Channel Sales vs. Direct Sales debate. The Direct Sales debate has been a hot topic in the retail industry for years. Many believe the Channel Sales model is the best for experienced sales reps. However, they will argue that the Direct Sales model should only be used by rookie sales reps. This post is not intended to regurgitate the arguments for each model. It’s meant to provide a guideline on how to approach Direct Sales and Channel Sales options and help you make the right decision for your company.
We get a lot of questions about sales. One of them is “Which sales method should I use?”. In this post I’ll discuss both direct sales and channel sales channels. I’ll also explain what they do for the company and how they can be used.
Channel sales has been around for some time. However, the popularity of direct sales of home-based opportunities has increased in recent years. Direct sales are more customer-centric that channel sales. It is the responsibility of the sales rep to identify the right customers and make the right offers in order to generate sales. Direct sales requires the sales rep to generate sales by themselves. This means that they must have a better understanding of their prospects in order to do so.
For years, the debate over channel vs. directly sales has been raging. I will explain the advantages and drawbacks of each, as well as how you can balance them in your sales approach.
The product or service that you are selling will determine the best mix of indirect and direct sales channels.
We’ll be taking a closer look at each channel in this article and asking questions to help you decide if it’s right for your company.
What are channel sales and how do they work?
Channel sales is a method of selling a product to the marketplace. This involves segmenting sales activities so that they focus on different selling channels. Channel sales can be used by businesses to sell products via their internal sales teams, dealers or merchants, affiliates or direct marketing.
Channels are any third-party who sells your products or services to the end consumer. Your company may have a competitive advantage by selling your product or service through a network partner.
Your company may be able to expand its reach by partnering with distributors, value-added suppliers, re-sellers and other channel partners. This will allow you to expose your product or services to a wide range of potential customers.
Because you don’t have to pay for a local business, it’s also very cost-effective.
The Sales Process: A Dissection
Two major sales channels exist: Indirect and direct, both at a high-level.
These major channels may offer you a variety of income streams This section will cover indirect channel sales and direct channel sales. Finally, it will discuss the drawbacks and benefits of each.
Distribution Channels
The distribution channels for channel sales are different depending on the route the product takes from the producer to the customer. A fourth channel of sales, however, offers a unique benefit.
Direct Distribution Channel
Direct channel is also known by the zero-level channel for distribution by certain salespeople. This involves producers selling products directly to customers. The vendor doesn’t have a specific location in which they can sell to the public.
Today, the direct route is available via online distribution, party planning and face-to-face protests. The salespeople can show you how to use a product to sell it directly to your customer.
Manufacturers of perishable goods use this channel most often. If you have expensive products or a targeted audience, direct distribution is an option.
