| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Sales and Business Development |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Channel Sales Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 1 to 4 years in channel or distribution sales |
Channel Sales Executive job description template
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Job title: Channel Sales Executive
Department: Sales and Business Development
Reports to: Channel Sales Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Channel Sales Executive supports and grows sales through partners such as dealers, distributors and resellers in an assigned territory. They visit partners, help them sell, push schemes, manage orders and keep the channel active. A good channel sales executive keeps partners engaged and stocked, drives partner sales and reports the market honestly. The role reports to a channel or area sales manager and is the on ground link between the company and its partner network.
Key responsibilities
- Visit assigned dealers, distributors and resellers regularly on a planned route.
- Help partners sell by sharing product knowledge, pitches and leads.
- Drive partner orders and secondary sales to their customers.
- Explain and push channel schemes and incentives to partners.
- Manage partner stock, ordering and basic claims within policy.
- Onboard new partners and help them get started selling.
- Resolve partner issues on stock, pricing and service quickly.
- Track partner performance and follow up with inactive partners.
- Collect market and competitor feedback from the channel and report it.
- Report channel sales, partner activity and issues to the reporting manager.
Requirements
- Graduate in business, commerce or any discipline
- Field sales experience is preferred
- Willingness to travel in the territory
- 1 to 4 years in channel or distribution sales
KRAs and KPIs for a Channel Sales Executive
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Channel sales | Partner led sales meet the assigned target each period |
| Partner activity | Share of active, ordering partners kept above the target |
| New partners | New partners onboarded and activated as per the plan |
| Scheme uptake | Partner uptake of schemes meets the agreed level |
| Coverage | Partner visit route completed as per the plan |
| Issue resolution | Partner issues resolved within the agreed time |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Sales force automation app, Distributor management system, MS Excel, Smartphone reporting app.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Channel Sales Manager, Area Sales Manager, Distributor Manager
Interview questions for a Channel Sales Executive
- How do you help a partner sell more of your product?
- How do you push a new scheme to your partners?
- How do you handle a partner who has stopped ordering?
- How do you manage partner stock and orders?
- How do you onboard a new dealer or reseller?
- Tell me about a partner you grew and how.
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What does a channel sales executive do?
A channel sales executive supports and grows sales through partners such as dealers, distributors and resellers in a territory. They visit partners, help them sell, push schemes, manage orders and stock, and onboard new partners. They resolve partner issues, track performance and collect market feedback, acting as the on ground link between the company and its partner network.
What is channel sales?
Channel sales means selling through partners, such as dealers, distributors or resellers, who reach the end customer for you, rather than selling directly. The company supports and motivates these partners to sell its products. Channel sales scales reach quickly, so it is common in consumer goods, electronics and technology, and it needs strong partner management skills.
How is a channel sales executive different from a field sales executive?
A channel sales executive works through partners, helping dealers and distributors sell more, and is measured on partner led sales. A field sales executive usually sells directly to customers or outlets. The channel role focuses on enabling and managing partners, while the field role focuses on direct selling, though both spend time in the market.