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 zone(s) 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.