What will I be doing?

It’s the call that everyone hates: the telephone survey at dinner time. But the people on the other end of the telephone provide a valuable service and can do so with friendliness and sensitivity.

They can also make money from home.

If you’d like to bring your energy and enthusiasm to a business that sorely needs it, consider operating a telephone survey service. Find an approach that encourages trust and conversation. Treat each caller like a person and your exceptional results will profit you in many ways.

What will I need to start?

To conduct telephone surveys you must know how to graciously get information from other people. You need to know how to politely probe. You may follow a prewritten script. If allowed, you may be able to vary how you ask a question for improved results.

You’ll also need a telephone, of course, and an answering system if you expect return calls. Also consider investing in a head set (about $100) to prevent tired arms and neck.

Depending on what type of surveying you do, you may need a computer and related software. One successful telephone survey service conducts post-travel interviews for a tour company, asking how the customer enjoyed the trip and what could be improved. She works at a computer that handles all dialing and gives her a place to write the responses. Once a day, her reports are electronically mailed to her supervisor in another city.

Who will my customers be?

Customers for your home-based telephone survey service include small companies that market to individuals or other companies. Businesses want to know who will buy certain things or what they have bought. You can specialize in inquiry follow-up or did-you-buy calls that are placed a month after people request information about your customer’s product or service. Or you may specialize in market research surveys that try to learn what people want from specific products.

Your customers will be businesses, advertising agencies, inquiry management services, fund-raising organizations and others who need to know what their prospects or customers are thinking.

How much should I charge?

The rate for telephone survey varies from $30 to $75 an hour, priced by value of information, the call or other measurables. One service charges by the number of responses gained in surveys. Another charges per call, whether the person completes the survey or not.

How much will I make?

Most of your time at this job will be billable to a client and overhead expenses are low. If you are good at your job, you can make a net income of $12 to $25 an hour after expenses. The more valuable the information you gather is to someone, the more you will be paid.

How can I get started?

Some people start this business by working for a phone shop, a business that has dozens of people making telemarketing calls from a big room. Unfortunately, it is easy to pick up bad habits, such as speaking to a telephone rather than a person and watching the clock. You may get better training by teaching yourself the needed skills at your own pace: Volunteer to make survey calls for the American Red Cross or another well-respected group. You’ll learn as much without the pressure.

Once your experience is developed, contact local businesses to tell them what you can do for them: You can call their customers and prospects to get valuable information that will help the business grow and profit. Few businesses can afford to turn down a conversation with customers.

How can I use computers to increase profits?

Today’s telephone survey takers use computers to maintain calling scripts, enter survey results, and even dial telephone numbers for you from a list. Database programs are useful for tracking and charting responses. You can easily make reports and email them to your clients.