6 free templates for the role that closes on the phone: general, inbound, outbound, B2B, renewals, and a plain-language small business version, each with the commission, overtime, and calling-rule guidance generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
The first telesales job description I ever wrote was three lines long and it cost me two months. It said the company sold a service, that the person would make calls, and that pay was competitive. What arrived was a stack of applicants who wanted a customer service job with no quota, and the one real closer in the pile took a different offer while I was still scheduling second interviews.
The problem was not the length. It was that the posting never said the thing that decides who applies: this person closes the sale on the call. That single sentence separates a telesales representative from every adjacent phone role, and it changes the pay, the screening, and the compliance obligations that come with the job.
At FirstHR we write hiring templates for small companies without an HR department, and phone sales is one of the roles owners most often staff themselves. The six templates below cover a general closing role, inbound, outbound, business-to-business, renewals and retention, and a plain-language version for an owner hiring one representative.
TL;DR
A telesales representative sells over the phone and closes on the call, unlike a telemarketer or appointment setter who hands the deal off. Assume non-exempt: hourly base plus commission, overtime past forty hours, paid training. Telemarketers earned a median of $35,450 in the May 2025 federal wage survey. Six templates below, downloadable as DOCX.
What a Telesales Representative Does
A telesales representative sells a product or service by phone and closes the transaction on the call. The loop is the same everywhere: reach a qualified person, present the offer, quote the total cost, handle objections, ask for the order, take payment or send the paperwork, and record the outcome before the next dial.
Calls come from three sources. Outbound calling works an assigned list. Inbound calling answers the phone after your own marketing makes it ring. Most small teams run both, which is why the general template covers both and the shift-based inbound template exists separately.
Federal occupational data has no listing under this exact title. The closest classification is telemarketers, defined as contacting businesses or private individuals by telephone to solicit sales of goods or services, which reported 67,400 workers in 2024. That gap between the title people search for and the title the government tracks matters mostly when you benchmark pay, and the telemarketer templates cover the lead-generation side of the same occupation.
Telesales, Telemarketing, and Inside Sales Are Not the Same Posting
Telesales closes and telemarketing generates. That is the whole distinction, and it drives the candidate profile, the commission structure, and the interview. A closer needs objection handling and comfort asking for money. A setter needs volume and a clean handoff.
Getting this wrong is the most common reason a phone sales search stalls. Write a closing role and describe setter work and your best applicants leave in month two. Write a setter role and expect closing and you will pay commission on sales that never happen.
Telesales representative
Closes on the call
Owns the sale end to end by phone: qualifies, quotes, handles objections, takes the order and often the payment. Measured on conversion and revenue, not on dials alone.
Telemarketer or appointment setter
Hands the deal off
Generates interest and books the next step for someone else to close. Measured on conversations and appointments set. Cheaper to hire, easier to train, and a different posting.
SDR or BDR
Builds pipeline
The business-to-business version of the same handoff: research, sequences, qualification, then a meeting for an account executive. Attracts candidates who want a sales career track.
Customer service representative
Serves, then sometimes sells
Answers questions and resolves problems, with selling secondary at most. If your posting describes support work with a quota attached, candidates will notice and the wrong people apply.
Name the Handoff Point in the First Two Sentences
Candidates decide whether to apply based on where their responsibility ends. Say it directly: this representative closes the sale and processes the order, or this representative qualifies and books an appointment for a closer. If the role does both, say which one carries the target. Everything else in the posting can be generic and it will still attract the right people, because the handoff point is the part that is genuinely different between one phone job and the next.
A telesales job description does four jobs: it sells the seat, it states the money precisely enough to filter, it protects you on classification, and it sets the daily expectations a phone job lives on. Most postings do the first and skip the other three.
The parts candidates read first
What you sell and to whom, in one sentence
Inbound, outbound, or both
Whether the rep closes or hands off
Shift pattern and remote or on-site
The parts that decide who applies
Hourly base stated as a number or a range
Commission structure and when it pays
Realistic on-target earnings, not a fantasy figure
The chargeback rule, written down
The parts that protect you
Non-exempt status stated on the posting
Paid training and paid wrap-up time
Employee, not contractor, stated plainly
Equal opportunity statement
The parts that filter for fit
Daily call and conversation expectations
The monthly target, as a number
Any license needed to sell the product
CRM discipline as a stated requirement
The omission that costs the most is the commission plan. Vague pay language attracts candidates who assume the best case and leave when they learn the real one, which is expensive in a role that already churns. State the base, the commission, a realistic on-target figure, and the chargeback rule. Our general guide to writing a job description covers the wider structure.
6 Telesales Job Description Templates to Download
Download all six as one file or copy them individually. Each follows the same structure: company overview, position summary, key responsibilities, required qualifications, compensation structure, a classification and compliance note, an equal opportunity statement, and how to apply. The bracketed fields are the only parts you change.
Download All 6 Telesales Job Description Templates
General, inbound, outbound closer, B2B, renewals and retention, and small business plain language. All in one download.
General Telesales Rep
Start here
The baseline closing role for inbound, outbound, or both, with the commission structure and the compliance note already written in.
Inbound Telesales
Warm calls, shift work
For converting calls generated by your own marketing, with speed to answer, conversion rate, and after-call work stated as expectations.
Outbound Closer
Cold lists, hard job
For outbound calling where the goal is a signed order rather than an appointment, with the calling rules and the contractor warning spelled out.
B2B Telesales
Business buyers
For phone selling into small and mid-sized businesses, with quota, pipeline, and a note on why a phone seller is not an outside sales exemption.
Renewals and Retention
Existing customers
For renewal, save, and winback calling, with an approved offer matrix and a warning about save targets that punish a clear cancellation request.
Small Business (Plain)
Owner hiring one rep
Plain-language version for an owner hiring their first phone seller, written the way you would actually say it, with the honest part left in.
Template 1: General Telesales Representative
The baseline closing role for inbound, outbound, or both, with the commission structure, the chargeback rule, and the compliance note already written in.
General Telesales Representative Job Description
GENERAL TELESALES REPRESENTATIVE JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Location: __ ([City, State] or Remote)
Reports to: __ (Sales Manager / Owner)
Employment type: [ ] Full-time [ ] Part-time
FLSA status: Non-exempt (hourly plus commission, overtime-eligible)
Pay: $_ per hour base plus commission of _
ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]
[Company Name] sells [product or service] to [consumers / businesses] in
[market or region]. Our telesales team handles the sale from the first call to
the signed order, working from [inbound leads / a called list / both].
POSITION SUMMARY
The Telesales Representative sells [product or service] over the phone from
first contact to closed order. You qualify the buyer, present the offer, handle
objections, take the order, and log every call and outcome in our CRM. This is a
closing role, not a lead-passing role.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Make [number] outbound calls per day and answer inbound calls from
[campaigns / referrals / the website]
•Qualify the buyer against our criteria before presenting price
•Present the offer, quote total cost, and answer questions accurately
•Handle objections and close the sale on the call where possible
•Read the required disclosures before taking any payment information
•Collect payment or send the order for [processing / signature] the same day
•Log every call, outcome, and next step in [CRM] before end of shift
•Honor every do-not-call request immediately and record it
•Hit a monthly target of [number] sales or $[amount] in revenue
•Follow the approved script and the compliance rules without improvising
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] year(s) of phone sales, retail sales, or customer service experience
•Clear speaking voice and the ability to hold a conversation with a stranger
•Comfort with rejection and a high call volume
•Basic computer skills and accurate data entry into a CRM
•[High school diploma or equivalent]
•[Any license required to sell this product in your state: list it here]
COMPENSATION STRUCTURE
•Base: $________ per hour, paid for all hours worked
•Commission: ________ per sale or ____% of [revenue / margin], paid [monthly]
•Chargeback policy: commission is [reversed / not reversed] if the customer
cancels or refunds within [number] days. State this in writing before day one.
•Overtime: paid at time and a half past 40 hours in a workweek unless a
specific exemption applies to this role
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE (read before posting)
Most telesales roles are non-exempt: hourly, overtime-eligible, and owed pay for
required training, pre-shift system login, and post-call wrap-up time. Paying
commission does not by itself make anyone exempt. Selling over the phone also
puts you inside the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule, which sets calling hours,
required disclosures before payment, do-not-call obligations, and record
retention. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
HOW TO APPLY
Email __ with your resume and the best number to reach you.
Expect a short phone screen, because the phone is the job.
Template 2: Inbound Telesales Representative
For converting calls your own marketing generated, with speed to answer, conversion rate, and after-call work stated as expectations. If the queue is mostly service calls, the call center templates fit better.
Inbound Telesales Representative Job Description
INBOUND TELESALES REPRESENTATIVE JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Location: __ ([City, State] or Remote)
Reports to: __ (Sales Manager / Call Center Lead)
Employment type: Full-time, shift-based
FLSA status: Non-exempt (hourly plus commission, overtime-eligible)
Pay: $_ per hour base plus commission of _
ABOUT THIS ROLE
Every call you take is from someone who already raised a hand: a form fill, an
ad response, a warm transfer, or a call to the number on the mailer. Your job is
to convert that interest into a paid order on the same call.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Inbound Telesales Representative answers calls generated by our marketing,
qualifies the caller, presents the right package, and closes the sale before the
call ends. Speed to answer and conversion rate are the two numbers that matter.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Answer inbound sales calls within [number] rings during your assigned shift
•Qualify the caller for [product fit, budget, location, eligibility]
•Recommend the right package and quote the total cost clearly
•Close the order on the call and process payment or e-signature
•Handle warm transfers from [marketing partners / the service team]
•Meet a conversion target of ____% of qualified calls
•Keep after-call work under [number] minutes without losing accuracy
•Log the disposition of every call, including the ones that do not buy
•Escalate service issues to the correct team rather than selling around them
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] year(s) in inbound sales, retail, or call center work
•Ability to work [shift pattern] including [evenings / weekends]
•Typing and CRM navigation while holding a conversation
•Reliable internet and a quiet space if the role is remote
•[High school diploma or equivalent]
COMPENSATION STRUCTURE
•Base: $________ per hour for all hours worked, including required training
•Commission: ________ per closed order, paid [monthly]
•Shift differential of $________ for [evening / weekend] hours, if offered
•Overtime at time and a half past 40 hours in a workweek
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Inbound is not a compliance-free zone. When a consumer calls you in response to
an advertisement, the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule still governs the disclosures
you owe before taking payment and the records you keep. Any upsell you make on
that call is treated as its own offer. Non-exempt scheduling rules apply as well:
mandatory pre-shift system login, required training, and after-call wrap-up are
hours worked. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
HOW TO APPLY
Email __ with your resume and your available shifts.
Still Using Spreadsheets for Onboarding?
Automate documents, training assignments, task management, and track onboarding progress in real time.
For outbound calling where the goal is a signed order rather than a booked appointment, with calling hours, do-not-call handling, and the contractor warning spelled out.
Outbound Telesales Closer Job Description
OUTBOUND TELESALES CLOSER JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Location: __ ([City, State] or Remote)
Reports to: __ (Sales Manager / Owner)
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Non-exempt (hourly plus commission, overtime-eligible)
Pay: $_ per hour base plus commission of _
ABOUT THIS ROLE
This is outbound calling where the goal is a sale, not an appointment. You work
a list of [aged leads / past customers / purchased data / cold prospects], reach
a decision maker, and ask for the order on the call.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Outbound Telesales Closer works an assigned call list, opens conversations
with people who were not expecting the call, qualifies quickly, presents the
offer, and closes. Volume and conversion are both measured.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Complete [number] dials and [number] live conversations per day
•Work the assigned list in the order and cadence set by the manager
•Confirm you are calling within permitted hours for the number you are dialing
•Present the offer, quote total cost, and close on the call
•Record every do-not-call request the moment it is made
•Follow up on quoted deals within [number] hours until closed or dead
•Keep the CRM accurate: outcome, next step, and date on every record
•Hit a monthly target of [number] sales or $[amount] in revenue
•Complete compliance training before the first call and annually after that
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] year(s) of outbound phone sales or comparable cold-calling work
•Demonstrated ability to close, not just to set appointments
•Resilience: this role involves repeated rejection every single day
•CRM discipline and accurate note-taking
•[High school diploma or equivalent]
COMPENSATION STRUCTURE
•Base: $________ per hour, paid for all hours worked
•Commission: ________ per sale, paid [monthly], with a written chargeback rule
•Accelerator above [number] sales per month, if offered
•Overtime at time and a half past 40 hours in a workweek
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Outbound consumer calling is the most heavily regulated version of this job. The
FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule restricts calling hours, requires access to the
National Do Not Call Registry with regular scrubbing, and requires that you honor
your own internal do-not-call list. Commission-only pay for an employee is not a
lawful substitute for minimum wage and overtime, and classifying an outbound
caller as a 1099 contractor while setting the script, the hours, the list, and
the method is a common and expensive mistake. This is general information, not
legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
HOW TO APPLY
Email __ with your resume and your best month in phone
sales, with the number.
Template 4: B2B Telesales Representative
For phone selling into small and mid-sized businesses, with quota, pipeline, and a note on why a phone-based seller does not qualify for the outside sales exemption. Compare it against the inside sales templates if the role also runs demos.
B2B Telesales Representative Job Description
B2B TELESALES REPRESENTATIVE JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Location: __ ([City, State] or Remote)
Reports to: __ (Sales Manager / Owner)
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Non-exempt (hourly plus commission) unless an exemption is
documented for this specific role
Pay: $_ base plus commission of _
ABOUT THIS ROLE
You sell [product or service] to [business type] by phone and email, carrying a
transaction from first contact to purchase order. Deal sizes run [$ range] and
cycles run [days or weeks], so this is a closing role with a pipeline attached.
POSITION SUMMARY
The B2B Telesales Representative owns a book of small and mid-sized business
accounts, prospects into them by phone, runs the full sales conversation, and
closes the order without a field visit.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Prospect into [industry or territory] by phone and email
•Reach the person who can actually authorize the purchase
•Run discovery, present pricing, and send quotes the same day
•Negotiate within approved discount limits and escalate anything outside them
•Close orders and coordinate handoff to [fulfillment / onboarding]
•Manage renewals and reorders for your accounts
•Maintain an accurate pipeline with realistic close dates
•Hit a quarterly quota of $[amount] in booked revenue
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] year(s) of business-to-business phone sales
•Ability to explain [product category] to a non-technical buyer
•Written communication strong enough for quotes and follow-up email
•Experience with a CRM and a defined sales process
•[Degree or equivalent experience]
COMPENSATION STRUCTURE
•Base: $________ per [hour / year]
•Commission: ____% of [booked revenue / gross margin], paid [monthly]
•On-target earnings: $________ at 100% of quota
•Chargeback or clawback terms stated in the written commission plan
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Do not assume a B2B seller is exempt. The outside sales exemption requires that
the employee is customarily and regularly engaged away from the employer's place
of business, which a phone-based seller is not. Business-to-business calls sit
outside most of the National Do Not Call Registry provisions, but the underlying
sales rules on misrepresentation still apply, and calls that reach a wireless
number carry their own consent requirements. Put the commission plan in writing
and state when commission is earned. This is general information, not legal
advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
HOW TO APPLY
Email __ with your resume and your last quota attainment.
Template 5: Renewals and Retention Telesales Representative
For renewal, save, and winback calling, with an approved offer matrix and a warning about save targets that reward refusing a clear cancellation request.
Renewals and Retention Telesales Representative Job Description
RENEWALS AND RETENTION TELESALES REPRESENTATIVE JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Location: __ ([City, State] or Remote)
Reports to: __ (Sales Manager / Customer Success Lead)
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Non-exempt (hourly plus commission, overtime-eligible)
Pay: $_ per hour base plus commission of _
ABOUT THIS ROLE
Selling to a customer who already bought from us is cheaper than finding a new
one, and it is a different conversation. You call customers whose [subscription /
plan / contract] is expiring or lapsed, keep them, and where it fits, move them
up a tier.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Retention Telesales Representative calls existing and lapsed customers to
renew, reinstate, or upgrade their [plan or service], diagnoses the reason behind
a cancellation request, and resolves it or saves the account with an approved
offer.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Call customers ahead of renewal on the schedule set by the system
•Take inbound cancellation calls and work the approved save process
•Diagnose the real reason for the cancellation before offering a discount
•Offer only approved retention offers and log which one was used
•Upgrade or cross-sell where the customer genuinely benefits
•Process the renewal, payment, and any plan change accurately
•Hit a retention target of ____% and a save rate of ____%
•Feed recurring cancellation reasons back to [product / operations]
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] year(s) in retention, renewals, customer service, or phone sales
•Patience with frustrated customers and the discipline to listen first
•Ability to follow an approved offer matrix instead of inventing discounts
•Accurate billing and account data entry
•[High school diploma or equivalent]
COMPENSATION STRUCTURE
•Base: $________ per hour for all hours worked
•Commission: ________ per save or renewal, paid [monthly]
•Bonus tied to [retention rate / revenue retained], if offered
•Overtime at time and a half past 40 hours in a workweek
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Retention calling carries a specific risk: making cancellation harder than it
should be. If the customer asks to cancel, the process has to work, and the offer
you make cannot misrepresent the terms. Any plan change made on the call needs
the same clear disclosure of total cost and terms as a new sale, and payment
authorization has to be captured properly. Do not build save targets that reward
a representative for refusing a clear cancellation request. This is general
information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
HOW TO APPLY
Email __ with your resume and a short note on the hardest
save you ever made.
Template 6: Small Business Telesales Representative
Plain-language version for an owner hiring their first phone seller, written the way you would actually say it out loud, with the honest part about a hard job left in.
Small Business Telesales Representative Job Description (Plain Language)
FLSA status: Non-exempt. Hourly. Overtime paid past 40 hours in a week.
Pay: $_ per hour plus $_ for every sale you close
WHAT THIS JOB IS
We are a [size] business selling [product or service] in [city or region]. We are
hiring one person to sell over the phone. You will call [our past customers /
people who asked for a quote / a list we provide] and you will close the sale
yourself. There is no team above you to hand the deal to.
WHAT YOU WILL DO EVERY DAY
•Call [number] people a day and talk to [number] of them
•Explain what we sell and what it costs, plainly and accurately
•Answer questions, handle the usual objections, and ask for the order
•Take payment or send the paperwork the same day
•Write down what happened on every call in [spreadsheet or CRM]
•Never call anyone who has asked us not to call again
•Tell the owner what you are hearing, because it changes what we sell
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
•You can talk to strangers on the phone without freezing
•You can take rejection all day and pick the phone back up
•You write things down and you do not lose leads
•[Number] year(s) of sales or customer service experience is a plus
•You are available [days and hours]
WHAT WE OFFER
•$________ per hour, paid for every hour you work, including training
•$________ per closed sale, paid [monthly]
•[Benefits, if any]
•Straight answers from the owner and a short chain of command
THE HONEST PART
This is a hard job. The phone rings out, people hang up, and some days nothing
closes. We pay hourly on top of commission so a slow week is not a disaster. We
will train you on what we sell and on the calling rules before your first call,
and both are paid time.
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
This is an employee role, not a contractor role, because we set the hours, the
list, and the method. That means hourly pay, overtime past 40 hours in a week,
and paid training time. Before the first call we cover calling hours, do-not-call
handling, and what you have to disclose before taking payment. This is general
information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Business Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
HOW TO APPLY
Call __ and leave a message, or email
__. A voicemail is a fair audition for this job.
The Rules That Apply the Moment You Sell on the Call
Selling to consumers by phone puts you inside the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule, and taking payment on the call is what pulls a telesales team further into it than an appointment setter ever goes. Four requirements shape the job description directly.
The Federal Trade Commission publishes the plain-language version in its guide to complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule, which is the single best document to hand a new representative during training. It covers who is a seller, who is a telemarketer, and which calls are exempt.
Calling hours are fixed, and they follow the customer
The FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule makes it a violation to call a consumer before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in the time zone of the person being called, not the time zone of your office. For a small team calling a national list from one location that single detail causes more accidental violations than anything else, because a 7:30 a.m. start on the East Coast is a 4:30 a.m. call on the West Coast. Build the time zone rule into the dialer or the call list rather than into a training slide, state the permitted hours in the job description, and make it clear that a representative is never expected to hit a dial target by calling outside them.
Two do-not-call lists, not one
Sellers and telemarketers must access the National Do Not Call Registry and scrub their calling lists against it at least every 31 days, and separately must honor an entity-specific do-not-call request, meaning any consumer who tells your company not to call again. The second one is the one small teams forget, because it lives in your own records rather than in a government file. Give every representative a one-click way to mark a request the moment it happens, check that the flag actually blocks the number on the next campaign, and never let a manager reassign a flagged record to a new list. Business-to-business calls sit outside most registry provisions, but the internal list discipline is still worth keeping.
What you must say before you take money
The rule sets out seven broad categories of material information a seller has to disclose, starting with the total cost to buy, receive, or use what is being offered, along with material restrictions or conditions, refund policy terms if you claim one, and the terms of any negative option feature. When you accept payment by a method other than a credit or debit card, you need express verifiable authorization from the customer. This is why a telesales script is a compliance document and not just a sales aid: the disclosures have to land before the payment information is taken, every time, on every call, including upsells added at the end.
Keep the records for twenty four months
Sellers and telemarketers have to maintain records for 24 months, covering advertising and promotional materials, information about prospective customers, sales records, employee records, and any express verifiable authorizations collected. Small teams usually have the call recordings and nothing else. Decide who owns each category before you hire, store it somewhere that survives a laptop failure and an employee leaving, and keep the signed compliance acknowledgment for every representative with the rest of their employment file. The paperwork is boring right up to the moment a complaint arrives, at which point it is the only version of events you have.
These are not abstractions to bolt on later. They belong in the posting, because a candidate who has done this work before will read a posting that mentions calling hours and do-not-call handling as a sign that you run a real operation. The Commission also publishes a dedicated question and answer page on the do-not-call provisions for sellers and telemarketers, which answers most of the questions a small team actually has. Cover the rules in week one and keep the completion record: our guide to compliance training covers how to structure it.
The Script Is a Compliance Document, Not Just a Sales Aid
The required disclosures have to land before payment information is taken, on every call, including an upsell added at the end of an otherwise clean sale. That means the script cannot be a loose set of talking points a representative improvises around on call ninety of the day. Write it, have someone check it against the rule, version it, and re-train when it changes. A representative who deviates because the approved language felt slow is the most likely source of a complaint you will ever have.
Overtime, Commission, and the Section 7(i) Question
Assume a telesales representative is non-exempt unless you have documented otherwise. That means hourly pay, overtime at time and a half past forty hours in a workweek, and pay for required training, pre-shift system login, and after-call wrap-up time.
The two exemptions people reach for do not fit. The outside sales exemption requires an employee customarily and regularly working away from the employer's place of business, which a phone seller is not, and the administrative exemption rarely survives contact with a scripted selling role. Our breakdown of exempt versus non-exempt classification works through the tests, and the practical mechanics of paying overtime matter here because commission has to be folded into the regular rate before the overtime premium is calculated.
There is one narrow route worth knowing. Section 7(i) of the Fair Labor Standards Act exempts certain commissioned employees from overtime, and the Department of Labor sets out the test in Fact Sheet #20. Three conditions must all be met: the employee works in a retail or service establishment, the regular rate of pay exceeds one and a half times the applicable minimum wage for every hour worked in an overtime week, and more than half of total earnings in a representative period comes from commissions.
Pay or classification question
How to handle it in a telesales posting
FLSA status
State non-exempt unless a documented section 7(i) analysis says otherwise
Hourly base
Give a number or a narrow range; a base is what separates you from commission-only ads
Commission
Per sale or a percentage, with the payout date stated
On-target earnings
Use a figure a median performer actually reaches, not the top rep’s best month
Chargebacks
State whether commission reverses on refund or cancellation, and within how many days
Training time
Say it is paid; required training is hours worked for a non-exempt employee
Wrap-up and login time
Say it is paid; unpaid pre-shift login is a recurring wage claim in phone roles
Employment status
State employee, not contractor, when you set the hours, the list, and the script
Write the commission plan down before the offer goes out, including when commission is earned and what happens on a refund. Our guide to commission pay covers the structures that hold up, and where pay transparency laws apply, the posted range has to be made in good faith.
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There is no federal occupation titled telesales representative, so the honest benchmark is telemarketers, with neighboring sales occupations used as the ceiling when the product is a considered purchase. Federal wage data reports total wages including commission, which is why the top of the range sits well above the median.
National Wage Ladder for the Closest Occupation
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), telemarketers earned a median annual wage of $35,450, about $17.04 per hour. The lowest ten percent earned $27,040 or less, the twenty fifth percentile $29,640, the seventy fifth percentile $40,230, and the highest ten percent $50,350 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS).
Benchmark occupation
National median (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
When to use it
Telemarketers
$35,450 per year
The closest match for consumer phone selling at volume
Retail salespersons
$35,410 per year
Sanity check for transactional consumer sales
Customer service representatives
$44,770 per year
When the role is service-led with a sales component
Insurance sales agents
$62,280 per year
Licensed phone selling in an agency
Sales representatives of services
$69,990 per year
Selling a service with a real sales conversation
Sales reps, wholesale and manufacturing
$72,080 per year
Business-to-business phone selling of goods
First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
$87,520 per year
The team lead you hire once the desk grows
Two adjustments before you post a number. First, split it: an hourly base plus a commission with a realistic on-target figure reads as credible where a single blended salary does not. Second, note that the telemarketer occupation is projected to decline through 2034 on federal projections, which tells you the volume end of the market is shrinking while the closing end is not. Pay for closing ability rather than for dial capacity, and check what comparable employers in your area pay for licensed phone sales roles if your product needs a license.
Hiring Telesales Without an HR Department
Small company phone sales hiring fails in three predictable places: a generic posting, a commission plan nobody read before accepting, and a first week with no training. Each has a fix, and none of them require an HR department.
You are the sales manager, the compliance officer, and the person writing the posting
At a small company the person hiring the first telesales representative is usually the owner, who is also the best closer in the building and the only one who knows the script. The posting gets written between calls, borrowed from a generic template, and it describes a job that could be at any company selling anything. Candidates who are good on the phone have options, so a vague posting attracts the people who cannot get hired elsewhere. Fix the four things that actually differentiate you: what you sell, whether the rep closes or hands off, the real hourly base, and the commission with a real on-target number attached. Everything else in the posting is filler you can keep from one season to the next.
Turnover is high and every departure takes the pipeline with it
Phone sales roles churn faster than almost anything else you will staff, and the first ninety days decide most of it. The two fixable causes are a commission plan the representative did not understand when they accepted, and a first week with no product knowledge and no script practice. Write the commission plan down before the offer, including when commission is earned and what happens on a refund. Then make week one a real training week: the product, the objections, the calling rules, and live call review with someone who has closed. Keep the CRM as the record of record so a resignation is a handover, not a data loss.
Compliance training and paperwork are the first things to slip when you are hiring in a hurry
Telesales hiring tends to happen fast and in batches, which is exactly when the sequence breaks: someone starts calling before the compliance training, the signed commission plan never comes back, and nobody can find the acknowledgment six months later. FirstHR was built for that burst. The onboarding wizard runs the same sequence for every new representative, e-signature captures the offer, the commission plan, and the do-not-call acknowledgment, training modules deliver the calling rules with a completion record attached, and document management keeps every signed file against the employee profile. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR. Note that FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a payroll provider.
Screen on the phone, because the phone is the job. A ten minute call reveals pace, clarity, and whether a candidate can take a small objection without going flat, which no resume shows. Give finalists a role-played call rather than a fourth interview, and if you need question sets, our inside sales interview questions transfer directly to a telesales screen.
Then treat week one as the week that decides retention. Phone roles churn faster than almost anything else you staff, and the causes are usually fixable: our analysis of call center turnover covers the pattern, and a repeatable onboarding checklist keeps the training, the signed commission plan, and the compliance acknowledgment from slipping when you are hiring in a hurry. If you are staffing several seats at once, our guide to high volume recruiting covers running the pipeline without losing the sequence.
Key Takeaways
A telesales representative closes the sale on the call, which is the single sentence that separates the role from a telemarketer, an appointment setter, or an SDR and decides who applies.
Assume non-exempt: hourly base plus commission, overtime past forty hours in a workweek, and paid training, login, and after-call wrap-up time.
Section 7(i) is the only realistic overtime exemption and it requires all three conditions in the Department of Labor test, so document the analysis before relying on it.
Telemarketers, the closest federal occupation, reported a median annual wage of $35,450 in the May 2025 wage survey, with the top ten percent at $50,350 and higher ceilings in service and business-to-business selling.
Consumer phone selling means calling hours between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local to the customer, registry scrubbing at least every 31 days, disclosures before payment, and records kept for 24 months.
State the commission plan and the chargeback rule in writing before the offer, because the plan nobody read is the most common reason a new representative leaves in month two.
Phone sales hiring happens in bursts, and the paperwork lands with it. FirstHR runs the same onboarding sequence for every new representative, with e-signature for the offer and the commission plan, training modules that deliver the calling rules with a completion record, and document management that keeps every signed acknowledgment against the employee profile. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR. More hiring templates live in the hiring templates library.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a telesales representative do?
A telesales representative sells a product or service over the phone and closes the sale on the call rather than passing it to someone else. The day is a loop: reach a qualified person, present the offer, quote the total cost, handle objections, ask for the order, take payment or send the paperwork, then log the outcome. Depending on the setup the calls are outbound to a list, inbound from advertising, or both. The role is measured on conversion rate and revenue, not only on dial counts, and it usually carries a monthly target expressed as a number of sales or an amount of revenue. In federal occupational data the closest classification is telemarketers, who contact businesses or private individuals by telephone to solicit sales of goods or services.
What is the difference between telesales and telemarketing?
Telesales closes; telemarketing generates. A telesales representative carries the transaction to a paid order on the call, while a telemarketer or appointment setter creates interest and hands the next step to someone else. The distinction matters for hiring because it changes the candidate profile, the pay, and the measurement. A closer needs objection handling, comfort with asking for money, and accuracy on price and terms. A setter needs volume, energy, and a clean handoff. Pay follows: commission per closed sale is meaningful money, commission per appointment is smaller and paid more often. Both roles sit in the same federal occupation and both fall under the same telemarketing rules when the call goes to a consumer, so the compliance obligations do not change with the title.
Are telesales representatives exempt from overtime?
Usually no. Most telesales roles are non-exempt, which means hourly pay, overtime at time and a half past forty hours in a workweek, and pay for required training, pre-shift system login, and after-call wrap-up. Paying commission does not create an exemption by itself. The outside sales exemption does not apply, because it requires an employee who is customarily and regularly working away from the employer's place of business, and a phone seller is not. The administrative exemption rarely fits a scripted selling role. There is one narrow route, section 7(i) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which exempts certain commissioned employees of a retail or service establishment from overtime only when three conditions are all met. Assume non-exempt unless you have documented that analysis.
How much does a telesales representative make?
There is no federal occupation titled telesales representative, so the closest benchmark is telemarketers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), telemarketers earned a median annual wage of $35,450, about $17.04 per hour, with the lowest ten percent at $27,040 and the highest ten percent at $50,350. Those figures reflect reported wages including commission but are dominated by high-volume consumer calling. If your representative sells a considered purchase or sells to businesses, benchmark higher: sales representatives of services reported a median of $69,990 and wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives outside technical products $72,080 in the same survey. Publish an hourly base plus a realistic on-target figure rather than a single number.
Should telesales representatives be paid commission only?
Not if they are employees. A commission-only arrangement does not remove the obligation to pay at least the applicable minimum wage for every hour worked and overtime past forty hours in a workweek, so in a slow week the employer still owes the difference. Commission-only also sets up the second common mistake, which is classifying phone sellers as 1099 contractors while setting their hours, their call list, their script, and their method, all of which point to employee status. The practical structure that works for small teams is an hourly base that covers the floor plus a per-sale commission that makes the job worth doing, with the chargeback rule for refunds and cancellations written down before the first day rather than argued about after the first refund.
What calling rules apply to a telesales team?
Selling to consumers by phone puts you inside the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule. Four requirements shape the job description directly. Calls to consumers are restricted to the hours between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the time zone of the person being called. Sellers and telemarketers must access the National Do Not Call Registry and scrub their lists at least every 31 days, and separately must honor any consumer who asks your company not to call again. Before taking payment you must disclose material information, starting with the total cost of what is being offered, and take express verifiable authorization for payment methods other than a credit or debit card. Records have to be kept for 24 months. State these expectations in the posting and train on them before the first call.
How do I hire a telesales representative for a small business?
Write a posting that names what you sell, whether the representative closes or hands off, the hourly base, and the commission with a realistic on-target figure, then screen on the phone because the phone is the job. A short call tells you more than a resume: clarity, pace, whether they ask questions, whether they can handle a small objection without going flat. Give finalists a live or role-played call rather than a fourth interview. Then treat the first week as the place retention is won or lost: product knowledge, script practice, the calling rules, and live call review with someone who has actually closed. Put the commission plan in writing before the offer goes out, and run onboarding as one sequence so the training record and the signed acknowledgment exist before the first dial. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
