A sales channel is a medium through which a company sells its products or services to the general market. Companies often use more than one sales channel, and these channels can be direct or indirect, depending on how the products reach the customer. Direct sales channels are controlled by the company itself, while indirect sales channels are owned or governed by intermediaries.

There are numerous sales channels out there, and deciding which ones to use could make or break your product. You could choose to sell your products and services online, via your own website or an e-commerce portal, or through physical channels like brick-and-mortar stores, kiosks, partner stores, retailers and resellers. Figuring out your ideal sales channel strategy can be tricky, for some channels might yield low revenues, but their operating costs might also be low while profits are high.