Here is what I discovered at one of the largest and most successful telemarketing companies in Australia. Selling mobile phones on behalf of a major network provider is what they do. Their operating methods would be unacceptable in many countries, but, for now, Australia has slack laws regarding telesales and so these companies are able to prosper. In this article, as in their recruitment advertisement, the company shall remain nameless.

We have all been approached by telemarketing companies promising us this and that "free of charge." Whilst these companies walk a thin line with their potential customers, what about the person making that call? What have they been promised? If telemarketers are so universally loathed, why then would anybody willingly make those calls? Can the money be that good? I allowed myself to be recruited and I showed up for my induction along with four other fresh-faced potential sellers.

The Sales for Dummies book that was embarrassingly placed on the front desk of the company explained the simpler points of how good appearance helps achieve good sales. Like unquestioning disciples to their holy book, this particular company had the tanned blond with the fixed grin meet and greet us. As we were now almost employees, she ran us through the company profile. Half an hour later, my head was spinning with flowcharts, piecharts and swirling numbers. "It all boils down to number crunching. It's a numbers game." The five of us were taken on a tour of the call centre. The "sales consultants" were made to feel special in their neat cubicles, each equipped with a modern computer and comfortable chair. Appearances were kept up. I am sure the folks at Dummies would be proud.

After our brief tour, it was back to the conference room where we were asked if we liked what we saw. Nodding heads were followed by a slew of legalities from our tanned friend. We were told very clearly not to lie and not to tell the customer they had "won" anything. Also, "never ever say, 'the phone is free'. You can say 'free of charge when connected' but not 'free'."

We were given sheet after wordy sheet to sign on the dotted lines. They were not willing to tell us, but it transpired that we were now self employed, independent contractors who just happened to work in this company's call centre. It meant that if we were to lie, it would be us, not the company, who would be held accountable and could potentially get sued. We were now into dirty lawyers' tricks.

It was time to meet the "Direct Sales Consultants." No one dared utter the word "telemarketers." The majority of people were backpackers. Most were on the youthful side of twenty-two and desperate to make a quick buck so they could continue their travels. They seemed happy to try and make A$1500 a week. Most of them came away with next to nothing. Many got fed up and left after a few days. The company exemplified the phrase "high staff turnover."

Tactics were transparent - the formal meeting told us how the job should be done whilst our mingling with the troops on the frontline was to let us into the dirty little secrets of how the job is to be done, if money is to be made. "Basically, just lie to them. Tell them whatever you have to," suggested one of the more successful consultants who assured me he made at least one thousand dollars a week, after tax. "The phone's free, you won it, no contract, no monthly payments if you don't use it."

"What about the two-year contract and the $40 monthly minimum?" I asked.

"Well, who cares? By the time they trace it, you'll have left the country and it's not your problem."

Actually, it will be very much his problem. Seems that most people didn't know what they had got themselves into. Perhaps it was fitting that the company was doing to the consultants what the consultants were doing to the customer. The deception in this charade remains the lack of knowledge. Each link in the chain is only given the minimum information required. Too much knowledge would mean too much power, both for customer and consultant. The ignorance rarely remains blissful for long. A whole customer service department is employed to deal with the many complaints.

Some other tricks of the trade I learnt were that we were never to talk in dollars to the customer. A $500 payment was to be referred to as "five, zero, zero." Smaller numbers sounded more appealing to the person who was about to set up twenty-four months of Direct Debit. As for a customer with bad credit - this company is expert at fixing that little problem. Usually they changed the name on the phone account to beat this. Whilst I was assured that these practices were (just) within the borders of the law, I was not sure if they were within my ethical borders.

The employees were as much victims as perpetrators. Driven by the potential money they might earn (and the lack of other employment available to backpackers in Western Australia), they struggled to make their weekly sales targets and put in their required thirty hours a week. To make matters worse, the company employed more people than available cubicles. Cubicles were allocated daily on a first come, first serve basis. The result was that people were arriving earlier and earlier for work in order to secure a seat. Fifty people arriving an (unpaid) hour early resulted in fifty hours of free labour a day. I was appalled by this modern-day excuse for a sweat shop. No matter how comfortable the chairs, you can not dress mutton up like lamb.

I always wondered why sales people use so many sports metaphors for their work. After I saw them in action, I realized just how much of a game it was. As with all games, there are typically more losers than winners. Whilst many of the employees struggled to pay the rent, the Managing Director made a point of remaining youthfully groomed and of having his BMW professionally cleaned in the car park during lunch. The employees watched him tee off his imaginary golf ball with his invisible club in his glass walled office. To many of them, he exuded wealth and success. Personally, I thought his swing needed a lot of work.

I won't be so immediately dismissive next time a telemarketer calls me. I will politely end the conversation, knowing their dangerous lies are more likely to get them into trouble than into the country club.

After my initiation and training, I took pride in selling no mobile phones. Instead, I informed the public of every pitfall and catch in the contract. After a week or two, I was merely one more employee who didn't show up. Somewhere my contract lies signed and forgotten, yet all across Australia people are receiving mobile phones they didn't really want and their contracts are (verbally) signed and most definitely not forgotten.

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