Movies about telemarketing all on its lonesome really wouldn’t do that well. The job is boring, tedious, and more importantly, you don’t do a whole lot during the day. Of course some folks love it because it’s stable enough and allows them to refrain from doing anything but sitting on their butt and talking to people, which they might be really good at so hey, it works. Those of us that have been up and about our whole working lives might look at this and just shake our heads, but call centers and other cold-calling jobs do bring in a lot of money based on how many calls they put through and how many clients they manage to sign on. It’s not as easy as just talking to someone might be, since you have to be friendly and able to pitch the product while making them think that they’re getting a great deal. In other words you have to be the friendly type that can make junk that no one cares about seem like spun gold in a matter of just a few minutes.
If you have a silken tongue and can get people on your side it might be a good job, otherwise it’s bound to be just a little bit taxing.
5. Seven Pounds
Telemarketers have to withstand a fair amount of verbal abuse from some customers that either don’t understand how the process works or are just used to treating people like garbage. It’s not always a nice job but it’s important as a telemarketer to have thick skin since some folks make it awfully personal and don’t seem to understand that the telemarketer isn’t out to ruin their day.
4. The Wolf of Wall Street
As much as the average telemarketer isn’t out to ruin your day there are some that are bound to be out to just make money and not care who they hurt in the process. Such practices are not ethical but they are in some ways very legal and can be used against the consumer to make the marketer and the company money and disregard the consumer.
3. The Pursuit of Happyness
It’s typically a busy day in the role of a telemarketer since you’re expected to call so many people and get so many to buy whatever it is that you’re selling. If you can sell anything to anyone and have the dogged determination it takes to keep plugging away at a call list until you get enough people to agree that the product you’re pushing is worth it then it becomes a little easier and a lot more bearable.
2. Big Nothing
Some call centers are massive. You’ll be surrounded by cubicles and the nonstop chatter of people speaking to a multitude of individuals that may or may not agree that this is the best deal they’ve ever heard. Just like any job you’ve got to work your way up from the trenches. A PhD doesn’t mean much if you’re relegated to phone duty for months at a time.
1. Boiler Room
It might not happen as often but if a telemarketer does in fact chance upon calling another person that has done or still does their job then it’s easy to be taken unawares. The likelihood is that the person on the other line might not buy anything, but being corrected by the person you’re trying to sell to would just be downright funny.
If you enjoy the sun on your face as you work then this job isn’t for you. But if you like talking to people and don’t mind being in a big space with a lot of people it might work.
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