Sales and MarketingChannel and Distributor Management
Selling through a distributor means somebody else owns the customer relationship, sets the shelf price and decides how hard to push your product against the others in their bag. This course covers managing that. Delegates work through channel design and the decision to sell direct, through partners or both without the conflict that combination creates, partner selection against capability rather than enthusiasm, and the agreement covering territory, exclusivity, targets and termination. Motivating a partner who carries competing lines is addressed practically, including margin, support and the attention economics of a sales bag. Stock, sell in against sell out and channel visibility follow. The course closes on performance review and on replacing a distributor without losing the market.
Course objectives
- Design a channel and manage the conflict between direct and partner sales
- Select partners on capability rather than enthusiasm
- Structure agreements covering territory, exclusivity, targets and termination
- Motivate a partner who also carries competing lines
- Distinguish sell in from sell out and obtain channel visibility
- Manage stock, returns and pricing through the channel
- Review performance and replace a distributor without losing the market
Who should attend
- Channel and distributor managers
- Export and regional sales managers
- Brand and trade marketing staff
- Business development professionals building partner networks
- Manufacturers selling through third parties
Course outline
- 01Somebody else owns the customer
- 02Channel design and direct against partner
- 03Managing channel conflict
- 04Partner selection and capability
- 05Agreements, territory and exclusivity
- 06Motivating a partner carrying competing lines
- 07Sell in, sell out and channel visibility
- 08Performance review and replacing a distributor
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 to 9 October 2026 | Accra, Ghana | Classroom | USD 995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 9 to 11 November 2026 | Nairobi, Kenya | Classroom | USD 995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 16 to 18 November 2026 | Windhoek, Namibia | Classroom | R14,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 27 to 29 January 2027 | Maputo, Mozambique | Classroom | USD 995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 8 to 10 February 2027 | Gaborone, Botswana | Classroom | R14,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 8 to 10 March 2027 | Online | Online | R6,500 per delegate | Register Now |