Telesales Role

Telesales operators work within a business or call centre, contacting potential customers by telephone. Their job is to try and persuade customers to buy the company's goods and services or accept a trial.

Using carefully targeted information, they make outgoing telephone calls. Telesales operators have only a short amount of time to build a strong rapport with customers and explain the features and benefits of the product. The work is fast paced and intense. They may also carry out market research and satisfaction surveys. Other tasks include:

updating documentation and databases with customer details
arranging for payment and dispatch of goods and services.
Full-time staff usually work 37 hours a week, but as businesses remain open at weekends and in the evenings, shift work is common. Part-time opportunities are widely available. A telesales operator usually works in an open plan office, with a sectioned workstation containing a computer and telephone headset.

Salaries for telesales operators range from around £10,550 to £23,000 a year.

A telesales operator needs:

excellent communication and listening skills
a polite, confident and friendly manner
to be able to show initiative
to be confident using computers
to enjoy working with customers and building relationships.
There are approximately 57,000 telesales operators employed in the UK, within contact centres as well as small businesses. Finance and retail companies and distribution centres are the largest employers. Jobs are UK wide, with concentrated pockets of employment around cities and industrial parks, particularly in the South East.

There are no set entry qualifications. Employers may look for good sales techniques and some may ask for GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3). Customer service experience is useful, and good hearing and clear speech are important. Mature applicants are welcomed.

Training is on the job and may include in-house training courses and the opportunity to work towards a range of NVQs/SVQs and professional qualifications. Apprenticeships for new staff may be offered by some of the larger contact centres.

With experience, it might be possible to become a team leader or move into sales management. There are also opportunities in related fields, such as complaint handling, training or marketing