15 Most Effective Sales Channels Today

When René Descartes said “I think, therefore I am,” you can assume with almost the utmost certainty that he had never been in sales

We know it goes a little deeper than this on a philosophical level, but the idea that you can think of success in sales and then it just… is? That sounds delightful. But it’s not reality. 

There is a certain reality to the idea that there are certain tools and strategies that can bring you a huge degree of success in sales, though. A lot of tools and strategies can do that, in fact. 

But today, we want to get into one in particular. 

We’re talking about a sales channel. 

Believe us: with all your sales operations to contend with, an entire sales team to coach, and every other little thing that comes with running a business with the intention to grow? You need to explore every sales channel available to you. You need to forge channel partnerships and develop a channel strategy that will work for your unique company. 

Don’t worry, though; we have all the tips, tricks and easy-to-read information on channel sales for you right now. So let’s get to it. 

What Do We Mean by “Sales Channel”?

A sales channel is an alternative for you to get customers. But not in the sense that you will feel like you are settling when you go for this type of alternative. 

It’s a way for you to find and build lasting relationships with potential customers and turn them into paying ones. A sales channel is a new way that you can bring your products to your ideal buyer and turn it into a profitable sale. 

Simply put, a sales channel is your shot at commercializing your products

So, it is the way you present your products to your target market, or the platform you use to do so. Often, when you come across the term “sales channel,” you will find it in the plural form, as “sales channels.” That’s because successful business owners and members of channel sales management use more than one sales channel to grow their business and increase profitability. 

In the context of a sales channel, you should know that there are two different categories at play. 

The first is an offline sales channel. Think of a brick-and-mortar store, where you will not use any online platforms as your primary way to keep in touch with your customers. 

Then, you have online sales channels. Online-based shops, like a mom-and-pop, homemade candle Etsy shop is a straightforward example of an online channel. 

Also think of the distinction of a direct sales channel, like with B2C sales, where you would sell straight to the consumer. A common association with direct sales is MLMs, which we are not going to be talking about. 

Channel sales has more of a middleman, whether through channel distribution, a channel partner or the like. 

Heads up that we are going to be focusing on online sales channels today. 

What Are the Most Effective Sales Channels?

The kind of sales channel, or sales channels, that you use should depend on your business needs, goals and limitations. 

Who comprises your target audience? What does your ideal buyer persona look like? Where are your ideal customers spending the most time online? 

The question of what the most effective sales channels are will depend on factors such as those. You have to adjust your sales channel strategy accordingly. 

But in general, these are the most effective channels, which other highly successful companies have proven to us time and again. Find the right mix and develop that mix to work for you. Also consider other key players in your business that your choices will affect, like each top-selling sales rep or team leader. 

Social Media PlatformsSocial Media Platforms

Social media is prime real estate for presenting your products and holistic brand to your ideal buyers. But it’s crucial to remember that social media should never be the only sales channel you use. 

As a whole, social media platforms have a lower conversion rate than other channels. But when you combine social media marketing campaigns and communication efforts with other channels, you tend to have a pretty solid conversion rate overall. 

Not to mention, social media is a great way to bring in customers who are already interested in your brand. So you can forget about wasting time on pursuing leads who turn into nothing more than disinterested and annoyed consumers. Those are the types of consumers who turn to your competition instead. 

Social media platforms as a sales channel is a form of the ever-classic word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing

Here are the most common types of social media platforms for your sales channels:

  • YouTube (Great for easy-to-digest video marketing content, like product demo and how-to videos.)
  • LinkedIn (A lot of B2B marketers report LinkedIn as the second-most effective channel for lead generation, especially if your market is full of business professionals.)
  • Facebook (Facebook is widely recognized as the most popular and effective social channel to generate and convert leads.)
  • Instagram (If you have a younger audience, you might find a lot of them on Instagram.)

Paid and Free Online Ads

Paid and Free Online Ads

Tons of business owners and marketers from tons of different industries favor both paid and free online ads as their primary sales channel. 

But there are so many of both types of online advertising that you need to find the one (or ones) that will work the best for you to drive profitable revenue back into your business. 

Here are some of your options here:

  • Google Ads
  • Pay-per-Click (PPC)
  • Email Marketing
  • Search Engine Marketing 
  • Video Ads
  • Podcast Ads

See what we mean? That’s only a handful of them, but it’s still a good chunk. 

So first, you again want to pinpoint where your audience is spending most of their time online. For example, if your ideal buyers are using Bing instead of Google, Google Ads isn’t going to cut it. 

Podcast advertising is a fairly safe bet no matter who your audience is. Modern buyers everywhere, at almost all ages, listen to podcasts. But make sure you are advertising your products on a podcast with a relevant topic. 

Also, see if the channel you are advertising on has a good amount of site visitors. If you are using paid ads, you want to make sure the price is going to fit into your budget as well. 

E-Commerce RetailersE-Commerce Retailers

Finally, we have retail channels. 

The world of e-commerce is not slowing down by any means. It’s quite the opposite. Most stores that primarily use physical stores to sell from will also have an online shop. 

After the pandemic especially, consumers everywhere flocked to e-commerce retailers to satisfy their craving to shop. Even after initial lockdowns and mandates were lifted, customers started feeling way comfier shopping from their own couches. 

If you don’t have your foot in the door with e-commerce, you need to start, like, yesterday. 

Here are some of the most popular retail channels to think about adopting for your own brand’s sales channel strategy:

  • Amazon 
  • eBay
  • Etsy
  • Cafepress
  • Shopify

What’s the Best Sales Channel for Your Business?

Omnichannel sales and marketing will soon become the only way you can stand out in your marketplace. So no matter what your circumstances, it’s time to start taking that approach as you find sales channels that are the right fit for your business. 

Again, the “best” sales channel for your business depends on a number of factors. 

But best practice here would be to take it slow, one step at a time, until you find several channels that complement each other. Start small, work your way up and you will find yourself with quality sales channels that you can optimize to your advantage. 

It’s Time to Revolutionize Your Sales (And We Know How…)

Pretty hefty claim, right? But it’s true. 

“Yeah?” you’re thinking. “You just know, right now, without ever meeting me, how to revolutionize my sales? How? What do you even mean by ‘revolutionize?’”

You know, you’re right, to an extent. 

First off, it’s true! Nice to meet you– we are the expert team at Selling Revolution. And we make true on that promise that comes with our name: we revolutionize your sales. 

But you’re right in that we haven’t met you yet. That has to change, right? 

We build Selling Systems™ for home service companies like yours. We can get you better leads, higher conversion rates, and fully customizable sales training to make it all last. 

So, what do you say? Do you want to turn all those evolutions that come with the world of sales into your own revolution? We’re ready to make that happen for you. 

Book a call with Selling Revolution today.