What is a Sales Channel?
What is a sales channel? It is the way a company organizes sales on the market. Sometimes people confuse sales channels and distribution channels. In fact, some channels can perform both roles.
A sales channel is the path that a product takes from the manufacturer to the consumer. If the sales channel is direct, this means that the business sells goods or services directly to the buyer – for example, through an online store. In the case of indirect sales channels, there are intermediaries in the chain – retailers or wholesalers, marketplaces, and other market participants. In this case, your sales team does not interact with end customers.
Examples of B2C sales channels are physical stores, Points of Sales, eCommerce websites, online marketplaces, private sales, call centers, mobile apps, etc.
If a business sells goods for business (B2B sales), the main channels are online sales, professional social media, networking on professional events, emailing, etc.
It is critical for any business to clearly understand the main sales channels and be flexible in order to switch to new channels in time and turn off those that do not bring sales.
