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Outbound Sales Associate, Salesperson, Telephone Solicitor
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:
| Starting | $18.43 |
|---|---|
| Overall | $21.98 |
| Top | $25.61 |
Interest in comparing information to quote prices and follow a prepared sales talk
Interest in persuading customers by soliciting sales for goods and services
Interest in distributing sales orders to other workers for further processing; may develop lists of prospective customers from city and telephone directories
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
Telemarketers may telephone businesses or private individuals to:
They may obtain names and telephone numbers from lists of previous customers or donors, reply cards from magazines, lists obtained or purchased from other sources, telephone directories or Internet searches.
Duties and responsibilities vary from one organization to another but, in general, telemarketers:
Telemarketers may work flexible hours from their own homes, or work shifts in an automated office environment. Evening and weekend work usually is required.
Telemarketers need:
They should enjoy taking a methodical approach to their work, persuading people and distributing information to other workers.
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 15 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Dec 14, 2020 and Apr 10, 2021.
Review these skills to learn:
| Provide customer service | 15 |
|---|---|
| Personal Suitability: Excellent oral communication | 14 |
| Personal Suitability: Effective interpersonal skills | 13 |
| Personal Suitability: Dependability | 13 |
| Personal Suitability: Reliability | 13 |
| Solicit sales and sell goods or services | 11 |
| Show and describe goods or services | 8 |
| Contact potential customers by phone | 8 |
| Personal Suitability: Organized | 7 |
| Set up and display merchandise on sidewalks, at public events or in stores | 7 |
There are no minimum education requirements for telemarketers but most employers prefer to hire high school graduates.
The following are definite assets:
Telemarketers need to learn about the product or service they promote so they can talk about it confidently and answer questions correctly. Most employers offer in-house training programs.
For a broad list of programs and courses that may be related to this occupation try searching using keywords.
There is currently no provincial legislation regulating this occupation in Alberta.
Employment and Advancement
Telemarketers work for:
Experienced telemarketers may advance to supervisory, training, quality assurance or script-writing positions. Telemarketers with additional education and leadership skills may advance to contact centre management positions.
Telemarketers are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 6623: Other elemental sales occupations. In Alberta, 80% of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:
The employment outlook [pdf] in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, the 6623: Other sales related occupations occupational group is expected to have an average annual growth of 1.9% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 77 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.
Telemarketers may be paid an hourly wage or work on commission. Earnings for those who work on commission may be higher but vary from month to month depending on how much they sell.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $15.00 | $28.85 | $18.43 | $17.50 |
| Overall | $16.00 | $38.29 | $21.98 | $18.75 |
| Top | $15.00 | $42.74 | $25.61 | $20.00 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wholesale Trade | $72,604 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | $54,549 |
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $37,991 |
| Retail Trade | $30,487 |
Updated Mar 31, 2017. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.