Individuals in telemarketing careers are responsible for selling products and services over the telephone. Telemarketing supervisors usually are responsible for directing the actions of those in a call center, composing employee schedules, and encouraging improved performances. To become a telemarketing supervisor, it almost always is necessary to have experience as a telemarketing professional or as a representative in a call center. In some cases, a high school diploma might be the only academic preparation necessary to become a telemarketing supervisor. Employers in more specialized areas, however, such as software or medical equipment, might require that telemarketing supervisors have strong backgrounds in related areas.
An individual who wants to become a telemarketing supervisor should have excellent verbal communication skills. In order to be promoted to this level, a person must prove his or her proficiency as a telemarketing professional. Individuals in this field have only their voices to communicate ideas. For many people, this is a skill that they need to practice before they are successful.
It is also important to be a strong leader. To become a telemarketing supervisor, you have to be able to increase an organization's sales through leadership techniques. You might be required to develop incentive plans that create a sense of competition among employees. If you feel that you are lacking important leadership skills, you might want to take a leadership course or workshop where you can learn about proven techniques and brainstorm about ideas that might work in a call center.
Telemarketing supervisors often are expected to perform data entry tasks. For instance, a supervisor might have to record sales data at the end of each shift. In order to become a telemarketing supervisor, you have to be comfortable learning new computer programs. You also should be able to fix low level problems with computers and programs since technology specialists might not always be available. Courses in performing basic computer functions often are offered by local community and professional development centers. Most employers also offer training to newly hired telemarketing supervisors.
In some contexts, a telemarketing supervisor has to be able to analyze data sets and make strategical decisions based on his or her analysis. For instance, a supervisor might see that callers sell to one region at a certain time each night, while they have success selling to another region hours later. A supervisor might have to assign sets of numbers from certain regions to the most productive callers in order to ensure that his or her company is reaping the greatest benefits from a region where the most sales are possible.