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让你的产品进入你的目标客户手中，首先要确保你选择了正确的分销渠道.

你选择的分销渠道会告诉客户很多关于你公司的信息. You may opt to handle fulfillment on your own, 要么通过你自己的网站，要么通过像Etsy这样的第三方在线电子零售商. 或者，您可以选择与专门从事端到端配送的配送公司合作. 您可能还需要与几个分销商合作，以利用市场空白或处理与客户的直接互动.  

But how will you know?

下载此模板，以帮助您评估您的分销工作是否集中在正确的渠道上，以及渠道是否正常运作.

Before You Begin

您选择的分销渠道将决定您的产品如何处理和多快交付. To that end, 在评估你现有的或未来的经销商之前，有几件事需要考虑

1. Product. If your product requires special handling due to its fragility, perishability, or stability, you’ll need to take speed and extra care requirements into consideration. Assess the needs of your product before assessing the needs of the channel. Does it require refrigeration? Is it easily broken or made of fragile material? 它是否含有潜在的有害物质，如锂、油漆或气溶胶?
2. Market. If you’re selling to consumers, rather than other businesses, 你需要从头到尾考虑到客户的整体体验. Will your customers be able to track deliveries? Will they interact with someone in person? Will it be easy for them to process returns?
3. Middlemen. Obviously, 第三方物流合作伙伴(3PL)可以帮助您节省时间和资源，为您高效和有效地配送您的货物. However, making sure the 3PL you choose has the proper certifications, 不应忽视长期稳定性和适应不断变化的需求的能力. 这个第三方物流是否有适当的认证来处理潜在的不稳定因素, delicate, or perishable product? Can it integrate seamlessly into your supply chain? Will it be able to scale with you? 

Completing the Worksheet

As you complete the worksheet, 你需要就你正在评估的每个分销渠道问几个问题. They include:

成本:与分销渠道相关的财务影响是什么?

Obviously, 你想要使用给你最好的机会去接触尽可能广泛的市场的渠道. However, that’s not always feasible from a financial standpoint. Does this channel adversely affect profits? Will it require you to hire more staff? Will you need to offer financial incentives to have your product prioritized? How does the channel affect your overall bottom line?

易进入性:分销渠道的易进入性如何影响你的运营?

When considering a channel’s viability, 您需要确定在访问和进入方面存在哪些潜在障碍. Will using or switching to the channel have an adverse impact on retail price? Will you need to overcome the channel’s loyalty to your competitors? Will it lengthen or delay the distribution process? Will it be too costly or logistically difficult to access?

地理邻近性:渠道的位置如何影响你的整体分销渠道?

正确的分销渠道可确保您的客户无论身在何处都能获得相同水平的服务. 这意味着你必须选择容易进入目标市场的渠道, at the very least, can ensure timely delivery of your product. 问问你自己，是一个集中的配送中心更好，还是一个地理上更多样化的配送网络更有意义.

竞争对手的位置:你的竞争对手在分销渠道中做些什么?

克服渠道对竞争对手的忠诚度并不是与同一行业内多个供应商打交道的分销商合作的唯一障碍. 有时，同一类型的竞争产品会使渠道过度饱和. Having a competitive advantage can be critical in these instances, so if the competition has a firm foothold within the channel, or if the channel has an abundance of products from competitors, 你需要确定零售的好处是否大于竞争的缺点.

管理经验:该渠道的内部和外部管理情况如何?

执行一个成功的市场策略很大程度上取决于你的分销渠道的管理. 渠道是否以最有效的方式将产品运送到最终客户手中? Are costs being controlled properly? Is there an effort to shorten delivery times or fulfill orders? Is product movement being streamlined effectively?

Staffing Capabilities: Is the distribution channel properly staffed? Do you have the right internal staff to manage the channel?

良好的渠道管理始于确保制造商和分销商之间的正确契合，而这要从内部和外部团队开始. Just like any business operation, good relationships are critical, as is making sure there are enough people to handle the workload. 渠道是否有足够的员工来充分有效地完成订单? Is there enough experience and expertise to make sure operations run smoothly? Do you 你的团队中是否有合适的成员来指导整个过程并关注细节?

营销需求:分销渠道的营销需求或挑战是什么?

评估分销渠道实力的一部分是决定你需要多少(或多少)参与其营销工作. Obviously, you must support the channel with your own branding, advertising, promotional training, and public relations efforts, 但你要确保你的渠道合作伙伴能够跟踪业绩并提供改进建议. By identifying the needs and challenges of the channel, you can better score its overall viability as a potential or ongoing partner. How well does the distribution channel connect with your target audience? Will it partner with you on promotions, sales, or giveaways? What role will it play in promoting your product? 

小企业在选择分销渠道时必须非常慎重，因为他们通常只有一次机会做对. 回答这些问题将有助于确定你正在合作或计划合作的分销渠道合作伙伴的生存能力.

Once you’ve completed the worksheet, schedule an appointment with your SCORE mentor. 我们知识渊博、经验丰富的导师可以帮助指导您完成有关分销渠道的实际决策过程.