Image of career: Telemarketer

Telemarketer

Overview

Telemarketers sell goods and services to prospective customers through the promotion of the products' benefits.

Description

  • Persuade customers to purchase their products or services through communication and product knowledge.
  • Complete orders by recording the personal details of customers and maintaining accurate records for reporting.
  • Provide good customer service to grow a loyal customer base and handle customer objections with detailed information.
  • Meet sales targets set by their employer or company whilst conducting cold calls to potential customers.
  • Provide follow-up calls for customers and update customer databases with new information.

Entry requirements

  • You'll need at least GCE 'N' Level qualifications to get started in this field.
  • Most employers don't require formal education - what's most important is that you're proficient in English. Being able to communicate in other languages native to Singapore will also be beneficial.

Salary

$2,000 – 3,400

/mo

Salary ranges are estimated based on public information found on Singaporean job portals, including MyCareersFuture, MySkillsFuture. Updated as of 2026.

Trivia

There are different types of telemarketers. Outbound telemarketers are the sales representatives who call numbers generated by a machine to advertise to potential customers. Inbound telemarketers receive calls from customers already interested to buy the products or services.

What to expect

Telemarketing roles may be stressful due to sales targets and potential rejections. Persistence without taking rejections personally is key.

Soft
skills

Communication

Able to share information well with customers to drive sales.

Customer Orientation

Ability to maintain customer satisfaction by understanding and meeting their needs.

Self-Management

Able to perform goal-setting, efficient time management, and maintain motivation.

Sales Techniques

Skilled in the art of persuasion to match customer needs with product benefits.

Computer Skills

Familiar with using customer relationship management software to track customer interactions and maintain accurate sales records.

General Knowledge of Products

Good understanding of products to address customer inquiries and concerns.

Hard
skills

Frequently asked questions

In Singapore, there are specific times that telemarketers can call. According to the Contact Centre Association of Singapore, telemarketing calls may only be made from 8 am to 9 pm on weekdays, and 8 am to 6 pm on Saturdays. No calls are permitted on Sundays or public holidays.

Though they are similar, theoretically, selling items over the phone is much more difficult. Without face-to-face interactions, people tend to be much more rude and less willing to listen.

Yes, as it is part of the rules established by the Contact Centre Association of Singapore. Introducing themselves remains one of the practices for ethical telemarketing. Consumers are usually more receptive to a pitch when they understand who is calling and why.

It depends on the company if they want to record it for future staff training or quality assurance purposes.

Telemarketers gather the data gained from the calls and surveys, which is used to further improve their service and understand customer preferences.