Television industry business owners understand that making the most of television distributors and wholesalers is essential to business success. These days wholesalers don't just provide products in bulk, they should also assist you in fulfilling other needs. When picking and choosing the ideal distributor, determine your business's objective and how potential distributors can help you meet it.

By making the most of the TV wholesalers, you can build strong relationships with them. Additionally, you can limit the number of television distributors you purchase from. Consider the following when selecting television distribution that is right for you:

1. Partner with wholesale TV distributors that offer a wide range of television options.

2. Some TV distributors offer on-site quality control and factory audit services that assist businesses in reducing risks associated with poor quality, storing, loading, transportation, and other industry concerns.

3. Look into a distributor's refund policies and make sure you can work with them in conjunction with your own.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose television wholesalers that offer reliable customer service

The customer service offered by warehouses and distributors are essentially an extension of your customer service. Wherever they succeed or fail reflects accordingly on you and your company. Therefore, you should partner with distributors that understand the significance of customer service, and who boast trained staff so that your and your client's experience from delivery to door is exceptional.

I recommend: Costo and Zalmar both offer reliable, knowledgeable customer service representatives. They also provide return policies to ensure customer satisfaction.

Take advantage of special membership benefits offered by your wholesale televisions distributor

Many warehouses and distributors offer various levels of membership benefits. These incentives may include discounts on orders, coupons on purchases within a certain time frame, or percentages off selected merchandise.

I recommend: MegaGoods offers your first seven days of membership free, so you can see for yourself how quickly the company fills orders. MegaGoods also sends update notifications and offers unlimited access to brand name items. Doba offers a free trial so you can access its wide selection of televisions and associated products.

Pick television dealers that provide additional support for your business

The success of your business plays an important role in your distributor's success. In recognizing this, many warehouses are enthusiastic about helping you grow your success. Many offer tools, resources and services geared to small businesses, such as quick and easy ordering, prompt delivery and small minimum orders.

I recommend: Brook Distributors features a news section for current product information. PriceSCAN.com offers a blog for industry professionals to discuss products.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Check with your wholesale TV distributor for special promotional offers such as a small business stimulus package.

You may want a TV in your office to keep up with stock prices or current news events. You may need one in your conference room for meetings, conferences or training sessions. A television in your waiting area can occupy clients and customers while they wait. Whatever the reason, you'll find plenty of television distributors to help you buy the right TV.

With so many options to choose from, take your time selecting the right television. As you shop at various television wholesalers and distributors, keep the following in mind:

1. As you budget for your new television, ask TV dealers or TV wholesalers about pricing for a wall mount and installation charges.

2. Ask television distributors about a specific TV, but generally speaking, a plasma TV provides a better picture in a dimly lit room, and an LCD TV picture looks better in a room with more light.

3. Enhanced Definition TVs (EDTV) may prove a cost-effective alternative to High Definition TV (HDTV) if your audience sits more than 8 feet away from a 37" to 42" plasma TV.

Action Steps
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Shop television dealers for a smaller TV to put in your office

In your office, you likely won't need a large television. To spend as little as possible, go with an old-fashioned cathode ray tube (CRT) TV. One downside to these TVs, however, is that their depth sometimes makes it difficult to find a good place to put them. The price of plasma and LCD TVs keeps going down, so it would be worth your while to consider plasma or LCD wholesale televisions before you spend any money. They generally look better, and you'll appreciate the significantly enhanced picture quality.

I recommend: If you stick with a CRT television, buy the 20" Samsung at Best Buy. Consider the Sceptre 32" LCD wholesale TV or the Sony Bravia 32" LCD wholesale TV at Costco. Sam's Club offers smaller wholesale televisions like the 26" Viewsonic Widescreen LCD TV at Sam's Club.

Check prices with several wholesale tv distributors for the best conference room TV

Don't forget the size of your conference room, how far away the audience sits from the TV and how wide a viewing angle your seating arrangement dictates as you search for the right TV.

I recommend: Before you visit any TV distributors online or in person, answer the questions at My Product Advisor, and you'll end up with recommendations tailored specifically to your needs. If you want to go directly to a TV distributor, consider the 42" Sony PlasmaPro, Plasma Display at Newegg and the 50" Samsung plasma television at Crutchfield

Ensure TV distributors stock TVs with the features you want for your waiting area

The size TV you buy will depend partly on the size of your waiting area. If your business caters to children and you expect children in your waiting area, consider a television with a built-in DVD player to play kid-friendly movies. The DVD player can also play product promotion videos for your business. If you're considering hanging the TV on the wall, consider an LCD TV, which is typically lighter than a plasma television, uses less power and is less susceptible to glare.

I recommend: Check out the RCA 32" LCD HDTV with a built-in DVD player at Wal-Mart. For a TV you can mount on the wall, look at the LG 42" LCD HDTV at CompUSA.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you live in a high-altitude location and want to buy a plasma television, make sure it will have a good picture at or above altitudes of 5,500 feet. At high altitudes, some plasma televisions emit an audible noise called mechanical buzz that can occur as your plasma display panel works to equalize pressure and cool itself, so have the tv distributors guarantee that you'll have no problems with the picture.

Wholesale TV distributors can be a great resource when you run a consumer electronics business or just a television business. The distributors will carry the latest technology and offer it to you a deeply discounted prices compared to retail. But there are some choices you will have to make in order to work with the best television distributors. First, you will need to look at what your customers want, then find the distributor that can give you those products.

There are many ways televisions wholesalers can save your business a lot of money, but they can also provide you a great opportunity to pass on the savings to your customers. Here are some ways your business can save money by working with television wholesalers:

1. Choose the most popular products, such as wholesale LCD televisions.

2. Find a local wholesale TV distributor for better shipping prices.

3. Offer customers a percentage of any deals you get through wholesalers to keep them coming back.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose specific types of wholesale TVs for target audiences

If you decide to stock a specific type of television for your store, use some online resources to get into your customer's head. This will help you decide which types of televisions will sell best in your business.

I recommend: Consumer Reports can give you a quick rundown on the difference between all types of televisions currently available on the market. My Product Advisor can also be a useful resource for finding the right televisions for your target consumers, because it helps you think about their needs.

Find TV dealers that offer special deals on their products

If you want to save additional money through television wholesalers, find the wholesalers that offer products on sale or as part of weekly specials. If you want to keep on top of the specials offered by these companies, you can also sign up for their email newsletters.

I recommend: Many television wholesalers will give members the option of signing up for special offers and deals through email, as BJ's Wholesale Club does. If you need to offer additional or extended warranties on the products you carry, check out the selection of warranties from NWV Direct.

Get deals on shipping from TV distributors

There are many different shipping options when it comes to distributors and wholesalers. Many offer discounted of free shipping depending, on the size of the order. You can also find dropshipping options that take you out of the shipping process altogether.

I recommend: Wholesaler Outlet gives you the option to have all your products dropshipped directly to the consumer, which can save both you and your consumers some money. Bundle City offers free shipping on selected stock of televisions and other consumer electronics.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  It is a good idea to ask many questions when working with television distributors. You may be able to work out deals in addition to those advertised by the wholesaler.

Not since the invention of color television has there been more television choices available: HDTV, DLP, LCD, plasma – there are many options to consider. Television distributors offer a wide selection of televisions to meet both the demand for quality, size and to fit a wide price range. Understanding the types of TVs that television distributors offer is an important element when you need to order a television for your business. Television distributors key terms will help you do just that.

Action Steps
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High definition television, HDTV

A standard definition television is shaped more like a square. It has an aspect ratio of 4x3. A high definition television has a wide screen shaped like a rectangle. It has an aspect ratio of 16:9. HDTVs offer incredible pictures and a wider picture so you can see more of the action.

I recommend: Digital Connection explains the difference between HDTV and standard definition television on its website.

DLP

Digital light processing technology, more commonly known as DLP technology, digitally processes light using an optimal semiconductor that has over one million mirrors. Each mirror is less than 1/5-inch as wide as one strand of human hair. Light reflected off those mirrors is what produces the pictures on the screen. A huge benefit of DLP TVs is that they are not susceptible to burned in images if the same image remains on the screen for too long.

I recommend: Texas Instruments, the inventor of DLP technology, details the benefits of DLP on its website.

LCD

LCD, which stands for liquid crystal display, is technology used by television distributors. Many flat panel televisions are LCD TVs. LCD televisions come as small as 19 inches and can be as big as 42 inches.

I recommend: HowStuffWorks explains LCD technology.

Plasma, plasma display panels, PDP

Plasma televisions, also known as plasma display panels (PDP), are at the highest end of the spectrum when it comes to television quality and price. Plasma televisions tout a clear picture with pristine quality.

I recommend: Plasma TV Science.org explains the science behind plasma televisions.

Rear projection

Rear projection TVs get their name because the picture comes from technology in the back of the television. That's why the cabinet on an old rear projection television stuck out such much in the back. Now, rear projection technology is upgraded so rear projection televisions aren't as bulky as they used to be.

I recommend: Crutchfield New Media offers a wealth of information about rear projection televisions on its website.

Flat screen

Flat screen televisions are just that, flat. Flat screens don't have the extra weight in the back of the television like rear projection televisions do, meaning you can hang it on a wall or place it on a narrow cabinet. LCD and plasma televisions are all flat screens.

I recommend: Read about flat screen technology on the SAMSUNG website.