Telemarketers sell products, services, and memberships over the phone.
Let's be honest: telemarketing is controversial. Many people do not want to be disturbed with sales calls. In 2003, the Federal Trade Commission started the Do Not Call Registry. The Registry lets people sign up their phone numbers so that telemarketers cannot call them. Millions of people signed up in just a few days. To date, almost 60 million people have registered their phone number. The telemarketing industry was understandably upset. Many companies earn all their profits from telemarketing calls. Calling is the cheapest and easiest way to reach people. It is estimated that about $100 billion worth of products and services are sold through telemarketing.
Telemarketers take orders for businesses and ask people to donate money to charities. When selling, they call potential customers to explain a service or product. They often quote prices and try to persuade people to buy or subscribe. Telemarketers may set up appointments with sales representatives or agents. Sometimes they sell memberships.
Telemarketers follow a prepared sales script. They work from lists of customers' names or pages from phone books. Their call lists may include people who bought products, services, or memberships before or donated money. Telemarketers keep records of their calls and the results. They make most calls during the evening when more people are home. Telemarketers usually do not leave messages when answering machines respond to the telephone call. If they do not reach a potential customer, they may follow up with additional phone calls or letters.
Some telemarketers carry out opinion polls and surveys. They may interview people to find out about their spending habits or political views. They may also call for opinions about products or services.