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Indirect channel

Indirect channel

Noun

[in-de-rekt chan-l]

An indirect channel is a sales channel in which goods and services are sold indirectly from the producer through independent middlemen to final users. If there is any intermediary between the producer and the end user, the sales channel can be considered indirect. To contrast, direct channels involve purchasing by the consumer directly from the producer.

Reseller programs are a kind of indirect channel wherein partners sell a producer's product on their behalf. Indirect channels allow producers to sell more product by reaching a wider audience through their partners and outsource the sales process to their teams.

Example: An indirect channel allows users to easily find your services through wholesale distributors that may already have a built-in customer base.

More Partnership terms beginning with
I
Ideal Partner Profile (IPP)

Noun

[eye-deel part-nur pro-fyl]

An ideal partner profile (sometimes called an ideal partner persona) is a research-based profile that describes the traits and characteristics of your best-fit partners. It can be a valuable tool for recruiting more high-value partners and catering to their needs to enable them to succeed.

An ideal partner profile is similar to an ideal customer profile. It involves a detailed description of a partner that would benefit most from your program and who would be the most engaged and successful. Attributes to consider include company size, industry, their customers, their culture and values, and their product. Once you have a sense of who your ideal partner is, you can tailor your program and its marketing to this kind of partner.

Example: Lulu created an ideal partner program for her channel partner program. She determined the ideal partner was a midmarket software company with a similar customer base and a siimlar work culture and value set.

Full definition ->
Indirect sales

Noun

[in-de-rekt sayls]

A marketing method products and services  are not directly sold to customers, but rather through partnered organizations, like a reseller, agency, or affiliate marketing partner.

Indirect sales are often used in conjunction with direct sales channels. Utilizing indirect sales can increase scale rapidly for B2B SaaS companies since they tap into the reseller or partner's existing network while also decreasing overhead costs.

Example: Indirect sales mean that there is no direct contact between the software company and the buyer.

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