This article will analyse the dominant sales channels and present an insight for systematic understanding of dynamics of each channel. This is significant as a business to understand sales channels for attaining a successful selling yield out of sales strategy and plan. An organized examination implies two folds of selling among major channels. The first fold is face to face selling and the second fold is reputation selling.

Face to face selling incorporates three major sales channels that of field sales, retail and business to business sales. This is the most dominant fold of selling and a proper strategy can have definite sales development and growth. The important notion to consider is that type of channel has a tweaking influence on dynamics of face to face selling approach.

A Field sale is a traditional way of selling, and involves cold selling. The major factor to consider and understand is customers are not in buying frame while you are approaching door to door. They may be in any frame of mind, while you have a conversation with them, and that presents a challenge. A viable approach is required otherwise it might turn out not to be an effective channel. The secret for success lies in organizing effective face to face selling training for your team addressing dynamics of Field sale. One distinguish element during a successful sales training is to win 5 second initial confidence (door opener techniques), leading to opening of door and starting of conversation. One of techniques is maintaining distance equivalent to your shadow from the door, standing in 45 degree position as it builds the psychological comfort to open the door and have a conversation with a stranger.

Retail is one of the most growing channels in recent decade or so, reason being the frame of mind. In a shopping centre, customers are in a particular frame that of buying and when they approach a retail outlet, generally unconsciously there is an interest in the product or service. The major challenges for retail are cost and competition. Retail is the most expansive sales channels when it comes to costs. In a recent study 80 percent of Retailers in NSW are on a break even, implying that they not generating profits and just surviving the costs. It is empirical to have a well drafted retail strategy, for being successful in retail.

Business to business is unique and a very powerful sales channel. The unique element implies it involves flavors of field sale and retail both. There are two elemental ways of approaching business one is appointment setting and reference based and the other is knocking. The appointment setting context involves buying frame of mind and knocking context involves any frame of mind however one significant notion to understand is frames of mind as a consumer are different to frames of mind as a business. The core challenge is determine a strategy with a perfect mix of both the contexts and mapping territories.

The analysis of sales channels establishes that face to face selling changes with buying frame of mind and non buying frame of mind. The major difference between both is initial conversation starter barrier, however significantly it has to be noticed that once that initial barrier is guarded off with effective techniques then it implies frame of mind has shifted to the buying frame of mind. Once customer is in buying frame of mind then a systematic process and approach is required for converting conversation in a sale.

The next article will illustrate in detail the second fold that is reputational selling. In next few articles we will share insights for a successful sales strategy for each particular channel in detail.