
When there is a manufacturer, sales agent, wholesaler, and a retailer involved before consumers get the products, this is the three-level channel in action.

Inexpensive and durable products are best sold using a two-level channel of distribution. The retailer then sells the product to consumers.Ī wholesaler will buy a product in bulk, repackage it into smaller packages and sell them to a retailer who then avails the goods to consumers. This type of channel deals with products moving from a manufacturer to the wholesaler who sells them to a retailer. If you are a manufacturer who deals in shopping products such as clothes, toys, or furniture, one level channel will help you reach more customers, thereby increasing your profits. In these channels, the product moves from the manufacturer to the retailer, who finally sells it to the consumer. The indirect channel is in three types: one-level channel, two-level channel, and three-level channel. This is an indirect channel of distribution that involves a third party who is a middleman, selling a manufacturer’s product to the consumer. Those with expensive goods or an audience concentrated in a given geographical location also use direct distribution channels. Manufacturers with perishable goods are the ones who mainly utilize this sales channel. Salespeople present, demonstrate the use of a product and sell it to the consumer directly. In the modern-day, the direct channel is being utilized through internet distribution, party plan, and face to face demonstrations. Here, the seller doesn’t have a fixed location where they do retail selling. It involves manufacturers selling a product to the consumers directly. Some salespeople also refer to the direct channel as the zero-level channel of distribution. The fourth sales channel, however, introduces another party who is the beneficiary.

In channel sales, the four channels of distribution vary depending on how the product moves from a manufacturer to the consumer. We’ll first cover indirect channel sales in this section, direct sales in the next section, and then go over the pros and cons of each.
#Direct sales customer management software how to#
The battle of channel sales vs direct sales has been a long-heralded debate, so I’m going to break down the pros and cons of each, as well as how to balance a combination of both for your sales strategy.įinding the right mix between direct and indirect sales channels heavily depends on the product or service you are offering.
