Channel management refers to the strategies and techniques used by businesses to distribute products through intermediaries to customers. A common channel is from manufacturer to wholesaler to distributor to retailer to customer. An ideal channel includes various components like direct salespeople who contact decision makers to promote products and support distributors' sales efforts. Independent distributors purchase from suppliers and resell to other parties, while captive distributors are owned by suppliers. Brokers also act as intermediaries but represent multiple suppliers. Developing good relationships between all parties in the channel is important, but there is also competition over control and profits at each stage. Producers use multiple distributors while distributors work with multiple producers, requiring balance between customer price and retailer margins.