Direct Sales Channel Executive

About the role

The Direct Sales Channel Executive is responsible for helping clients acquire customers through direct outreach and sales conversations. You will research prospects, generate leads, conduct outreach, qualify opportunities, follow up consistently and keep prospects moving through the sales pipeline.

Responsibilities

• Research and build qualified prospect lists for assigned client campaigns.
• Generate leads through approved direct-sales channels.
• Conduct outbound outreach through calls, messages, email and other approved methods.
• Qualify prospects and identify genuine sales opportunities.
• Hold or support sales conversations with prospective customers.
• Follow up consistently with leads and move opportunities through the pipeline.
• Book meetings or sales appointments where required.
• Maintain accurate pipeline and prospect information.
• Track outreach activity, conversions and channel performance.
• Identify problems in the sales process and recommend improvements.
• Take increasing ownership of direct-sales performance as competence grows.

What you bring

• Training or practical exposure in Business Development, Sales, Digital Marketing or a related commercial field.
• Strong spoken and written communication.
• Confidence initiating conversations with people you do not already know.
• Ability to follow up consistently without requiring constant reminders.
• Comfort working toward clear commercial and activity targets.
• Strong organisation and attention to detail.
• Ability to take initiative and actively move opportunities forward.
• Professional judgement when representing clients and SÓKÈ.
• Willingness to receive feedback and improve quickly.
• Owns or has reliable access to a functional laptop.

Mode of Operation

This is a six-month structured work-experience programme built around real responsibility with supervision. Although this is an entry-level role, you are not joining SÓKÈ simply to observe sales activity or assist someone who does the actual selling. You will be expected to actively contribute to customer acquisition. Depending on the client and campaign you are assigned to, this would include researching prospects, building lead lists, conducting outreach, qualifying opportunities, holding sales conversations, following up with prospects, booking meetings and helping move opportunities toward conversion. You will always have access to support and escalation where required. However, supervision should not be confused with someone constantly telling you who to contact, what message to send or when to follow up. We are looking for people who can understand a target customer, work within an approved sales process and actively help create commercial opportunities. The programme follows two stages: Months 1–3 — Prove You will take on real sales responsibilities while working closely with experienced team members. This stage is about proving that you can communicate professionally, execute outreach consistently, maintain accurate records, follow through and take ownership of your pipeline responsibilities. Months 4–6 — Perform Participants who demonstrate strong capability will be expected to operate with greater independence, manage larger prospect pipelines and take stronger responsibility for the performance of assigned direct-sales activities. Reporting You will report to the relevant Channel Lead, Project Manager or designated SÓKÈ leader responsible for the client engagement. Your supervisor exists to provide direction, sales context, quality control, feedback and escalation support. They are not there to perform your sales responsibilities on your behalf. As your competence grows, you should require less day-to-day direction and become increasingly capable of independently managing prospecting, outreach, follow-up and pipeline movement within the agreed sales strategy. Working Rhythm Direct Sales at SÓKÈ is execution-focused. Your week would involve researching prospective customers, preparing prospect lists, conducting outreach, responding to leads, qualifying opportunities, following up on conversations, booking meetings, updating pipelines and reviewing sales performance. You will frequently need to ask: Who are we trying to reach? Who should I contact next? Which conversations require follow-up? What is preventing this prospect from progressing? What action moves this opportunity forward? You should be comfortable working in an environment where consistent commercial activity matters. Direct Sales rewards disciplined follow-through; opportunities cannot be allowed to disappear simply because nobody followed up. Availability You are expected to commit a minimum of 20 hours per week to the programme. Depending on your assignments, campaign requirements and availability, your workload can increase toward 40 hours per week. SÓKÈ currently operates primarily from Abuja. Most work will happen remotely, but you will attend physical client meetings, sales meetings, events or other client-specific activities when the assignment requires it. Some assignments can also require work at other client-specific locations. Collaboration As a Direct Sales Channel Executive Intern, you would work closely with Project Managers, Strategy Analysts, other Channel Executives and specialists supporting the sales process. This includes Business Development specialists, sales copywriters, CRM specialists and other contributors required by the client engagement. Your responsibility is to own the Direct Sales channel activity assigned to you. Specialists support specific parts of execution; they do not replace your responsibility for understanding what is happening in the channel and keeping sales activity moving. You will also coordinate with Project Management so that sales activity remains aligned with the wider client project. How Work Is Reviewed Your performance will be evaluated based on more than the number of messages or calls you make. We will pay attention to whether you: take ownership, execute consistently, communicate professionally, follow up effectively, maintain accurate pipeline information, identify genuine opportunities, exercise good judgement, learn from performance data, and become increasingly capable of managing the channel independently. Performance is reviewed weekly, with a formal performance gate at Month 3 and a final evaluation at Month 6.

Compensation

This is a paid, project-based internship. You will earn a fixed service charge for each active client channel or workstream assigned to you. Channel Executives work across multiple client projects based on demonstrated capacity, performance and available engagements. Your applicable service charge and payment terms will be communicated clearly during the recruitment and placement process. Earnings are dependent on active client assignments and are not structured as a fixed monthly salary.

Career Projection

The Direct Sales Channel Executive Internship is designed as a pathway into commercial sales and Channel Management. If you successfully complete the programme and meet SÓKÈ's performance standards, you can be considered for retention as a Direct Sales Channel Executive at SÓKÈ where an appropriate opening exists. Where SÓKÈ does not have immediate capacity to retain you, strong performers can be recommended for sales, business-development or commercial opportunities with SÓKÈ clients or within our wider professional network. If neither option is immediately available, you leave with documented experience working on real customer-acquisition campaigns and remain part of SÓKÈ's priority talent pool for future Channel Management opportunities. If retained, you continue developing as a Direct Sales Channel Executive by managing larger pipelines, stronger commercial targets, more complex client engagements and eventually broader channel responsibility. Over time, strong performance can create a path into senior Channel Management, commercial leadership or other leadership positions within SÓKÈ. Intern → Direct Sales Channel Executive → Senior Channel Responsibility → Channel / Commercial Leadership Progression is based on demonstrated competence, commercial performance, reliability, available opportunities and SÓKÈ's organisational needs.