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Effective Sales Channel Management
By John Kypriotakis
What is sales channel management and how can you implement it in an effective manner? Before we get too far into the discussion some definitions may be in order. Here are three, of many, variations of what a channel is courtesy of www.dictionary.com.
A course or pathway through which information is transmitted. A route of communication or access. Often used in the plural That through which anything passes; means of passing, conveying, or transmitting;
For the purposes of our discussion though, lets define sales channels) as the means through which we convey (and receive) sales related information. Some examples of sales channels are:
Sales Force, Telemarketing, www, Direct Mail, Distributors, Brokers, Partners, Seminars, Trade Shows, etc.
Now that we have a better understanding of what the term sales channel means, a key decision must be made internally as to the proper management of the channel or channels in the quest for customer acquisition and retention.
Is a single channel strategy most effective or is a multi channel one better? If you choose to use multiple channels, which are the right choices and what is the right mix?
Old thinking dictated the design of a strategy that would use the fewest channels possible and still get acceptable market penetration, avoid conflict at all costs, and choose which channel might be more appropriate for each customer (prospect).
New thinking dictates quite the opposite. Employ the most appropriate sales assets in as many channels as possible, manage conflict instead of avoid conflict, and today, the customers (prospects) are in control of how they want to do business! They make the choice of the most appropriate channel for them. The question is: are you going to be on the other end of their decision?
The bottom line is that you need to be flexible and allow customers access to their favored ways of conducting business. You need to create choices for your customers and prospects that fit their preferred buying style and make it easy for them to gain access to and use those channels.
Here is an example of decisions you might have to consider as you are devising you Sales Channel Strategy:
Do you want your top sales person making prospecting calls to find out who the right contacts are at XYZ Company and whether or how much printing is done there? Or is it better to let a more economical channel such as a telemarketing group provide such information?
Will your sales investment be best allocated to have the telemarketing group follow-up on accounts (prospects) that had not shown an interest initially or is a direct marketing program more appropriate?
Should you let your direct mail and web presence lead the charge in penetrating new or current key accounts or are your more seasoned reps a better choice?
Should CSRs or Sales Reps take small orders or would the internet be a better channel for this?
The answer is: It depends.
Channel Management is the awareness that one size does not fit all, that choices like these need to be made, and that making the right choices can mean the difference between your success or demise in the marketplace.
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John Kypriotakis is President of Lysis International, Inc. a Tampa based sales management consulting firm specializing in Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service.
Phone 813-792-8500 - E-mail: need_info@salesandmanagement.com