Telesales Call Centre

Premiercallcentre.co.uk specialises in Telesales Call Centre.  A Telesales Call Centre sells goods, or services over the phone. They sell home insurance, media advertising space, gas and electricity and a wide range of other products.

The work at the Telesales Call Centre involves spending the day on the phone, calling potential customers. They may use a script to ensure they give accurate information, but also need strong customer service skills to recognise potential sales opportunities, or objections.

Telesales may:

• describe the product benefits and special offers
• take an order and arrange for delivery of goods
• enter notes into a computer, including dates for follow-up calls
• read out or explain any 'small print', such as a customer's rights to return a product or the standards under which the company operates.

The work can be very intensive and Telesales may have a set number of calls to complete within a given time.

Salaries for Telesales range from around £11,000 to £24,000 or more a year. Commission on sales can increase basic salaries considerably.

Telesales work a variety of hours and shift patterns, depending on the company they work for. Part-time jobs are also widely available.

Telesales usually work in an office, or open-plan call centre although some work from home. They spend most of the day in view of a screen and wearing headsets for comfort when selling.

A telesales operator needs:

• Excellent communication and listening skills
• To be persuasive and quick to see an opportunity
• To be happy working in a competitive, target-driven atmosphere
• To enjoy working with customers and building relationships.

There are job opportunities for telesales throughout the UK. Vacancies are usually advertised on recruitment agency and company websites like ours and in the press.

There are no set entry requirements and no age limits. An aptitude for sales and a positive, customer-friendly attitude are often more important. Employers may ask for some GCSE/S grades (A*-C/1-3) or equivalent though and ability with computers is an advantage. Apprenticeships may be offered by some of the larger contact Centres.

Training is usually provided in-house. It may include an induction period, with roleplaying exercises in a simulated environment, before making calls to actual customers.

What is the work like?

Telesales talk to people over the phone and try to motivate them to buy goods or services.

The work involves spending the day on the phone, calling potential customers. They may be 'cold-calling', which means trying to sell to people who have not requested a call, or they may work from a list of people who have expressed an interest in a company's products or services.

The telesales operator has to quickly build a rapport with customers and gain their trust. They may use a carefully-worded script to ensure they give accurate information and a consistent message is delivered, but they also need strong interpersonal and customer-service skills to recognise potential sales opportunities.

During each phone call, the telesales operator may:

• describe the product benefits and special offers
• suggest how the product or service might benefit the customer
• persuade customers to accept a trial period or a visit from a sales representative
• take an order and arrange for delivery of goods
• take payment or arrange for a bill to be sent
• gather and record information about the customer
• enter notes into a computer, including dates for follow-up calls
• read out or explain any 'small print', such as a customer's right to return a product or the standards under which the company operates.

The work can be very intensive and Telesales may have a set number of calls to complete within a given time, often linked to commission. In a call-centre, predictive dialers usually automatically connect the telesales operator to the next customer at the end of each conversation so that the operator loses no time in getting on to the next call.

There is also a range of qualifications to help Telesales develop their skills and progress.

Successful Telesales can earn more with higher commission and by moving into better-paid jobs. Larger organizations offer more opportunities for promotion to team leader or sales management roles. The skills involved in telephone selling can be sought after in other areas of work, such as customer service, complaints handling, buying, marketing or training.

Visit premiercallcentre.co.uk to find out more information about Telesales Call Centres, start making smarter choices today.