2024
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Many people consider taking one of the telemarketing jobs available as an entry-level position or to make money while they are in school. It is the kind of work that not everyone will be successful at. If you want to be a successful telemarketer, you need to have the following skills:

A good telemarketer understands that not everyone they talk to is going to be receptive to the information they are trying to share. It takes a certain kind of person who can treat their first call of the shift in the same way at the last one. Patience is definitely a trait that you will need when working telemarketing jobs.

A thick skin also goes a long way if you are considering taking telemarketing jobs. While some people you contact may politely say that they are not interested in your product or service, there will be others who will be more direct about sharing their displeasure. Some people will be downright verbally abusive, and you will need to recover quickly and move on to your next call.

Another trait that successful telemarketers share is that they have a good memory. Part of your job will be to memorize a script so that you are representing the company who has hired you properly. If you find it difficult to retain the information, you won't be able to interact with the people you are calling with confidence.

Your ability to focus is another important consideration if you are thinking about telemarketing jobs. Working in a call center will be noisy, since there will be other people making calls all around you. You will need to be able to concentrate on the calls you are making and develop the ability to block out the distractions around you while you are on your shift.

A genuine interest in people will go a long way toward success in telemarketing jobs. When you treat the people you are calling as individuals and not just the next number on your list, it will show in your work. You will be better able to connect with them, and your success rate in selling products or booking appointments will increase.

Telemarketing jobs will definitely help you to develop your people skills. Being able to interact with people from different backgrounds effectively is something that will help you if you decide to move on to another type of work. The lessons you learn while working in a call center can be applied to other situations as you work your way up the corporate ladder.

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Discussion Comments

By anon227725 — On Nov 06, 2011

I work in a call center, for charities where the donation can be put on the end of their phone account. For WWF we sell products, which is my favorite. It's a fun job, connecting with people and it does do wonders for communication skills. I used to be quite shy as well, so this line of work has really brought out my assertive side.

By GentleInno — On Feb 28, 2011

I am new to the telemarketing job. I used to be a call center executive before being drafted into telemarketing.

I find it interesting and fun talking to and trying to convince them to book an appointment and introduce my company to them. I wish to go a long way in this. I just need materials and encouragement from experienced individuals on this job.

By anon108895 — On Sep 04, 2010

Nothing could be more true. I've been in sales for over 25 years and learning to take rejection is part of it. The more you know about your product the better you will do. Often when a customer says no they mean "know". The more the customer knows the more they buy.

By latte31 — On Jul 15, 2010

Crispety- I have never thought of it that way. I used work in a call center where we had to do cold calls and there were days that were really difficult. Some days I did not sell anything.

I think that rejection got to me from time to time. I think your suggestion to shift the focus to the job instead of the emotion of being rejected is a good one.

By Crispety — On Jul 15, 2010

Good article- I agree that having a thick skin is required for this job because of the high rejection rate.

When working in a telemarketing position understanding the average rejection rate is a powerful tool in overcoming the biggest obstacle this job offers- rejection.

Knowing ahead of time that nine out of ten on average will reject you makes you understand that the rejection is not personal and that it happens to everyone.

Once this mental block is lifted, success is around the corner. I worked in sales for many years and did my fair share of telemarketing and sales training.

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