Survey Telemarketing

Survey telemarketers often describe profoundly different experiences, even if they're working on the same account. That's because clients tend to react to telemarketers with strong emotions. Some people will automatically talk for hours to survey takers. Others will politely but firmly decline to participate. Still others will grow angry and aggressive at the mere suggestion of an invasion of phone privacy.

In the wake of the national phone privacy act passed in 2003, telemarketing companies have had to scramble to find new leads. Some telemarketing lobbyists predicted that the act would be the end of telemarketing as an industry. However, telemarketers have proved surprisingly resilient and have stubbornly resisted government and state restrictions on their businesses.

Tips for Professional Survey Telemarketers

The truth is that survey telemarketing is always an uneasy business, both for operators and for customers. While there is no one size fits all solution for telemarketing anxieties, there are some general psychological and emotional tips which can make the process more comfortable for everyone involved. For one, telemarketers should always acknowledge and apologize for any disruption of home privacy.

Secondly, telemarketers should connect to their survey respondents as quickly as possible. The more human and the more specific you are over the phone, the more difficult it will be for the respondent to reject your query offhandedly. Finally, compartmentalize your emotions, so that you don't get hurt or offended when people abruptly hang up on you.