Is telesales for everyone - as a skill?

[Alex C.]

Right, I'm currently in a pretty dead end job - £12,000 a year earnings, although it's usually less due to rota issues. It's customer service on the phone and I'm very good at it. No selling involved at all.

I'm in the final phases of starting up my new business and expect it to be ready to go by January, hopefully with enough earning potential to take me full time by around March/April.

I'm fed up of having money issues though, and I've been given an opportunity to up my salary to £14,500 per annum in an appointment setting (B2C) role. There's also £10 commission per appointment made and a target of 11 per week, so theoretically if I could meet the target that would be an extra £5720 taking me to almost £20,000 per year.

Whilst I still want to start the business, I actually think that this would give me a much better opportunity to create a buffer for myself when I go full time in the business and will give me sales training which will come in useful.

The only worry is that I'll be awful and sell nothing, and end up having to leave. So, my query is, is telesales ability an inate quality that you have, or is it something I can learn if I really push myself?

Thanks for the advice (I know this isn't a careers forum but I figured out of all the forums I'm on this would probably get me the best answer - anywhere else, I'd be told that telemarketers are scum etc etc)

 

[Be Known PR]

I think telesales needs incredible patience and thick skin. I considered telesales in my final year at uni in order to earn some extra cash - I went along to the first three hour induction and never went back as I found it excruciatingly painful.

 

Teleselling is undoubtedly a skill that can be taught.

As mentioned, tenacity, and a very thick skin must come from you!

 

[maxine]

anywhere else, I'd be told that telemarketers are scum etc etc)

You may get told that on here anyway!

What is your new business going to be and how will your telesales B2C experience help you if that is what you want to do?

If you are awful it won't be down to skills alone it will also be because of what you are selling, how attractive it is, who you are selling to, data, process, support, systems, ... as well as skill Just be careful you are not bound into using horrible scripts that any old wotsit could follow else the ability to reach your targets will be reduced

good luck

 

[Hattey]

Well....as a telemarketer I would like to think that I am far from Scum...however, to the point in question....

What are you going to have to sell? Consumer is a tough one as calling people in their homes is a bit tricky so you must ensure you have the right product and the right target market to start with.

If you can give me a bit more information on the priduct I would be happy to give you some pointers.....

It does, in my opinion, take a certain person to do sales but you can learn techniques - I was always called a Salesperson and I didn't believe it, thought I was customer services through and through - I was wrong and I love it. I do both but Telemarketing is different to Telesales.

Also - before you just see the £ signs, be sure the target is achievable - you need to get 2 appointments a day - as you know the product and market - do you feel this is more than achievable?

Hattey

 

[tony84]

Nobody here can tell you what to do but way up the pros and cons.

Nobody will expect you to get 11 appointments in the first couple of weeks. But think of what you will learn by having a new job especially in sales. Im presuming your company will have some element of sales within it.
Are the 2 jobs in the same company? If it falls through could you not go back to your old job?
Do you believe in the product you would have to sell? If you believe its a good product personally i would go for it as your ethusiasm shines through, if you dont then i would give it a miss. I used to sell something and thought on some occasions it was ripping people off so i left as i had morals and wasnt happy.

 

[worker135]

It is a very repetitive job, people who do telesales for commission only are a special breed, not me by the way

 

[Cybamart]

I used to be a "telesales executive" (read fool who paid £20 a week "desk rent" and worked on a commission-only basis to work for the company that turned out to be a fraudulent business selling advertising space in bogus children's puzzle books (which, when I found out, was the day I left)). But anyhow.

Do you know specifically what you will be selling? As said by others, it does depend on the product that you are selling and whether you BELIEVE in it YOURSELF. I was told I was very good at my job when I was there and someone said that it was due to me sounding genuine on the phone - I did genuinely believe the product was beneficial to children's charities and if you can do that (believe in your own product being beneficial to your potential consumers) then you're half-way there.

Whatever happens you will have learned from the experience and will take that with you to your future, if you don't give it a go you will never know but I suspect that with your previous experience of working on the telephone albeit answering calls, you will have the correct manner of dealing with customers and with the belief that your product will genuinely benefit your potential consumers to whom you are speaking you will, I'm sure, be very successful.

The best of luck.

 

[Gratis Guidance]

telesales can be taught - the more focused you are, the better you become - but most companies don't train their staff well enough and put failure straight at the door of their sales people!

 

[telemax]

It most definitely can be taught, but you need to have an lot of persistance and to be unnafected by people saying no to you.

 

[Tej]

Wonder where that expression "born salesman" came from

I believe in that expression.. selling is an inborn art... cannot be taught.. slightly refined perhaps.. but cannot be taught

IMO