Sales Team Lead

Role Overview

• The Sales Team Lead is responsible for driving on-the-ground sales activations, subscriber uptake, and field sales performance for Octotel across designated activation zones. This is a highly operational, field-based role that requires a strong blend of sales leadership, target management, and relationship building at community level.
• The successful candidate acts as Octotel's front line in the field — navigating the unique dynamics of township and local economies to convert brand visibility into paid subscriptions.
• This position is essential for driving sales volume, maximising conversion rates, and building the local trust relationships that make sustained uptake possible.

Key Responsibilities

Sales Activation & Uptake Management

• Daily Activations Setup: Ensure daily sales activations are seamlessly set up and executed in high-footfall, strategic areas to directly drive subscriber sign-ups and conversion.
• Event Integration: Identify, secure entry into, and leverage key community, sporting, or business events to showcase Octotel's offering and maximise market penetration and lead generation.
• Campaign Execution: Actively attend and oversee sales promotions and field activations, keeping energy levels high and directly motivating the field sales team toward daily and weekly targets.
• Grassroots Sales: Lead on-the-ground sales campaigns including localised flyer drops, door-to-door sales, and community networking events, tracking conversion at each touchpoint.

Community Partnerships & Local Market Access

• Spaza Shop & Local Business Relationships: Create, develop, and foster relationships with key Spaza shop owners, local businesses, and informal traders to secure sales access points and local sales footprints.
• Stakeholder Relations: Build and maintain relationships with key community leaders, ward councilors, business forums, and local organisations to enable frictionless sales access into target areas.
• Local Compliance & Safety: Navigate local community dynamics safely and respectfully, ensuring all field sales activity complies with local norms, permissions, and security protocols.

Target & Performance Management

• Sales Target Ownership: Own daily, weekly, and monthly sales/uptake targets for the assigned zones and team, tracking performance against goals and escalating shortfalls proactively.
• Pipeline & Conversion Tracking: Monitor lead-to-sale conversion across activations and events, identifying underperforming areas or approaches and adjusting tactics in real time.
• End-to-End Event Management: Act as the project lead for all localised sales activations and events, handling planning and resource allocation through to on-site execution and post-event wrap-up.

Team Leadership & People Management

• Agent Supervision: Provide direct, day-to-day management, scheduling, and performance tracking for Sales Agents and field team members.
• Onboarding & Training: Train new sales staff on product knowledge, sales technique, objection handling, and community engagement etiquette.
• Coaching: Actively coach agents in the field, modelling strong sales conversations and providing real-time feedback to lift individual and team conversion rates.
• Flexibility & Weekend Oversight: Manage and supervise activation teams during weekends and holidays when community foot traffic and sales opportunity are at their peak.

Requirements

• Education: Completed grade 12 or equivalent.
• Field Experience: Minimum of 3 years' experience in field sales, direct sales, or experiential/activation-based selling, with a heavy emphasis on township/informal market environments.
• Sales Track Record: Proven track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets in a field-based environment.
• Leadership Experience: Minimum of 1–2 years' experience in a Team Lead, Supervisor, or similar sales management capacity.
• Valid driver's license required essential for transporting team and materials, and navigating activation sites.

Key Skills & Attributes

• Township Culture Fluency: Deep understanding of township trends, social dynamics, and buying behaviour. Fluency in dominant regional languages, i.e. isiXhosa, is required.
• Target-Driven: Strong track record of working toward and delivering on sales KPIs in a fast-paced field environment.
• Communication & Collaboration: Strong interpersonal skills, capable of shifting seamlessly between reporting to management and building rapport with informal traders and community members.
• Physical Stamina: Active field role requiring regular travel, setting up outdoor sales/activation equipment gazebos, banners, and working outdoors across various weather conditions.
• Language Proficiency: Fully bilingual in English and isiXhosa, with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• If you haven't heard from us within 2 weeks after your application, please consider your application unsuccessful.