Seats
The number of Seats is the number of agents that are currently working on your campaign.  This is occasionally replaced by the word ‘Desks’ instead.

Script
A standard set of remarks that must be adhered to by a Telemarketing agent during a call. Scripts can help to ensure all of the pertinent information is delivered to the Prospect, but they also make the conversation stilted.  Excellent telemarketing agents make each call individual.

Talk Time
The amount of time spent on a telemarketing call.  High quality lead generation and conversion requires time to develop a relationship with the customer.

Outbound
This term relates to calls that originate from Telemarketing agents. (Opposite of Inbound)

Outsourced Sales
A method of increasing sales success rates by using a specialist Telesales Company to produce sales on your behalf.

Prospect
The term for a potentially interested customer that is yet to buy goods or services from your company.

Qualification Criteria
A set of criteria that each lead must meet in order to be accepted by the client.

Reactivating
This term relates to the practise of calling previous clients who have become dormant and no longer order your product or use your service.  Reactivation aims to gain continued business from former clients and is often as or more effective than seeking new business.

Lead
Information regarding a potential customer or client that has expressed interest in the product or service offered.

Lead Generation
The specialist process of creating lists of potentially interested customers or clients.  Without Lead Generation, your sales staff will quickly run out of leads to convert into sales.

List Building
This is the process of creating lists of people to call in a Telemarketing/TeleSales campaign.

List Clean(s)ing
List Cleaning or Cleansing involves calling individuals or companies to ensure that their details are correct in advance of a bulk mail out.

Follow Up Call
A call that is made to a potential customer after the initial contact has been made by email, letter or phone.  The aim of the Follow Up is to utilise the momentum of the first contact, increasing the prospective response rate.

Gatekeeper
The person, usually a secretary or PA, whose job it is to reduce the number of ‘unnecessary’ interruptions that the Decision Maker receives.

Handovers
The process of passing lead information created by an outsourced Telemarketing Company on to their client.

Inbound
This term relates to calls that originate with potential customers or clients.

If you’re considering outsourcing your telemarketing needs, it would be good to understand the terminology of telemarketer.  This glossary aims to provide access to all of the necessary vocabulary required to discuss telemarketing like you’ve been doing it for years.

Agent
A trained telemarketer who makes or receives calls on behalf of a Telemarketing Company.

Appointment Setting
This is one of the tasks of an Outsourced Telemarketing team working on a B2B campaign or project. The aim is create leads for the client’s sales staff to convert by setting appointment times for them to call or visit.