#33: The Multi-Channel Secret Your B2B Competition Hopes You Never Learn

Chip Royce, Flywheel Advisors

Here’s something that keeps me up at night: Watching smart companies limit their growth because they think they have to pick one way to reach their market.

The Channel Myth That Kills Growth

We’ve created this false narrative in business. Direct or indirect. Pick your lane. Stick to what you know.

It’s nonsense.

Some of the most successful companies I work with started breaking this rule years ago. They stopped asking “which channel” and started asking “how many channels?”

Four Paths to Revenue (Yes, Four)

Let’s talk about what’s actually possible.

Traditional distribution isn’t exciting, but it works. It’s structured, predictable, and scalable. Think distributors, retailers, and resellers. It’s the foundation many companies build on, but it’s just the beginning.

Then there’s the organization-based approach. Communities, associations, and marketplaces. Yes, you have less control. Yes, you’re relying on others to carry your message. But when it works, it really works. The reach is exponential.

My favorite? Embedded partnerships. This is where creativity meets commerce. White-label solutions, technology integrations, co-branded offerings. They’re complex, but they create lasting value. The kind that’s hard for competitors to copy.

And then there are the “Unicorns“. Co-selling arrangements. Strategic alliances. Joint ventures. Not every company is ready for these, but when you are? Game-changing.

The Art and Science of Channels

Building a multi-channel strategy isn’t just checking boxes. It’s understanding market dynamics. Reading future trends. Knowing where your customers want to buy – not just where you want to sell.

But here’s where companies usually stumble: They hand channel strategy to whoever’s available internally.

That’s like asking your accountant to run marketing. Channel strategy is its own discipline. It needs people who’ve built these systems before. Who’ve seen what works and what fails.

A Word About Timing

Your competition isn’t just the companies selling similar products. It’s the companies with better paths to market.

While you’re locked into one way of reaching customers, someone else is building multiple revenue streams. They’re creating partnerships you haven’t thought of. They’re showing up in places you haven’t considered.

What Success Looks Like

The most successful companies I work with share one trait: They’re constantly exploring new channels while optimizing existing ones.

They understand that different channels serve different purposes. Some drive volume. Some build relationships. Some open doors to markets you didn’t know existed.

The Path Forward

Stop thinking about channels as either/or decisions. Start thinking about them as a portfolio. Each one serving a purpose. Each one reaching customers who prefer to buy differently.

Here’s the truth: your next big growth opportunity likely doesn’t involve doing more of the same thing. It’s adding new paths to revenue you haven’t tried yet.

The question isn’t whether to expand your channels. It’s which ones to tackle first.