1995_03 Insight March 1995

              MARCH 22,1995
In Focus
PAGE 3
Telemarketers use
motivation to excel
By May Xaykaothao
Staff Writer
"Hello. Could I speak wilh Mr. or
Mrs. Jones please?"
"Yes. ihis is her, who is this?"
"This is Andrea with Rainsoft. I'm
calling to welcome you to your new
home. Did you get all settled in yet?"
"I'm not interested!" (click!)
Another night for telemarketer Andrea Nelson has begun. As one of 15
phoners, she will spend the next four
hours setting appointments.
As a first-year CSUF student who
intends to be a dentist. Nelson is carrying 16 units and working 27.5 hours
a week at Rainsoft.
Nelson's job is to set appointments
for water-testing representatives
"1 regard my position as a very important one," Nelson said. "Wtlioui appointments, the representatives would have to
go knock on doors for prospects."
Shc said the most common misconception of telemarketing is lhat people
are afraid of hard sales.
"Once the public understands that
our main intent is just to familiarize
them with their water quality and answer any of their questions, people set
the appointments," Nelson said.
"We just want to leave a great impression about our company, so that way
in the future, if one ever needs to do
something aboul lhc water, the Rainsoft
company will be remembered."
Many people have tried telemarketing with the "it's easy" altitude, bul
as Fresno High student Bee Thao will
tell you, it's more than that.
"People can be very rude," Thao
said. "They hang up on you, they yell
at you, cuss at you and even call back
to thc company to complain."
She said callers must remember that
they and the people who answer don't
know each other. Calling is jusl a part
of the job.
For those who don't handle rejection well, telemarketing may not be
the right job.
Dina Vasquez. head assistant manager
of Rainsoft telemarketing division, said
she understands the difficulty of hearing hundreds of people say "I'm not
intercstcd!"over and over.
Vasquez said phoners don't last very
long if they face constant rejection.
"Motivation is important for the
company, not only does it keep everyone in a great mood, it also increases production," she said.
Every workday begias with a meeting
to go over the results of the night before.
"Hoorays" and applause arc given to
those whose appointments go
ihrough. Comments of "That's OK!"
are for ihose who "wave," or whose
appointments didn't hold.
The best pan of the meeting is the
positive motivation section where the
telemarketers listen to motivational
tapes, read uplifting books and gel
bonus offers as incentives to achieve
production goals. Vasquez said.
Thc work has benefits. Nelson said.
"I'm gaining valuable communication
skills experience and am learning to
believe in myself."
Thao said students nowadays usually
have fast food positions lhat don't pay well
and overwork them,
"Here at Rainsoft, I can still attend
school full-time and have money to spend
to pay bills and have fun with friends."
For Rainsoft, telemarketing has
proven to be a great form of advertising the company's water treatment
products to the public. Vasquez said.
"The telemarketing division makes
approximately 90 percent, if not.
more, for the company."
USA Today recently examined the
impact of telemarketing.
The article reported lhat The American Telemarketing Association said its
members had $500 billion in revenue
last year, up from $250 billion in 1991.
Dwight M. Brown. Houston Chronicle
advertising director, said in die August
1991 issue of the newspaper trade journal Editor and Publisher that
telemarketing was the "backbone" of the
newspaper's sales force, accounting for
almost 40 percent of its total revenue.
"Let me give you the most corn-
telemarketing," Brown said. "Our
1988 linage was 36.609 inches. In
1991. for thc first half alone, it exceeded 52.000 inches."
"There is no newspaper of the future, or of the present, that can afford
to ignore thai potential."
Photo by Kori R
Telemarketer Andrea Nelson tries to set up an appointment for water-testing representatives to go
See TELEMARKETING, page 4    into the home of a local resident to demonstrate products.
Employers provide interview hints for applicants
Interview Mistakes
• Inability to describe strengths and accomplishments
• Apologize for not reading the company's literature
• Indicate you are not sure what you want to do
• Rambling, straying from the point
• Not listening to the questions asked
• Insufficient or overly-detailed answers
• Volunteering weaknesses
• Fidgeting, tapping your feet or fingers, or yawning
• Smoking or chewing gum
• Focusing on salary and benefits
• Criticizing a previous boss or employer
• Answering a question with that age-old statement,
"I really like working with people"
♦ The keys to impressing a potential
employer are to be prepared and dress
appropriately.
By Stefanie Hard
Staff Writer
Il is something wc will all experience.
Nervousness and anxiety dominate our psyches as our
pulses race and our palms sweat
Then, after waiting for what seems like an eternity,
someone calls our name.
This is ihe nerve-racking job interview process.
Many feel that job interviewing is one of life's most frightening experiences. A job candidate has to constandy monitor all actions and words that might offend an interviewer, as
well as dress in a professional manner.
First impressions do make a difference according to a human resource administrative assistant at Gottschalks.
Inappropriate interview attire is a problem, she said.
"The girls will wear really short dresses. In interviews,
we've had people come in in jeans," shc said.
Dee Masenda. general manager of Clovis Athletic
Club, also stressed the importance of the first impres-
"They [job applicants) need to show that they are re
sponsible and reliable.
The big problem lhat I have is people coming into
interviews, wanting a job. wearing team colors, hair uncombed, wearing a baseball cap," Masenda said.
He spoke of a lime a Fresno City College football
player came for an interview.
When Masenda asked the football player whether he
was attending CSUF or the community college, lhc man
said he was going to Fresno City College because he
scored low on Ihe SAT.
"IIt] makes you wonder if he will be able to do what
he will be asked to do," Masenda said.
Debbie Finley, bookkeeper for the club, said she had
a different experience while interviewing.
"Thc only thing 1 can think of lhat really turns me off Ls if
someone jast keeps talking, talking and talking."
A nurse recruitment specialist at St. Agnes Hospital.
Terry Foushec. has seen a lot of different behaviors while
interviewing job applicants.
"Probably the experience I've had more than
appcarence or mannerisms is what they've said. I've
had an individual use a five-letter, six-letter word to refer to African-Americans," Foushec said.
"Somebody else in the office has had someone come
inlo the office with a cold and their nose was running
and ihey kept w iping it on their sleeve."
Another problem Foushec has run into is people
bringing their children to an interview.
She said one woman brought in her twin toddlers,
who disrupted others in the building.
Foushce said job applicants should know at least
a little about their potential employers.
"You like to think thai if somebody is applying at
your institution thai they have some knowledge of
the institution." she said.
A human resources analyst for Fresno Area Express. Larry Daniel, agreed.
The biggest 'don't' is 'don't not know what the
job entails.' Daniel said. "Another one that I've
seen happen is when asked why you want thc job,
is to basically say you don't want it."
Another example of a bad interview Daniel remembered was when a job applicant questioned the
credentials of the interviewers.
"|We] had |a| person come in and ask the board
what their qualifications were."
Employers arc looking for many things. Many
people know these already, but it is obvious from
these examples lhat some don't.
Emergency, from page 1
The policy center argues that Cali
fomia is one of the most diverse states
in lhc country, and discouraging out-
of-state students won't change lhat.
Other ideas suggested by ihe committee include finding better ways to
make full use of the 73 accredited independent colleges and universities.
The Association of Independent col
leges and universities of California
has estimated there are more than
20,000 unused facilities on California campuses. The idea is that not
only would students receive belter use
of their tuition dollars, they would
more easily be able to graduate within
four years.
"We're being asked to change [al
location means] too quickly."
Gonzalez said. "It'll shift if you give
it time."
The most obvious solution lo the
emergency is to build new universities to free up space for more eligible
students. For years, there was discussion of adding three new UC campuses.
Gonzalez said ;
tit)  i
Monterey is opening.   Anoihei
planned for Ventura County.
Thc Policy Center report, on the
other hand, argues that economic
realities have caused such talks lo
Thc Stale of Emergency report
also suggests setting enrollment
priorities for first-time students by
age, exploring new modes of service delivery, using emerging technologies, refocusing the junior college system to give higher priority
to younger students in academic
transfer and occupational/vocational courses of instruction, and
concentrating more faculty time
and energy on undergraduate, ralher
than graduate, education.
No one can accurately measure just
what the state of higher education
will be in the future. Only 20 to 30
years from now, when it is possible
to look back, w ill anyone really know
if California was faced wilh a true
emergency.
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