3 Ways that Survey Research is Different from Telemarketing

Although there are distinct differences between survey research and telemarketing, people often use the terms interchangeably. Many times when I have told a person that my company conducts survey research, I hear, “Oh, you’re a telemarketer.” My answer is always the same: “No, we are not telemarketers and this is why. . .”

Below are 3 ways that Survey Research is different from Telemarketing:

1. Surveys researchers want to know your opinion. Survey researchers elicit information from the public. The information collected provides organizations with the public's opinions of products and services or social and political issues.
2. Telemarketers want to sell you something. Telemarketers solicit to raise funds, or sell products and services.
3. Survey research is exempt from the Do Not Call requirements, telemarketers are not. Telemarketers must abide by Federal regulations regarding "National Do Not Call", survey researchers do not.

In a nutshell, a survey researcher should never try to sell you on anything other than the importance of the research they are conducting. If they try to sell you a product or a service, they are not survey researchers, they are telemarketers. Telephone survey researchers and telemarketers both use telephones and need to have strong communication skills in order to be successful in their jobs. However, overall, they are very different.