dag: Which sales channel is right for this deal or customer?
version: 1.0.0
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1556761175-4b46a572b786?w=1200&q=80
description: Identify the most effective go-to-market channel for a given deal or customer segment by evaluating deal economics, cycle complexity, product fit, and buyer readiness. This elimination tree surfaces the channel that best matches your selling motion — from high-touch field sales to fully self-serve product-led growth.
tags: sales, go-to-market, channel strategy, revenue
entry: Q1
mode: elimination

Q1: What is the expected Annual Contract Value (ACV) for this deal or customer segment?
  hint: ACV is the single strongest predictor of which channel can sustain the economics of the sale. High-ACV deals justify the cost of field sales travel, executive engagement, and long sales cycles. Low-ACV deals require low-cost, scalable motions like self-serve or inside sales to remain profitable. If you're evaluating a segment rather than a single deal, use the median expected ACV for that segment and validate against your LTV-to-CAC ratio by channel.
  A: Above $100K ACV [DIRECT_FIELD, PARTNER_CHANNEL]
  B: $10K–$100K ACV [INSIDE_SALES, PARTNER_CHANNEL]
  C: Below $10K ACV [INSIDE_SALES, SELF_SERVE_PLG]

Q2: How long is the typical sales cycle for this type of deal?
  hint: Sales cycle length reflects buying complexity — the number of stakeholders, procurement steps, security reviews, and negotiation rounds involved. Longer cycles demand dedicated AE ownership and executive alignment. Shorter cycles benefit from high-velocity, transactional motions where speed and responsiveness outperform relationship depth. Consider your historical win rates by cycle length when calibrating, and factor in industry norms such as government or healthcare procurement timelines.
  A: More than 6 months [DIRECT_FIELD, PARTNER_CHANNEL]
  B: 1–6 months [INSIDE_SALES, PARTNER_CHANNEL]
  C: Less than 1 month [INSIDE_SALES, SELF_SERVE_PLG]

Q3: How complex is the product to evaluate, implement, or integrate?
  hint: Complexity encompasses technical depth such as APIs, custom configurations, and security requirements, as well as organizational change management and the buyer's ability to self-assess fit without vendor assistance. High complexity typically requires a Solutions Engineer, proof-of-concept work, and hands-on guidance — all of which favor high-touch channels. Low complexity with strong self-service documentation and free trial capability points strongly toward PLG or inside sales. When in doubt, look at your average time-to-value after a closed deal.
  A: High complexity — requires SE, POC, or deep integration [DIRECT_FIELD, PARTNER_CHANNEL]
  B: Moderate complexity — some technical guidance needed [INSIDE_SALES, PARTNER_CHANNEL]
  C: Low complexity — buyers can self-evaluate [INSIDE_SALES, SELF_SERVE_PLG]

Q4: Does a strong internal champion exist who can drive the buying process inside the account?
  hint: A champion is someone who has personally experienced the problem your product solves, is motivated to drive change, and has credibility with the economic buyer. Without a champion, deals stall in committee or die in procurement. Partner channels work especially well when your partner already has a trusted relationship inside the account and can sponsor the introduction. PLG and inside sales depend on users self-discovering value rather than needing a champion to open executive doors.
  A: Yes — a champion is actively engaged and sponsoring internally [DIRECT_FIELD, INSIDE_SALES, PARTNER_CHANNEL]
  B: No — we are selling top-down or do not yet have internal sponsorship [DIRECT_FIELD, PARTNER_CHANNEL]
  C: Not applicable — inbound or product-driven motion [INSIDE_SALES, SELF_SERVE_PLG]

[DIRECT_FIELD]: Direct / Field Sales
  color: #16a34a
  description: This deal or segment is best served by a dedicated field Account Executive with in-person engagement, executive alignment, and full-cycle ownership. Assign a named AE and Solutions Engineer, and establish a mutual close plan with the customer within the first two meetings. Field sales investment is justified by deal size and complexity — protect your pipeline quality by ensuring BANT criteria are met before committing significant resources. Track activity rigorously in CRM and set internal milestones to avoid stalled cycles. Review executive sponsor alignment at each major stage gate.
  code: SALES-CH-001

[INSIDE_SALES]: Inside Sales
  color: #2563eb
  description: This deal or segment is well-suited for a high-velocity inside sales motion driven by phone, video, and email rather than in-person travel. Focus on fast qualification, rapid demos, and short proof-of-concept windows to compress the sales cycle. Inside sales works best when paired with strong marketing automation and SDR support to maintain top-of-funnel volume. Set clear activity metrics — calls, demos, and proposals per week — to keep deals moving and identify stalls early before they age in the pipeline.
  code: SALES-CH-002

[PARTNER_CHANNEL]: Partner / Channel Sales
  color: #9333ea
  description: Engaging a channel partner, VAR, or systems integrator is the right move when the partner brings existing account relationships, implementation capability, or domain expertise that accelerates trust and reduces your cost of sale. Register the deal with your top partner candidates and provide them with battlecards, pricing guidance, and SE support so they can represent your solution accurately. Establish co-sell rules of engagement upfront to avoid channel conflict and set clear accountability for pipeline updates. Review partner pipeline weekly and keep a direct line open with the end customer's key stakeholder.
  code: SALES-CH-003

[SELF_SERVE_PLG]: Self-Serve / Product-Led Growth
  color: #f59e0b
  description: This deal or segment is best served by a product-led motion where users discover, trial, and adopt the product with minimal or no sales involvement. Ensure your free trial, onboarding flow, and in-product guidance are optimized to drive users to their first value moment quickly. Set up product usage alerts so your sales or success team can identify expansion opportunities when accounts hit usage thresholds or invite additional team members. Measure activation rate, time-to-value, and trial-to-paid conversion as primary KPIs for this channel.
  code: SALES-CH-004