How to Identify Sales Channels

How to Identify Sales Channels

Choosing the right sales channels can make or break your early traction. As a founder, you don’t need to pick every possible method, you need to find the one or two channels that work now with your target customers. This is not a guessing game, it’s a test-and-learn process. This guide will help you understand how to identify and test the right sales channels so you don’t waste time chasing the wrong ones.

Step 1: Understand the Three Main Types of Sales Channels

There are three primary types of customer acquisition channels you should explore:

  1. Inbound
    Customers find you because you’ve created something helpful or valuable. Examples include blog content, SEO, YouTube, webinars, or a newsletter. This works well if you have time to build an audience or educate a market.

  2. Outbound
    You reach out to potential customers directly. Examples include cold emails, LinkedIn messages, cold calls, or DMs. This works best when your target customer is well-defined and reachable.

  3. Partnerships
    You work with other businesses that already serve your target audience. Examples include integration partners, resellers, referral deals, or co-marketing efforts. Partnerships require relationship-building but can scale faster once working.

Book Recommendation: Traction by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares. This is the gold standard playbook for channel testing.

Step 2: Identify Where Your Customers Already Are

Before choosing a channel, figure out where your target customers hang out and how they make buying decisions.

Ask yourself:

  • Where do they go to research solutions?
  • Who do they trust for recommendations?
  • What tools, services, or vendors do they already use?

Tactic: Go to LinkedIn, Reddit, or Twitter. Look for posts and conversations related to the problem your product solves. Take notes on how people are asking for help or what brands are mentioned.

Tool Tip: Use SparkToro to find where your audience spends time online, including podcasts, social profiles, and websites they follow.

Step 3: Start With One Channel and Run a Micro-Test

Don’t spread yourself thin across multiple channels. Start with one and create a small experiment to test traction. Here’s how to test each:

Inbound Test:

  • Write 1 helpful blog post that answers a specific customer pain
  • Post it on LinkedIn or relevant subreddits
  • Track traffic and see if anyone engages or signs up

Outbound Test:

Partnership Test:

  • Identify 2 to 3 complementary tools or service providers
  • Message them with a proposal to cross-promote each other
  • Offer a joint webinar, blog post, or a bundled deal

Keep the test short and time-boxed. You’re looking for signal, not scale.

Step 4: Track Real Metrics, Not Vanity

For each test, track the full funnel. Don’t just count likes or opens.

For outbound, measure:

  • Response rate
  • Call booked rate
  • Conversion rate to demo or sale

For inbound, measure:

  • Click-through rate
  • Time on page
  • Signup rate or email capture

For partnerships, measure:

  • Referral traffic
  • New leads
  • Closed customers

Tools to Use:

Step 5: Double Down on What Works, Drop What Doesn’t

Once you get signal from a channel, invest more. Improve your messaging, create better assets, or automate parts of it.

If you see no results after a solid test, kill it and move on. The biggest mistake is sticking to a channel just because it’s what you wanted to work.

Pro Tip: Most early startups get first traction from either cold outreach or niche content, not SEO or paid ads. Keep your bets practical.

Step 6: Blend Channels as You Grow

Once you have one working channel, layer on others that support it.

For example:

  • If outbound is working, build inbound content based on what resonates in your emails
  • If partnerships work, create co-branded landing pages to support them
  • If inbound works, retarget visitors with warm outbound emails

This creates a compounding effect and lowers your customer acquisition cost (CAC) over time.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right sales channels is not about following trends or copying your competitors. It’s about knowing your customer, understanding where they already are, and showing up in a way that adds value. Test channels one by one, learn fast, and don’t be afraid to ditch what doesn’t work. The right channel at the right time can unlock consistent growth without burning out your team or budget.