HVAC manufacturers sell products in at least one of three ways:
selling directly to consumers through a websiternselling to retail stores that sell to consumersrnselling to distributors (who sell to retail stores, who then sell to consumers).
Manufacturers strive for coveted distributor relationships because they offer the advantage of dealing with a select few major buyers. Selling to retailers is typically time-consuming, and retailers can be choosy about who they work with. They prefer the one-stop shop of distributors, or working with preferred manufacturers who offer them deals and incentives for their business. When working with a distributor, for the most part, that distributor handles the responsibility of selling your product to retailers, dealers, and end-consumers (Inc.com, “Distributorships and Dealerships”). As the manufacturer, using a distributor sales channel means you can focus on doing what you do best—producing.