Telesales

Telesales is the practice of selling products or services over the telephone. It encompasses outbound dialing aimed at securing new customers as well as inbound calls from interested buyers. In many organizations, telesales is part of an inside sales function, focusing on directly closing deals rather than just generating interest.

Typical activities include developing leads, qualifying prospects, presenting offers, handling objections, and closing sales during structured call conversations. Telesales teams often use scripts and sales frameworks, supported by customer relationship management (CRM) systems, dialers, and call recording for quality assurance.

Outbound telesales uses proactive calling to reach targets, while inbound telesales handles inquiries and converts interest into sales. In B2B, cycles are longer and deals larger; in B2C, the process may be shorter and volume-driven.

Performance is measured by metrics such as contact rate, conversion rate, average deal size, revenue per call, and return on investment. Compliance and regulation govern outreach practices; laws like the Do Not Call lists and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act in the United States, and data protection rules in the European Union, restrict unsolicited calls and require consent and opt-out mechanisms.

Challenges include rejection rates, training needs, and regulatory compliance costs. Advances in technology, including AI-powered scripting, predictive dialers, and integrated analytics, are shaping modern telesales by increasing efficiency and enabling more personalized interactions.