Lean canvas – “Customer Channels”

Adam Startups 06.11.2016 Reading time: 3 min

The next field to fill in is “channels to reach customers”. In this presentation it is field number “5”, but I have come across different numbering from here on The next field to fill in is “channels to reach customers”. In this presentation it is field number “5”, but I have come across different numbering from this point on, and the field marked with this number often refers to the “unfair advantage”, which is described here as the last, ninth field. I think it does not matter much, because what counts more is completing the whole plan and, above all, the learning that comes “along the way”, rather than the order in which it is filled in.

Channels to Reach Customers

In this section you should list every possible way of reaching potential customers that comes to mind. At this stage you should not limit yourself in any way, and you should put even the most abstract ideas on paper. If you are planning an online business, write down what offline channels there could be, and vice versa. Describe how customers will be able to find out about your service/product. If you plan to buy advertising, list the details, e.g. the medium, the planned reach, the budget and how many people you will reach this way. You can also list channels that you will introduce a little later, e.g. setting up your own sales department. Even if you do not yet have anything to show a potential customer, you can already set up your fan page and gain your first reach. It may turn out that Facebook becomes an important sales channel for you. Mailing lists can be another way of reaching customers. Although it is not the newest method, it is still one of the most effective. That is why it is good practice to build your own list from the earliest possible stage; it will pay off in the future. The field directly linked to this one is field number “7”, the cost structure. This means that, with specific channels already listed, you can now enter them in the next field and try to estimate their cost. The knowledge gained while completing this section will also be useful in later stages of developing your business. With analytics tools and regular customers, you will be able to check which channels are best for your business and which are worth investing in, and which are not, because sales through them are random or generate higher costs than profits. Channels to reach customers

Lean canvas “channels” field