|
I worked as a telemarketer during my college summers. Developed a thick skin, I can tell you that!
I called for the Utah Symphony, selling concert series subscriptions. I was one of the top producers in our office three summers running. I also called one summer for MCI. Remember their "friends and family" plan in about '93, where if you ratted out your loved ones to be hard-sold by MCI, you'd get a better rate calling them? That was me. I was the one calling your friends and family.
I was paid a low hourly rate plus commissions. I regularly made enough money during the summer to keep me more or less in the chips all school year.
Incidentally, once you've learned the product you're selling, throw away the goddamned script. People HATE being read a script. Just TALK to them, that's the whole thing. They can hear that you're just a guy within about 5 seconds, and once you've established that, you can actually start treating them as a customer, start looking to serve their needs.
You also have to understand that you ARE being intrusive in their lives. Now may not be a good time--ALWAYS get permission to have a conversation with them, DO NOT launch into some scripted piece of crap without asking if they have time for it. Of course, there are screamers and whiners and pouters... Weird random ramblers... Hanger-uppers...
On the whole, it wasn't great work, but like anything else, if you make it yours and take it on to make it as good as it can be, you can do all right. It certainly wouldn't be my first choice for a job right now, but I know I could go back to it if I needed to.
|