Telemarketing job interview - I need advice!

[Kinoko]

I have a job interview tomorrow for a "Holiday sales consultant"... telemarketing, basically. As much as I loath this industry, I NEED a job until I get to Japan so I'd really like this one. I think I interview pretty well but I'd like to be able to get a leg up and show I'm really good for this sort of thing.

So... has anyone ever had this kind of job before? What sort of things do you typically say over the phone? I have to do a 'mock' phone up during the interview and I'm nervous they won't give me much information.

I swear, if there was ever a time I wanted one of these people to call me up, it's now.

[SSH]

Just assume the persona of Alexander Zale and you should be alright 

[Andail]

I have an enormous amount of experience when it comes to being called up by telemarketers. I think my name and number are the top items on every darned to-call-list around the country. They often call offering me exactly the same products/services I declined the week before, they always call me when I'm the most busy, and they often end up sounding annoyed.
I hate them like the plague.

[sedriss]

A telemarketer called me while i had a party once.
We took turns trying to pick her up.

Dont have any advice regarding the interview, sorry.

[Kinoko]

It sucks, because I hate them too. I mean, REALLY. If anyone in a group is gonna bash telemarketers, it'll be me. But I'm brpke, and I need to pay bills, and I need to get a job quick that I'm qualified for (and until I get to Japan, that's not a lot). I could do retail, but I never get calls back from them because they're only interested in people with 3 years experience or juniors so they don't have to pay anything.

God, my most hated words right now are "juniors" and "experienced". I don't fit into either... damn you teenagers and people who chose to work instead of going to uni or while going to uni!!!

[Dave Gilbert]

I was a telemarketer for one summer when I was 19.  I sold Craftmatic beds, off all things.  One of the worst jobs I ever had.  

In all honesty, if the folks at your company are anything like the ones at my old place I don't think you'll have much of a problem.  Just be personable and speak well on your interview, and be sure to beef up any sales experience you might have on your resume.

[aussie]

I was a telemarketer for one summer when I was 19.  I sold Craftmatic beds, off all things.  One of the worst jobs I ever had.   

I haven't done it myself, but I have a friend who currently does it for a living and hates it. He finds it pretty stressful to explain the same stuff all over again just to be rejected all over again. Plus he gets paid partly on performance.

If you get it, that's excellent.

But the good news is that, should you miss out, you're not missing out on much.

[Kinoko]

Well, if they tell me the pay is commission-based, I'm knocking back the job straight up. I'm just not in a financial position where that would be adequate. God, I'd do back breaking strawberry picking as long as I got a decent, regular wage.

[Snarky]

The pay will almost certainly be commission-based.

I worked as a telemarketer the summer before going off to uni. The job is moderately soul-sucking. I found that the worst thing is that if you're not in a good mood or you're not feeling well, you might not sell anything at all, which makes your day even worse.

In the interview, try to come off as confident, outgoing and enthusiastic, but not hyper. I'd say that the most important thing for a phone salesperson is to project personality over the phone.

It wouldn't be reasonable to expect you to know the protocol and how to pitch when you come in, so when you're doing the mock phone sale just try to keep it conversational and positive. Good luck!

[Squinky]

I think the best scenario would be for you to show up and right in the middle of the interview, interrupt them and say "Wait up a minute, This is for telemarketing? I thought it was for a phonesex job!"

Can't go wrong there.....

[CoffeeBob]

I have an enormous amount of experience when it comes to being called up by telemarketers. I think my name and number are the top items on every darned to-call-list around the country. They often call offering me exactly the same products/services I declined the week before, they always call me when I'm the most busy, and they often end up sounding annoyed.
I hate them like the plague.

Maybe you should try this trick on them the next time:

Meh, I never call anyone, but I like to screw with telemarketers when they call...

Telemarketer: Hello, I conducting a survey for...
Me: THAT DOES IT! I said I'd kill myself if one more of you guys called me, and I'm gonna do it!
TM: Um, sir?
Me: *plays gunfire sound effect, and drops phone on rug*
TM: Sir? Sir?...Oh god...

Be aware, one of the times he did this, the sales(wo)man sent the police to investigate the suicide... But the cop only laughed. XD

[Andail]

Next time Kinoko releases a game, she's gonna go :
"Good afternoon, dear community. May I interest you in this brand new product designed and produced just to fit your computer gaming needs?"

[Nine Toes]

Telemarketing isn't hard.  I sold windows and patio doors for about a year when I was 19.

My calls went something like this:
Me: Hello, is this Mr. Wang?
Mr. Wang: Yes.
Me:  Good afternoon, sir.  This is Sully, and I'm calling with Advanced Home Technologies.  How are you today?
Mr. Wang: Peachy.
Me:  That's good.
Mr. Wang: What are you selling?
Me:  Well, I'm not selling anything, but the reason that I called you today is to see if you'd be interested in getting an estimate done on your windows and doors.
Mr. Wang: Your mom's a whore.
*click*

Things to remember:
- Never lose your temper with the customers.  Always be chipper, cheery, and friendly.  Display a positive attitude, no matter how crappy your work day is going.
- Certainly never talk back to customers (that's why I no longer work for that company XD).
- Good phone etiquette always came in handy.  And, refer to people by Mr. or Mrs., never refer to them by their first names (for some reason, some people get pissed off when you call them by their first name, like "I don't know you, don't call me Bill!")

That's about all the advice I can offer.

Hope you get the job. 

[Las Naranjas]

You're not qualified for anything until you get to 日本?

Assuming you'll be teaching English, aren't even philosophy graduates qualified for that? :p

[Kinoko]

Well, my point was that I have very little to put on my resume other than 4 years of Japanese. Japan is where I'll be finishing up my Japanese language skills and also getting long-term job experience teaching (well, long-term for me). The only other skills I have to offer right now are my personality. I can't say I have any decent sales experience or... anything really.

Mr. Hyde: Thanks for that It did help

EDIT: Well, I started to get worried about going through an hour and a half long interview and then being told it was commission based only so I decided to call them up this morning and ask. 'Twas indeed so, so I cancelled the interview. Oh well, thanks very much everyone anyway ^_^ I think I'm gonna try for some more retail places before I delve into telemarketing again.

[MichaelJackson]

Retail is just as bad as telemarketing.

[Kinoko]

Absolutely no way, it can be hard work but at least you're dealing with customers face to face who generally want your service ^_^ IT just depends highly on exactly where you're working. I used to work for a bekery and although I'm sure I hated it at the time (early mornings - urg!!) I do look back on it rather fondly. I got all my bread for free, I really, really liked most of my customers and because I actually did my work instead of just the girly chattering the others girls did, I got a lot of praise from my boss.

If I could get another job like that now, I'd be pretty happy.

[Ozwalled]

I'm not sure how close to one you are, but I wholeheartedly reccomend trying to get a job working at a hostel. The clientelle (sp?) is usually VERY nice and since they tend to be world travellers, they tend to have a little bit more or a sense of responsibility, independance and compassion than the average customer.

I worked two summers at one and it was a hoot.

Plus, there are a fair bit of girls who travel that are from Japan (well, I'm in Canada, and of the people we'd get, most were either from Australia, France or Japan), so your knowledge of Japanese stuff will be a bonus.

[Kinoko]

Thanks for the advice. I've just moved so I'm not too sure of what's in my area, so I will have a see if there's anything new. I'd especially love to work somewhere I could possibly use my Japanese, so that'd be great. I've already applied at all the souvanir shops but most wouldn't take a resume because there was nothing going. I took a look at a couple of tourist guide jobs because I used to have a friend who did it even though she was still learning Japanese, but everything I came across wanted fluent Japanese. The hostel idea sounds good, I'll look into it.

[RickJ]

Well, my point was that I have very little to put on my resume other than 4 years of Japanese. Japan is where I'll be finishing up my Japanese language skills and also getting long-term job experience teaching (well, long-term for me). The only other skills I have to offer right now are my personality. I can't say I have any decent sales experience or... anything really.

When I downloaded your game. I visited your website and was quite impressed with what you have done there.  If you haven't made mention of this on your resume you are selling yourself short IMHO.   Not only do you have creative and unique skills you have also put them to use. 

Have you considered marketing your artistic skills say to advertising, web design/hosting firms, or anything else to which you could apply those skills?   Or if you insist on starting at a minimum wage job, how about something like a copy or print shop? 

Anyway, I want to wish you good luck on your job search. 

Best Regrads