What does a telemarketer do and what is the job market like?

THE telemarketing It's a way of doing it. direct sales using the telephone or online chat tools. Over time, and with the practicality of online services, this profession has expanded to... customer serviceBilling and technical support, not just sales. 

Although telemarketing had a negative image until recently – after all, nobody likes being bothered on their personal phone number during work, for example – many companies have already understood how it works. call center tool and they offer a service more humanized and less robotic. 

With everyone needing to stay home in isolation starting in 2019, this was an extremely important way to communicate with leads and clients, therefore, The forecast is that growth in this area will be even greater in 2022. 

To explain how this area works, in this article you will see:

• What does a telemarketing professional?
• What are the What types of telemarketing are there?
• How much does a person earn? telemarketing professional?
• Profile and characteristics of a telemarketing professional

What does a telemarketing professional do?

A telemarketing professional is responsible for contacting customers, whether by calling, receiving calls, via phone, chat, or even email. They offer solutions to help customers purchase a specific product or resolve a particular issue. 

For that, You need to know the company's system., the service protocol she uses and to become familiar with daily contact with people. 

What are the types of telemarketing?

The telemarketing functions already mentioned fall under the types of jobs that will be listed below. For segment the demands by sectorsThere are the following models for this activity:

Receptive

In this format, the telemarketing professional is responsible for assisting customers who contact the company, whether requesting information or making complaints. 

Some activities fall under this type of telemarketing:

• Customer Service (SAC)
• Technical Support
• Retention
• General customer service

Active

In outbound telemarketing, it is the operator who makes the first contact with the customer, whether to offer some product customized to him, to collect payment or conduct research for the company. 

 This attendant's responsibilities include:

• Sales
• Relationship
• Opinion polls

It's a good opportunity to show that The company cares about its audience and its contacts.It offers him personalized options, as well as seeking his opinion on the creation of a particular product, or wanting to understand if he has any questions or needs any support. 

It's important to remember that the line between becoming a "friend" of the customer and becoming a "nuisance" is very thin; therefore, telemarketing professionals need to receive... training periodically...to learn how to handle objections and be flexible with each person who comes through the process. 

How much does a telemarketing professional earn?

According to According to the website Vagas, the average salary for a telemarketing operator is R$ 1,013.00And the forecasts are that this salary will increase due to the ever-growing demand in the field. 

New trend for telemarketing

Some research points to contact center This reflects the new format in the field, which began to be widely adopted in 2021. This is because companies are offering increasingly faster and higher-quality services. 

And that is precisely the proposal of contact center: To serve the customer according to their profile, making the conversation more personalized and, consequently, more effective.

This new project focuses on technological modernityin the multiple ways of maintaining contact with the consumer, to the greater autonomy of the customer to resolve some issues on their own through omnichannel, artificial intelligence and proximity through social media. 

Even though flying cars don't exist yet (which we imagined would exist by 2020), The world is becoming increasingly technological. And without realizing it, we are drawn into this environment. 

Those who don't adapt end up getting left behind. 

Some characteristics of a contact center

The following are some of the characteristics of a contact center:

1. More emotional care
2. Respect for the General Data Protection Law
3. Respect for the customer's choice regarding the type of communication they wish to receive.
4. Offering solutions tailored to your needs.
5. Integration between channels and increasingly faster responses.

Profile and characteristics of a telemarketing professional.

Certain adjectives are essential for anyone who wants to enter or grow in this field. 

Check out what they are:

Continuous professional development

There is no specific training for telemarketing or customer service operators, but as the demand in this area increases, so does the need to learn about the field and new developments. 

So, courses that talk about customer service, public speaking and communication techniques, How to handle objections. And related topics are very important for acquiring knowledge and achieving increasing success in the field, after all, it's a profession that, in many companies, is driven by goals. 

Perseverance

In fact, the telemarketing operator Don't get discouraged. With the first "no" they receive, or with service that isn't quite what they expected, perseverance makes all the difference in this profession. 

Ethics

It's not uncommon, when working in customer service, to find yourself in an uncomfortable position: being pressured by the client, by targets, and feeling like you're stuck. However, Ethics must always prevail.This is because this difference is entirely linked to the reputation of the operator and the company. 

Emotional control

After understanding everything that has been said about the telemarketing profession, it's easy to understand the importance of having... emotional control to be on the front line of customer service all day long. 

As a spokesperson for the company, this operator is likely to hear things that aren't always pleasant. However, it's up to them to manage their emotions, to avoid absorbing the negative information and taking it personally, as much as possible. 

What does an outbound telemarketing operator do?

THE active telemarketing operator This is the person who takes action; in other words, it's the professional responsible for calling clients or potential clients.

The calls made may be for debt collection, or to offer the company's services, plans, or products.

Aside from that, it can also serve simply to create initial contact between the company and the customer.

The people who receive calls from this professional are not chosen randomly; they are clients or leads and are part of a carefully selected list.

THE active telemarketing operator You need to know how to approach the customer and have skills such as:

• Key differentiators compared to the company's competitors;
• To learn about all the products and services offered by the company, in detail;
• Stay up-to-date on promotions and new features;
• Good communication skills;
• Persuasion;
• To convey security and peace of mind when talking to the client;
• Education;
• Empathy;
• Courtesy;
• Good sales pitch.

THE active telemarketing operator This person is the company's spokesperson. The company contacts the customer through this professional. 

Therefore, it is essential that values, expectations, and objectives are aligned. To ensure the success of actions, the company needs to provide training for the professional. 

THE active customer service employeeIn turn, they need to strive to get to know the company well, its products, services, and also its customers. 

One of the biggest challenges faced by this professional is the short time available to convince the client to stay on the line, since they may hang up as soon as they realize it's a scam. telemarketing operator.

This doesn't always happen with bad intentions, but because the person is busy or doesn't have time to meet with that professional.

Unlike inbound calls, the customer is not expecting a call from the outbound salesperson, and it may happen at opportune moments.

In situations like this, a good sales pitch, analytical thinking, persuasion, and agility will make all the difference.

What does an inbound telemarketing operator do?

As the term itself suggests, the inbound telemarketing operator This professional is responsible for receiving/answering calls from clients or potential clients.

The content of the calls depends on the sector; they may be for making complaints, asking questions, requesting support, hiring services, etc.

This is the main difference between outbound and inbound calls: outbound calls make calls to clients, while inbound calls receive calls from clients.

Some people consider inbound calls a better alternative than outbound calls because the customer calls the company interested in a particular product or service.

However, it doesn't always work that way; in many cases, the call is for making complaints, cancellations, and asking questions, for example.

Both areas certainly have their own challenges. However, both need to offer the best possible customer experience. 

The inbound call center professional has the advantage of allowing the client to contact the company at a time and place that is convenient for them.

In other words, when he had time and decided to make the call.

This way, he will have more time to listen to the salesperson, and perhaps even purchase a new product.

On the other hand, the professional will have more time to carry out their approaches and achieve their objectives.

However, it's not all roses. Even if the customer was the one who initiated the call, they may be impatient, in a hurry, and rude to the operator, especially if the call is to complain about a service offered by the company.

Therefore, companies need to train these professionals and ensure they have:

• Patience;
• Empathy;
• Techniques for calming clients;
• Good communication;
• Negotiation skills;
• Knowledge of the main products and services offered by the company.

What does a debt collection telemarketer do?

Many companies outsource their debt collection, meaning they hire specialized companies to collect from their debtor clients. 

Therefore, there are several telemarketing companies that specialize solely in debt collection. The main employee of this company is the... telemarketing debt collection operator. 

He is responsible for calling clients and trying to negotiate the debt. After all, What does a debt collection telemarketer do?

This sector uses various efficient methods to collect debts in a friendly manner. 

Despite being responsible for billing, this professional also needs to ensure the best possible customer experience during the service.

In addition, it presents negotiation alternatives for your debts. Among the main features that... telemarketing operator collections It needs to have, we can highlight, for example:

• Respect;
• Empathy;
• Knowing how to listen;
• Negotiation skills;
• Creativity;
• Communication.

As mentioned earlier, this professional also needs to ensure that the customer has a good experience with the service.

Therefore, he needs to adopt the right approach for each type of client. In that case, it becomes easier to achieve success in negotiations.

It is very important to know the client being approached and details about their relationship with the company. 

The company, in turn, in addition to offering quality training, needs to facilitate the operator's access to customer information. 

Just like in the sales process, in the collections area it's also necessary to use the first few seconds to grab the customer's attention.

This way, he won't end the call prematurely, and the telemarketer will have time to present the negotiation solutions.

Telemarketing operator: what do they do?

You know What does a telemarketing operator do?? 

In short, telephone sales! This professional is responsible for contacting potential clients by phone to offer a particular company's service or product. 

In addition to sales, he is also responsible for prospecting new clients and creating strategies to retain current clients, in other words, to build customer loyalty.

In many cases, contact can extend to other channels, for example, email, WhatsApp, and other essential tools to have more efficient contact and communication with the target audience.

Despite having good demand in the job market, the average salary of a telemarketing operator is not very high.

According to the website vagas.com.br, this professional earns an average fixed salary of approximately R$1,187.00.

However, it is still possible to earn some type of compensation for sales or closing a deal, for example.

One of the advantages of this career is that a college degree is not required to work as a telesales operator.

However, companies prioritize professionals with the following characteristics:

• Persuasion;
• Good communication;
• Good diction;
• Organization;
• Negotiation skills;
• Empathy;
• Emotional Intelligence;
• Patience.

Organizations also look for professionals who know how to listen, that is, who are good listeners.

That's because this is the only way to know and understand the client's main needs: by listening to them.

Finally, another characteristic that a telemarketing operator What you need is the ability to work under pressure.

These professionals are expected to meet the goals set by the company. Therefore, it is necessary to be flexible and not let the demands and pressures affect their performance, or even their emotional well-being.

In fact, it's important to know how to transform them into motivational tools to achieve goals and objectives. 

The job market and trends for the coming years.

The telemarketing job market is still very strong. However, one of the main reasons is the high demand for professionals. 

Anyone familiar with the profession knows it's not easy being a... telemarketing operator. 

In addition to low wages, this professional has to deal with grueling routines and extremely rude clients, lacking empathy or patience. 

Another factor that makes this professional's routine difficult is the demands and pressure from their managers.

Certainly, you have to be very adaptable and have strong emotions.

Many things have already changed regarding these issues, but there is still much room for improvement, and initiatives must be taken by companies, as well as by you and me, as human beings.

It is essential to have a little more empathy, understanding, respect, and consideration for this professional.

The trends for the sector in the coming years are interesting. With the advancement of technology and changes in people's purchasing behavior, this sector has also needed to innovate.

The way we provide service is changing, and among the main changes we find... Omnichannel customer service.

The main basis of this strategy is to fully utilize all of the company's channels to interact with the customer, such as: chat, app, phone, etc.

For example, the customer may have initial contact with the company by phone, but complete their purchase or service contract by phone.

Another very interesting new feature is... Return Call. Have you ever called a call center and had to wait several minutes for an agent to answer?

In this strategy, the customer will receive a notification that an agent will return the call, so they will not need to wait on hold.

Finally, another innovation that deserves attention is the use of Big Data to improve customer service and make it more personalized and efficient.

With this tool, it is possible to store, combine, and analyze customer data and behavior.

In this way, the company is able to understand and know the needs of its customers and, based on that, present the solutions they are looking for.

Do you currently work in telemarketing or are you interested in doing so?

We hope you found this article helpful. 

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Nathalia Silva

Journalist, writer, and lover of words.

November 8, 2022