Why Accessories Are Always Recognized For Excellence
The Academy Awards will be presented soon, and members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are already deciding who will win. Millions of people will tune in to see who walks the red carpet and who climbs to the stage to accept an Oscar. Many of your customers will be watching. If you’re selling televisions and accessories, they rely on you for the equipment to make the most out of their experience watching awards show as well as the movies and actors that will be recognized for distinction.
Make the most out of this opportunity with TV accessories. Big retailers are moving away from a sales strategy based around television and diversifying their product mix more. As the market changes, there is more emphasis on the accessories to maximize profit on every TV sold. Accessorizing is something Petra knows about considering our 30 years of experience helping dealers increase profit margins with add-on accessories. Below you’ll find a few tips on how you can make these add-on sales.
Audio:
When we talk about audio as an add-on for a television, we’re basically talking about two things: soundbars and surround sound systems. After all, being able to hear that long-winded acceptance speech is crucial to any awards show.
Soundbars pick up where HDTVs leave off in the sound department. Because HDTVs are so thin, they lack the physical depth to include full-size speakers, making a soundbar the perfect solution for anemic television speakers. They add much better audio capability without taking up a lot of space or needing a lot of setup.
As soundbars have become increasingly popular, they have progressed in quality and features. Features like a wireless subwoofer for increased bass in the Panasonic SC-HTB880. The SC-HTB880 and the iLive Blue ITB404B even have Bluetooth connectivity to make it easy to play music from mobile devices.
On the other hand, a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound speaker system is designed to give a full home theater experience but requires a more in-depth installation. It’s impossible to get true surround sound out of a soundbar due to the physical constraints of having all the speakers in one location. A system like the RCA RT2911 allows a user to set up their system however they would like and gives greater flexibility; it also gives you a chance to sell an install for those who don’t want to worry about running speaker wire themselves. Customers who are willing to spend more will want to give this option a go.
Mounts:
Since flat-screen TVs are so slim, hanging them on walls is something that many customers will have in mind when they buy a flat-screen. If you’re selling the televisions, don’t let a customer leave your store without giving them a good pitch to buy a mount. If they’re hesitant, it may be because they’re concerned that they don’t have the DIY skill to hang the mount properly. So you have another chance to increase margins on the sale with an install.
There are 3 main types of mounts that you can sell, depending on your customers’ needs: fixed, tilt and articulating.
Fixed mounts, sometimes called low-profile mounts, are simplest and the least expensive option. They’re designed to attach to the wall and stay there, giving zero movement to the TV once it is hung. Be careful when selling these—some don’t have a lot of room, so cables might need right-angle adapters in order to fit between the wall and the television. Alternatively, an install with a shallow box in the wall can solve that issue.
Tilt mounts are the next step up. They come in handy particularly when the television is going to be hung high up on a wall or above a fireplace because the screen can be pointed downward for easier viewing and glare reduction. These won’t usually have the same problems with cable space as some fixed mounts.
Finally, the premium full-motion or articulating mounts are designed to swing out from the wall, tilt, pan, spin, and move to whatever orientation the user needs. Since the mount has to allow so much freedom of movement, typically the cable management systems are better on these models.
Cables:
The glamour and charm of the Oscars would be non-existent if it weren’t for the hard work going on behind the scenes and that same rule applies to the hard-working cables in an HDTV setup. From HDMI to TOSlink even component video and composite, cables are a necessary component. They are also one of the primary opportunities to profit from television sales.
For customers who want to stretch the very last bit of performance out of their system, the HDMI cable with gold-plated connectors and nitrogen gas-injected dielectric components, like the Monster MON127661 are perfect. Even less demanding customers will benefit from spending a little more on a high-quality cable so it’s a win-win for you and your customers.
High-performance cables like the Acoustic Research Gold Series have better strain relief, which keeps connections and signals strong. This is crucial in situations where a television or video component is in a tight space, like a flat screen on a fixed mount. If there’s a hard bend at the connector, over time the connection will degrade until the cable is unusable.
Better-shielded cables also make sense, especially for systems that have a lot of cables in a small space. Shielding keeps out interference and allows for longer runs.
If you have an install business, better cables can mean less follow-up calls. A cable with stronger strain relief is going to keep you from going back when the family decides to move the Blu-ray player further away and jerks the cord out of the TV.
Remotes:
Universal remotes are another great accessory for add-on sales. Most televisions are connected to several video sources these days. With a cable box, TiVo box, Blu-ray player, game console, and soundbar all linked to a television, remotes become hard to keep track of and cause a good deal of clutter. A universal remote is a simple solution.
Some universal remotes can only control a couple of devices, and the database of codes that they use can be limited. Learning remotes can learn remote codes directly from the remote control supplied with each component.
Depending on how many devices your customers need to control and their budget, a high-end remote like the URC MX-450 might be a good option. A remote like the MX-450 will really come in handy for televisions with a lot of peripherals. Since some of these more complicated learning remotes have a myriad of programming options, it may be an additional chance to sell an add-on install service. A remote that is a little more DIY friendly and has the ultimate cool factor is the Blumoo Universal Remote. It turns your customers’ iPhone, iPad or Android device into a remote and can even stream music to the stereo.
Antennas:
Though the numbers are still small, “cord-cutters”, or people who don’t pay for cable or satellite TV, are growing more common. About 6.5% of nationwide households have cut the cord. For several years running, 15% of all adult broadband users with pay TV consider getting rid of their paid TV subscription within the next 6 months. This trend has continued to grow and shows no signs of stopping. It’s particularly popular among millennials, many of whom may never use a pay TV service.
What does this mean for you?
People who are cutting the cord and moving to Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime still need a way to access their local channels and watch award shows. This leaves the door open for antenna sales. One of the most popular antennas on the market right now is the Mohu Leaf 30, which is a low-profile flat antenna that picks up signals well. If people are buying a smart TV, or making one with a Roku or Apple TV, an antenna is a great accessory to offer.
Other Accessories:
After seeing which movies and actors win the Academy Awards, your customers will want to see them for themselves. For this they’ll need a Blu-ray player or maybe a TiVo with streaming capabilities.
Blu-ray players are also a great way to add margin. If your customers have been slow to upgrade from DVD or want a more feature-rich player, RCA’s BRC11082E Blu-Ray Player is a good recommendation. If your customers want to get the most from their new High Definition TV, they need the enhanced 1080p definition that comes with Blu-Ray to really get the most out of it.
TiVo not only offers a way to record TV, but it also includes access to Netflix and Amazon streaming services. The TiVo app on iOS and Android devices will let your customers download or stream shows to their device via WiFi, and the Roamio Pro 6, your customers can record up to six HD shows at once.
The Petra Promise
So whether it is during the Academy Awards, or any other time of year, if you want to stay afloat through the changing market currents, Petra is a great partner to have. We may not be awarded Best Feature Film, but if there were an award for product selection, service and overall customer satisfaction, we would definitely take home the Oscar. Keep following the Petra XChange for more tips on how to grow your business.