13 Telemarketers Reveal What It's Like Making Annoying Calls

Redditor /u/0hBother

We cannot put anyone on the do not call list. My three options are: 1) Redial. 2) Not Interested. 3) Privacy Manager. If I redial, you get a call back in about three days. If I choose not interested, they call you next week. The Privacy Manager blocks people like me from calling you.

Redditor /u/NorbitGorbit

If they call your cell phone once, tell them it is a cellular phone and they cannot call it. If they call again, they break the rule.

Ask the caller's name, the firm's name, and the company they represent.

If the caller avoids giving you their name, insist on speaking to management. They must tell you who they are and who they represent.

Document everything. Record the numbers, the calls, the people you speak with, and the calls if you can.

Violations change depending on the type of call you receive.

Redditor /u/formertelemarketer

I never got yelled at personally. I did get scolded, but it was not aimed at me. They were unhappy with the bank I called for and spent ten minutes telling me how much they hated the bank.

Another person called me and asked, "Do you know what time it is? On a Saturday?" I just tried not to laugh and said, "Yessir." We know the legal times to call. Our dialer shuts off time zones during certain hours and days.

Redditor /u/formertelemarketer

Most telemarketers use an automated dialer. It calls you, waits for your voice, then connects you to someone available. Sometimes we miss it. Sometimes we don't want a call and just need a break, so we sit on mute. If no one is free, it waits on that dead air until someone is, then transfers you.

Redditor /u/belbites

No telemarketer wants to be there as much as you want them to call. They really do not want to annoy you.

Most of them (like the place I worked for) have a trillion lists floating around.

Many have overlapping numbers. Mine had about 40 phone books circulating (I sold to businesses), so we don't always know when someone is on the no-call list. Blame the company, but do not blame the person on the other end of the line.

Redditor /u/IT_Chef

A call center’s ability often depends on the software they use to manage their calls. This includes their dialer and reporting.

Many cheap call center solutions lack controls. They have zero features like cross-referencing the DNC registry or calling within set times.

Sophisticated solutions, like the one I sell, offer many more features than cheap agents charge $20 per seat. If you keep getting unwanted calls, and they are truly unsolicited, the company likely uses bad software lacking compliance tools. The agent is not at fault for receiving a call after you asked them to stop.

From Redditor /u/CMonte420

The most memorable call I ever had involved a guy in Arkansas. Despite my repeated calls about insurance, he kept saying, "I don't vote." He looked like he was in his late 60s or early 70s.

No matter how clear I made my reason for calling, he insisted my call concerned politics. He spent thirty minutes attacking Barack Obama and the Democratic party. He was very offensive, yet hearing him was entertaining. The guy showed great passion.

From Redditor /u/CMonte420

The actual "SALE" happens after the phone call. Telemarketers usually generate or gauge interest in a product or service. If interest is real, a salesman, often the telemarketer, makes a face-to-face call to close the deal.

During the 1990s to early 2000s, we sold everything over the phone. You would be surprised.

From Redditor /u/angman93

I worked two years in telemarketing, both part-time and full-time, while attending college.

I sold a service to combine loan and credit card debts, which lowered interest rates and saved my customers money most of the time, or made them free.

I had expectations, even without set goals. I earned 100% on commissions but had a guaranteed minimum hourly wage. Most people earned about twice the minimum hourly rate.

I thought if you didn't make more than the hourly minimum for two months straight, you would likely be fired. That never happened in reality; if you missed the minimum, you probably disliked the job and quit yourself.

From Redditor /u/IT_Chef

Newer, smarter call center software does a few advanced things, such as:

It cross-references a huge database from all wireless carriers. This confirms if a dialed number is mobile or landline, and it adds business and compliance rules for dialing that number.

It offers a kind of "local connect" caller ID. The company trying to reach you dials from a pool of a few hundred numbers they own. That number appears in the caller ID, and the call comes from a number local to your area code. Studies show you answer your phone many more times if the area code is local than a random 8XX number.

Technology is slowly catching up to shifting consumer habits.

From Redditor /u/CMonte420

Shady telemarketing companies exist globally. This gives the industry a bad reputation that doesn't apply to everyone. Some good telemarketing firms work for charities and other causes, bringing in revenue otherwise unseen.

Shady telemarketers harm legitimate firms. This probably won't change. Being shady is easy in this industry.

Redditor /u/CMonte420

After hearing every rude response, picking one is tough. When I started (age 16), I took it personally. Listening to someone you don't know rip you apart for no reason is really hard.

After fifty times, you become numb to it. You can be kicked back reading a book while delivering a script over the phone to a prospect. Learning every aspect of the approach and technique makes it robotic.

Redditor /u/angman93

Many people hate telemarketing. I think you can learn useful skills from it. Knowing how to sell is a quality you need. It does not mean you are unethical or sleazy.

Before starting a telemarketing job, you must truly care about and believe in the product. Otherwise, you will be miserable.

Your team and the company culture matter a lot. Most companies are terrible. Maybe I was lucky with good coworkers and bosses.

I felt miserable starting telemarketing too. I thought sales were a natural skill. It is not. You can learn and develop it. You can use it in other life areas.

I learned one important skill: Build Rapport.

Building rapport over the phone is challenging. You only use your voice; you cannot use body language.

Building rapport matters in telemarketing. I use it in other areas, such as:

Dating

Job interviews

Asking for a promotion/raise

While working, I found three main ways I used my voice to build rapport. I will share them; I hope they help.

Smile when you speak.

Smiling helps you stay positive, which can be hard. Selling over the phone means your voice is your main asset. Smiling while you speak definitely affects your voice. Smiling on a date, talking to your boss, or interviewing for a job seems obvious, but it is easy to miss if you are nervous.

Repeat what the other person says

Repeat what the customer says, even if it is positive, negative, or an objection. This shows you listen. Use the other person's name often when you talk to them.

Everyone harbors narcissism. People enjoy hearing their name and want you to listen to their views and statements.

Give a sincere compliment.

Complimenting builds rapport. You must be sincere and smile.

Use this example if a negotiation shifts focus incorrectly. Then, go straight back to discussing your salary.