A telemarketer is someone who calls people on the phone to try to sell them products or services. When your family sits down to dinner and the phone rings with someone offering solar panels, credit cards, or extended warranties, that's usually a telemarketer at work.

Telemarketers often work in large offices called call centers, where they make dozens or even hundreds of calls each day from prepared scripts. Most people find telemarketing calls annoying because they interrupt whatever you're doing and often try to sell things you don't need or want. That's why many families sign up for “do not call” lists that tell telemarketers not to phone them.

The job itself can be challenging: telemarketers hear “no thanks” and “not interested” hundreds of times a day, and they have to stay polite and keep trying. While some telemarketers sell legitimate products, others work for dishonest companies running scams to trick people into handing over money.

Before caller ID and spam-blocking technology became common, telemarketing was much more effective. Today, most people screen their calls, and legitimate businesses increasingly use other methods to reach customers.