It takes a lot of people and companies working together to achieve great results. If you’re looking for a new partner to help your business continue growing, it could be time to start finding and working with electronics distributors.
As you’re about to learn, electronics distributors play an extremely important role in helping your new business grow.
In this post, you’re going to learn:
Who electronics distributors are
Why it’s beneficial to work with them
How to find wholesale electronics distributors online
Effective ways to contact distributors
Potential warning signs of distributors you shouldn’t work with
Questions to ask a distributor before working with them
A closer look at several of Trade-In Tech’s top wholesale distributors
Who Are Wholesale Electronics Distributors?
Wholesale distributors are either people or businesses that buy products, usually in larger quantities. Next, they take these products and distribute them to customers and business partners.
When speaking about electronics, these distributors would buy large quantities of items and sell them back to people and companies in their networks. This is how distributors are able to resell electronics for profit.
While they’re only a part of the massive supply chain in the electronics industry, they’re an extremely important part of it. Here’s a quick breakdown of how wholesale distributors fit into this industry’s supply chain.
Manufacturers make electronics. In some cases, these companies have their own distributors. However, most will spend part or all of their resources to have other people or companies distribute the products they manufacture.
Enter the wholesale electronics distributor. In many cases, these distributors buy their electronics from manufacturers. Next, the distributors are ready to begin selling their electronics to retailers, government organizations, and other distributors.
Why Would I Need To Work With a Wholesale Distributor?
Now that you understand what an electronics distributor is, it’s time to learn whether or not you need to work with one of these people or companies. As you’re about to learn, partnering with one or many electronics distributors is more beneficial than you might think. Here’s a look at some of the benefits of working with distributors.
Attractive Pricing Options
Distributors help to make life easier for most people who are either buying or selling electronics. There are a few reasons why you might not be able to initially buy the electronics you want. One reason is that you’re unable to buy electronics from manufacturers due to their quantities being too high.
If you had a budget available to buy 250 iPhones, a manufacturer might have a minimum order quantity (MOQ) of 1,000. In this case, you would be unable to purchase these smartphones. However, a wholesale electronics distributor might have a minimum order quantity of only 200, allowing you to buy your iPhones in bulk.
Another reason why electronics distributors are helpful is that they offer attractive pricing. This is great if you’re unable to pay some of the prices that manufacturers are asking for their electronics. Since distributors typically buy lots of electronics at once, they’re often able to pass on price savings to their customers.
Access To Lots of Potential Markets
Most electronics distributors maintain connections with lots of companies. Sometimes, these people will have access to networks that span throughout the world. Making these kinds of connections can cost a lot of time, energy, and money. When you partner with a popular electronics distributor, you can quickly gain access to all of their markets.
Whether you’re buying or selling electronics, having access to lots of companies is always a good thing. When you’re ready to buy electronics, the reach of a wholesale electronics distributor can have you gain access to a wide range of items. If you want to sell through a distributor, you might start moving inventory much faster than normal.
Fewer Transportation and Delivery-Related Worries
An electronics distributor can also help take care of transportation and delivery-related concerns. If you’re only starting out in the electronics industry, transporting and receiving electronics can feel like a full-time job.
While you’re trying to run a business, you don’t want to get tied up in transporting your electronics. Fortunately, after partnering with an electronics distributor, you can make life a lot easier for yourself. Most of the time, distributors already have pre-established transportation and delivery systems in place.
Potential Credit Opportunities for a Buyer
Sometimes, you’re not going to have enough money on hand to buy the number of electronics you need - especially if you’re just starting out as a company. Fortunately, it is sometimes possible to get credit from an electronics distributor. With this type of credit, you can potentially get buying power that would take long amounts of time to build up.
Fortunately, many wholesale electronics distributors have the capabilities to extend lines of credit to certain customers. Keep in mind that you might not always be able to receive this type of credit out of the gate. However, after a history of transactions, it’s absolutely possible to get credit.
Learning About New Electronics
Another important yet often underrated benefit of a partnership with electronics distributors is learning about new electronics or products you wouldn’t normally have known about. For example, let’s say that you needed new cell phones to flip for profit. However, you knew very little about them outside of iPhones.
If you’re working with an electronics distributor, this person or company might have news about new products that recently came in. These products could very well be popular smartphones from companies you might not be aware of.
When you’re able to work with distributors, you will quickly begin to benefit from their knowledge about popular products. Build enough of a rapport with these people or companies, and you should start getting lots of great tips about electronics of all kinds.
Finding Reliable Electronics Distributors Fast
After learning about the benefits of working with electronics distributors, you might now want to know how to find them. It’s understandable to wonder about the fastest ways to find electronics distributors. Throughout our many years in business, we’ve learned quite a bit about this subject. Here are proven ways to find reliable distributors in the electronics industry.
Trade-In Tech
If you need a great place to start finding lots of professional electronics distributors, you’ll want to check out Trade-In Tech. Trade-In Tech is part social network, part wholesale platform, and an amazing place for anyone in the wholesale electronics industry.
Since 2012, Trade-In Tech continues to welcome more new members to our platforms. We also have a huge member base of sellers and buyers who love how our platform easily connects these people and companies with others.
But, there are plenty of other reasons why joining Trade-In Tech is such a great idea. Another reason is due to our vetting process. We require each of our new members to complete a verification process. If you’re running a legitimate electronics business, you won’t have any trouble with this. Instead, we have this process in place to keep scammers out of our platform.
Another reason why Trade-In Tech continues growing is that we offer no fees for any purchases that take place on our platform. We know that life is unfortunately full of fees, but you won’t have to deal with them on Trade-In Tech.
Whether you’re using our wholesale platform for messaging, chatting, or participating in large group discussions, you’ll have an easy time finding legit electronics suppliers from all over the world on Trade-In Tech. We also have a popular marketplace you can check out here.
Use a Search Engine
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t use an internet search engine at least once per day. If you’re anything like us, you’re probably using search engines frequently. To put things in perspective, research shows that over 70,000 Google searches take place every second.
With that in mind, you can also use search engines to start finding other wholesale electronics distributors! Learning how to find wholesale electronics distributors online can be an extremely valuable skill to learn. Is this the fastest way or more effective way to find electronics distributors? No. However, if you have the time and energy to spare, it can yield potentially good suppliers.
However, it’s not always best to base who you’ll partner with based on search engine rankings. Some high-quality electronics distributors simply might not have anyone helping them with search engine optimization (SEO). While using search engines to find distributors, it pays off to be patient and persistent. Soon, you can find everything from phone flippers to large-scale retail distributors.
It’s a good idea to mix up the terms or keywords you use while searching for potential distributors. Search for distributors, suppliers, and other similar terms to find what you’re looking for. As you find websites, make a list of ones you’re potentially interested in. Trust us, these searches can take some time, and it’s probably not something you can complete in a few hours.
While you’re landing on various websites, make sure to look for email addresses or phone numbers. You might also look on these websites (usually at the top) for a contact page. Fancy websites are nice to look at, but they won’t mean much without a way to contact who you’re interested in working with.
Facebook and Other Social Media Websites
Another popular way to find electronics distributors is by checking out social media. Whether you’re on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or a combination of these and many others, social media is a great place to potentially find your next distributor.
The exact way you’ll find and connect with suppliers on these platforms depends on which ones you’re using. LinkedIn, for example, might limit how many people you can send connection requests to within its network.
One of the most popular social media platforms for finding electronics distributors would be Facebook. This social media juggernaut has an estimated 2.70 billion active monthly users. If you’re looking for distributors, you’re likely to find them on Facebook. With that said, considering the popularity of Facebook, it will take some work to find the right wholesale distributors.
There are many ways to start connecting with wholesalers. But, before you start doing this, take a little time to fill out your Facebook page. This means creating a business page, adding pictures, descriptions, and similar types of information.
Attending Trade Shows
If you’re looking for electronics distributors, we highly recommend attending trade shows. By doing this, you can meet wholesalers and other people and companies in person. Through these in-person meetings, it’s very possible to quickly expand your business. This is also known as networking.
Should attending trade shows interest you, you’re in the perfect industry for them. Each year, there are electronics trade shows taking place throughout the world. Most trade shows in the electronics industry also allow buying and selling. So, if you’re attending one of these shows, you could also walk away with some high-quality inventory.
It’s also important to keep in mind that certain events require you to pay entry fees. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But, it’s a good idea to thoroughly research any events you’re thinking of attending. You want to make sure any entry fees are worth it.
In the event that you don’t strike up any partnerships or walk away with new inventory, you’ll at least have gotten out of the house for a day or two!
If you want the best way to stay up-to-date on trade shows happening in the electronics industry, we highly recommend becoming a member of Trade-In Tech. One of the many things we offer our members is a website section dedicated to current and upcoming trade shows in the electronics industry.
Another great way to start connecting with electronics distributors is by using LinkedIn. Since most distributors work in a business-to-business (B2B) capacity, using LinkedIn is well worth it. To get started on LinkedIn, you’ll need to make an account. Fortunately, this process is fairly quick and straightforward.
Once you have a LinkedIn account, you can find distributors by using this website’s search bar. As you would while using search engines, mix up the keywords you’re using. In a short time, you should start seeing potential people or companies to start connecting with.
One of the main drawbacks of LinkedIn is not having immediate access to certain people. LinkedIn uses a tiered system for connecting users. If you’re not within a certain level of connections, you won’t be able to start speaking with them. LinkedIn does this to encourage people to sign up for its premium account service.
If you want to expand your network as fast as possible on LinkedIn, it could be worth paying a few extra dollars a month to have access to more connections.
Import Electronics From a Foreign Company
Many companies prefer to work with electronics they’re familiar with. However, there are certainly many opportunities for your business to expand by working internationally. With the internet and social media being so popular, it’s now easier than ever to start entering into international markets.
If this sounds like something of interest, wholesale distributors can be a great source of help. Trying to expand internationally by yourself can be quite daunting. In most cases, there are going to be language barriers and other issues that could make international expansions difficult. But, a wholesale distributor that already works internationally can help you avoid these problematic situations.
Strike Up Local Partnerships
Another potential way to connect with distributors is to do this locally. Depending on where you live, there might be local networks full of electronic companies and their employees. While it might take a little time, making a few partnerships with local distributors can have great impacts on your company.
Contacting Distributors in the Wholesale Electronics Industry
Before any great relationship with a wholesale distributor can begin, it’s going to take one party to contact the other party. We understand if it feels a little intimidating to start contacting random people to start working with. Fortunately, this becomes much easier once you know a few tips. Here are a few proven tips to help contact and build relationships with wholesale electronics distributors.
Be Courteous
One of the best things you can do while contacting distributors, especially when you’re doing this for the first time, is to be courteous. Simply put, this means being nice to the people you’re speaking with. Whether it’s a receptionist, salesperson, or the CEO, treating people with respect can get you far.
Of course, there will be times where it’s extremely hard to be positive. You might find yourself having a terrible day. Or, perhaps your distributor recently made a mistake with your order. Regardless of what’s causing you to feel negative, don’t let these feelings cause you to get angry and start cussing out your distributor. This will only lead to bad results and lots of negativity for all parties involved.
If you found a great wholesale distributor, they’ll do what it takes to resolve any potential problems. Should this not happen, you can always find other distributors to partner with.
Wait Until The Time’s Right To Negotiate Prices
One reason you might have an interest in the wholesale electronics industry is due to its attractive prices. With the right kind of partnerships, you can enjoy buying electronics at a low price and reselling them for profit. Considering that, a major factor in how much profit you make comes down to how low you can buy your company’s electronics for.
However, it’s best to build up somewhat of a relationship with your distributors before you start trying to haggle prices with them. Most electronics suppliers want to have a growing list of customers. Therefore, most of them will offer fair prices. As you continue buying from these distributors and they know you’re a reliable customer, you can ask them about any potential bulk discounts.
Build Long-Term Relationships
Nobody wants to jump from company to company while looking for a business partner. Instead, most people would prefer to have long-term business partners they can keep working with for long periods of time.
So, what can you do to ensure this keeps happening? One way to achieve this goal is to go into any business partnership with a focus on building long-term relationships. Building these relationships comes down to being responsive and a customer that your distributor can rely on.
Things To Look Out For With Wholesale Distributors
We’ve covered lots of great things about working with electronics distributors. Unfortunately, some people and companies aren’t in this industry to grow legitimate companies. Certain individuals will be either running or working for so-called companies designed to scam people who are new to the electronics industry.
Fortunately, you can avoid these situations by watching out for these red flags.
Distributors Who Bombard You With Lots of Fees
While they’re sometimes hard to avoid, no one likes paying fees. Unfortunately, with so many business purchases taking place, they can sometimes seem almost impossible to avoid.
However, a distributor that starts hitting you with lots of fees is often a red flag that you should consider doing business elsewhere. Be on the lookout for things like lots of setup fees or other hidden costs that don’t make sense.
After all, you’re already paying these people or businesses money for their products. So, why should you have to pay lots of fees in the process?
A Lack of Reviews or Testimonials From Past Customers
In the age of the internet, many people research who they’re buying from and what they want to purchase. One way that people and companies do research online is by checking out online reviews. Whether it’s through Google, social media, or another source, looking at reviews is a major factor for a buyer.
One study found that 88% of consumers trust an online review as much as they would a personal recommendation from someone they knew. If you’re researching electronics distributors and don’t see any reviews coming up, it could be a major red flag.
If your company has other people saying good things about it, wouldn’t you want others to hear these things, too? When you see lots of positive reviews, it’s helpful for giving you the peace of mind you need when finding business partners.
No Address
Another thing to think about when finding a potential distributor is if they’re a legitimate business. One way you can do this is by finding out whether or not this company has a physical address. This isn’t the most important factor to consider, but it’s one you should keep in mind.
Fortunately, in most cases, it should be easy to find this information. You can usually find a company’s address by searching for them on a search engine or visiting their website. We’re not saying you need to go and visit the physical address of these companies. But, knowing that this company has a place to conduct business does add legitimacy.
Not Allowing Any Returns
While we hope it isn’t a problem you have to deal with, the time might arrive when you need to return your electronics. Before this happens, you don’t want to be the retailer who’s recently learned that your distributors won’t accept returns for any reason.
Every distributor you partner with should have some type of returns policy in place. Understandably, distributors have to protect their companies against scammers. So, you’ll likely need to provide proof that damages to your electronics happened for reasons beyond your control.
If your distributors won’t accept returns, this could set your new company up to take on a lot of risk in the future.
A Few Potentially Important Questions To Ask Wholesale Distributors
As you begin to narrow down the list of wholesale electronics distributors you want to work with, you’re likely going to have some questions. While we do our best to answer all of your questions, some of the answers you’ll get will vary from distributor to distributor. To help you out, here’s a small list of questions you might need to ask a distributor before working with them.
What Shipping Options Do They Offer?
Before you order anything online, you’ll need to choose from one of a few (or many) shipping options. When you’re purchasing inventory on behalf of your business, shipping becomes even more important than normal. Considering that, unless it’s already posted elsewhere, it’s a good idea to find out what shipping options your electronics distributors offer.
This question can also give you a better idea of how long it will take to get your electronics. Keep in mind that certain aspects of shipping will be out of a distributor’s hands at a certain point unless they’re directly transporting the items to you.
What Are Their Return Policies?
As mentioned earlier, it’s incredibly important to find out about what (if any) return policies an electronics distributor will offer. If there are no return policies in place, you could find yourself getting ripped off.
If you can’t find anything about return policies mentioned on a distributor’s website, it’s a good idea to send a quick message with your policy-related questions. At worst, you’ll find out that they don’t offer any return policies.
Will Notifications Get Sent for Out-of-Stock/Discontinued Merchandise?
Another burden that must get dealt with when buying electronics is dealing with discontinued or out-of-stock merchandise. Hopefully, your distributor has a plan in place to let their customers know when out-of-stock merchandise concerns arise.
If you’re unsure what these policies are, it’s time to ask a distributor you’re thinking of working with. Fortunately, with the help of inventory management software, these types of issues don’t happen often. If they do, it could be another warning sign that it’s time to find another distributor.
Work With Trade-In Tech’s Top Wholesale Distributors
Before we wrap things up, we thought it would be helpful to tell you more about some of the most popular distributors you’ll find on Trade-In Tech. With these companies in your corner, you can start getting your hands on some of the electronics industry’s most popular products.
KT Corp
Whether you’re looking to buy or sell electronics, KT Corp has what you’re looking for. Over the past several years, KT Corp has become one of Trade-In Tech’s most popular members. We’ve also been fortunate enough to work with on many transactions, and they’re always class acts.
For the past ten years, KT Corp has been buying and selling a wide range of electronics, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and much more.
Zelphone
Based out of Las Vegas, Nevada, Zelphone is a popular company that buys used and new electronics. Since this company is a distributor, you can rest assured that they also have large quantities of electronic devices. Zelphone also purchases certain types of broken devices.
Zelphone also has a massive amount of connections, including partnerships with retailers, pawn shops, phone buyback companies, mobile phone stores, and many others.
H&Z Wholesale
If you’re interested in working with electronics distributors, you might also want to consider working with H&Z Wholesale. This company is an electronics recycler that also resells tablets, computers, smartphones, smartwatches, and other products. Within a short amount of time, this company has grown to become another leading distributor.
Atlas Mobile
Lastly, we also can’t have a list of the top electronics distributors without mentioning Atlas Mobile. This company is a global leader in the wholesale mobile electronics industry. Atlas Mobile has a wide range of electronics from Apple and Samsung. Plus, Atlas Mobile features online price sheets that make it easy to find what you need.
Want their contact information? Leave a comment below.
We hope that you enjoyed this guide on how to find reliable wholesale distributors in the electronics industry. Electronics distributors can play a vital role in helping your company grow with their access to lots of electronics and markets throughout the world. Plus, they can also offer helpful tips about what’s beneficial for your company to buy from them.
If you’re looking for more tips and guides, don’t forget to visit Trade-In Tech’s blog.