Most appliance brands think growth comes from marketing.

In this special guest episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon sit down with Andrew Savant, CEO of Pinnacle Sales Group, for a deep conversation about the future of appliances, distribution, retail, and why so many brands misunderstand how market momentum really works.

The discussion starts with Andrew’s journey into the appliance industry before quickly diving into a much bigger issue:

Together, they unpack:

The conversation also explores:

One of the biggest takeaways from the episode:

Not because appliances are bad, but because the process has become overloaded with:

Most importantly, they explain what the next generation of successful brands will likely do differently:

If you work in appliances, retail, manufacturing, distribution, or luxury design, this episode gives an incredibly honest look at where the industry is heading.

Appliance sales professionals, manufacturers, distributors, designers, and anyone interested in how appliance brands actually gain momentum in the market.

New episodes of The Steel CodCast drop every day of the week, including weekends. Follow, rate, and subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

0:00 Introducing Andrew Savant

#andrewsavant

Most independent retailers think they’re losing to big box stores because of price.

This episode argues that’s not actually the problem.

In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most uncomfortable conversations in appliances:

At first glance, the answer seems obvious:

But this episode explains why those things often aren’t the deciding factor at all.

Instead, they break down how customers are really making decisions based on something much simpler:

The conversation dives into how many independent retail experiences unintentionally create tension early in the process:

Meanwhile, big box stores often create the opposite experience:

They also unpack:

Most importantly, they explain what salespeople can actually change:

If you work in appliance retail or sales, this episode gives you a brutally honest but highly actionable framework for competing differently.

Appliance sales professionals, independent retailers, and anyone trying to understand why big box stores continue dominating appliance sales.

New episodes of The Steel CodCast drop every day of the week, including weekends. Follow, rate, and subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

0:00 Big Box vs Retail Setup

#appliancesales

Sub-Zero and True are down.

So what’s happening?

In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most misunderstood parts of the Steel Cod Power Index: movement inside the built-in refrigeration category.

And the key point is this:

This episode explains why.

They break down how the Power Index tracks conversation focus, not market share, and why shifts in discussion can reveal major changes happening underneath the surface long before the industry fully notices them.

The conversation dives into:

They also explain why brands like Sub-Zero and True are still dominant, but why dominance and active conversation aren’t always the same thing.

Most importantly, they unpack the larger trend:

If you work in luxury appliances, refrigeration, or kitchen design, this episode gives you a much clearer understanding of what these shifts actually mean.

Appliance sales professionals, designers, manufacturers, and anyone following luxury built-in refrigeration trends.

New episodes of The Steel CodCast drop every day of the week, including weekends. Follow, rate, and subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

0:00 Built-In Refrigeration Power Index Setup

#subzero

You’re not helping your dishwasher.

In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most common appliance habits today: pre-rinsing dishes before loading the dishwasher.

For a lot of people, it feels logical.

But modern dishwashers weren’t designed around that behavior.

This episode explains why.

They break down how today’s dishwashers rely on sensors, soil detection, and cycle adjustments to determine how aggressively the machine should clean. When dishes go in too clean, the machine may shorten cycles, reduce wash intensity, or miscalculate what’s actually needed.

The conversation also dives into:

They also explore the hidden consequences:

Most importantly, they explain how salespeople can quickly and simply reframe this behavior during the sales process so customers actually experience the dishwasher the way it was designed to work.

If you own a modern dishwasher or sell them professionally, this episode gives you a much clearer understanding of why pre-rinsing is becoming a real problem.

Appliance sales professionals, homeowners, and anyone trying to improve dishwasher performance and loading habits.

New episodes of The Steel CodCast drop every day of the week, including weekends. Follow, rate, and subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

0:00 Why Pre-Rinsing Is So Common

#dishwasher

Most people buy advanced washing machines…

In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the biggest disconnects in modern laundry: customers aren’t using washer cycles the way the machines were designed to be used.

For many people, the process becomes automatic:

But this episode explains why that habit creates problems.

They break down why customers avoid different cycles in the first place, from comfort and routine to the belief that cycle differences are mostly marketing. The conversation also explores how American laundry habits reinforce the idea that every cycle should deliver roughly the same result.

But that’s not how modern laundry systems actually work.

They explain how different cycles are designed around:

The discussion also dives into the hidden cost of misuse, including:

Most importantly, they explain how salespeople can better educate customers during the sales process so they actually experience the benefits of the machine they purchased.

If you own a modern washer or sell laundry appliances, this episode gives you a much clearer understanding of why cycle selection matters.

Appliance sales professionals, laundry shoppers, and anyone trying to better understand modern washing machine cycles and performance.

New episodes of The Steel CodCast drop every day of the week, including weekends. Follow, rate, and subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

0:00 Why Customers Think Washers “Don’t Work”

#washer

Few appliance debates get people more emotional than this one.

In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down the internet-famous comparison between the Speed Queen TC5 and the LG WT8400CW.

On the surface, the argument feels simple:

And that’s exactly why this comparison gets misunderstood.

This episode dives into why the TC5 has such a passionate following and what customers are actually responding to emotionally:

But the conversation also explains why those signals don’t automatically translate into better modern laundry performance.

They break down:

Then they compare what LG is doing differently:

Most importantly, they explain how salespeople should handle this comparison on the floor when customers walk in already emotionally committed to one side.

If you’re shopping for laundry or selling it professionally, this episode gives you a much deeper framework than the internet usually provides.

Appliance sales professionals, laundry shoppers, and anyone comparing Speed Queen vs LG washers.

New episodes of The Steel CodCast drop every day of the week, including weekends. Follow, rate, and subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

0:00 Speed Queen vs LG Setup

#speedqueen

Your dishwasher might not be broken.

In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the most common customer complaints in appliances: dishwashers not cleaning properly.

The problem?

This episode dives into why customers overload dishwashers in the first place and why modern dishwashers create expectations that aren’t always realistic. Once dishes go into the machine, people assume everything inside should come out perfectly clean and dry no matter how it’s loaded.

But that’s not how dishwashers actually work.

They break down what’s happening inside the machine, how water movement and spray coverage are affected by overcrowding, and why overloading creates issues far beyond dirty dishes.

The conversation also explores:

Most importantly, they explain how salespeople can properly set expectations during the sales process so customers succeed with the product instead of calling back frustrated.

If you own a dishwasher or sell them professionally, this episode gives you a much clearer understanding of why this problem keeps happening.

Appliance sales professionals, homeowners, and anyone frustrated with dishwasher cleaning performance and loading issues.

New episodes of The Steel CodCast drop every day of the week, including weekends. Follow, rate, and subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

0:00 Why Dishwashers Get Blamed

#dishwasher

More features should make appliances easier to sell. Instead, they’re making sales harder.

In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the biggest misconceptions in appliance sales: the belief that more features automatically create more value.

On paper, the industry has never had more to offer. More cycles. More automation. More intelligence. More ways to separate products from one another.

But this episode explains why that strategy often backfires.

They break down how customers aren’t actually trying to maximize features or optimize performance. Most customers are simply trying to avoid making a bad decision. And every additional feature creates another moment of uncertainty:

Will I use this?

Do I need to learn this?

What happens if I don’t understand it?

The conversation dives into how “good selling” often creates overload, why customers mentally shut down during feature-heavy presentations, and how the entire sales process slows the moment people stop feeling clarity.

They also explain the difference between explaining vs translating, and why features only matter when they connect directly to an existing behavior or routine the customer already lives in.

Most importantly, they walk through how to completely change the sales process: starting with behavior, filtering aggressively, and removing unnecessary complexity before ever getting to product.

If you sell appliances or are shopping for them, this episode gives you a completely different way to think about value.

Who This Episode Is For

Appliance sales professionals, retailers, and consumers trying to understand why appliance buying feels overwhelming.

Follow the Show

New episodes of The Steel CodCast drop every day of the week, including weekends. Follow, rate, and subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Chapters

0:00 Why Features Should Be Helping

0:37 Why Sales Are Actually Getting Harder

1:29 The Real Disconnect in Appliance Sales

1:54 What Customers Actually Want

3:09 Why Features Create Risk

4:10 Customer Overload Explained

5:17 Explaining vs Translating

6:13 Why Customers Avoid Friction

6:59 The Danger of “Good Selling”

7:42 How Customers Mentally Shut Down

8:51 Why People Step Down in Product

10:05 The Routine Problem

11:20 Features That Shift Burden to Customers

12:50 What Customers Are Really Buying

14:00 Why Generic Selling Fails

15:26 Why Reps Keep Making This Mistake

16:56 The Right Way to Sell Appliances

18:36 Why Qualification Must Happen First

19:36 Final Takeaways

#appliancesales #salespsychology #salestraining #applianceindustry #customerbehavior #appliancesalestraining #applianceprofessionals #retailsales #salesstrategy #applianceindustrypodcast

Move too fast and you lose the customer.

At least that’s what most salespeople believe.

In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the biggest misconceptions in sales: the idea that success comes from balancing speed vs relationship building.

This episode explains why that entire framework is wrong.

They break down how salespeople become obsessed with pacing:

But the conversation reveals that speed itself is never the real issue.

Instead, they explain how the best salespeople focus on something entirely different:

The discussion dives into the two common failure modes:

Both fail for the same reason: they lose control of the decision-making process.

They also unpack:

Most importantly, they introduce a repeatable sales framework:

If you work in sales, retail, or customer-facing conversations, this episode completely reframes how momentum actually works.

Appliance sales professionals, retail teams, and anyone looking to improve sales conversations, customer clarity, and decision-making control.

New episodes of The Steel CodCast drop every day of the week, including weekends. Follow, rate, and subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

0:00 Speed vs Relationship Setup

#salestraining

Indoor grills sound amazing. Until you actually live with one.

In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down one of the biggest expectation gaps in luxury cooking appliances: indoor grills vs griddles.

For years, indoor grills sold the dream of bringing outdoor grilling inside. No weather. No setup. Same flavor and same experience, just easier.

But this episode explains why that promise falls apart in real-world kitchens.

They break down how indoor grilling depends on an environment that simply doesn’t exist inside the home. Outdoor grilling works because of airflow, open space, and how smoke and grease behave. Indoors, those same byproducts overwhelm ventilation systems, create lingering odors, and turn cooking into a cleanup problem.

The conversation also explains why so many people stop using indoor grills after the novelty wears off, and why manufacturers themselves are quietly backing away from them.

Then they shift into the alternative: griddles.

Unlike grills, griddles integrate naturally into the kitchen environment. They offer even heat, consistency, flexibility, and far more day-to-day usability than most people realize. From proteins to vegetables to full meals, the conversation reframes griddles from “just breakfast” to one of the most practical cooking surfaces available.

Most importantly, they explain the real issue behind all of this: customers are buying the idea of grilling, not the outcome.

If you’re planning a luxury kitchen or selling cooking appliances, this episode gives you a much clearer framework for choosing the right surface.

Who This Episode Is For

Appliance sales professionals, luxury kitchen buyers, and anyone deciding between indoor grills and griddles.

Follow the Show

New episodes of The Steel CodCast drop every day of the week, including weekends. Follow, rate, and subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

Chapters

0:00 Grills vs Griddles Setup

0:30 Why Indoor Grills Sell So Easily

1:09 The “Outdoor Grilling Inside” Promise

2:00 What Customers Think They’re Getting

3:00 Why Indoor Grills Don’t Work the Same

3:48 The Ventilation Problem

4:16 Why Kitchen Hoods Get Overwhelmed

5:03 Why People Stop Using Indoor Grills

6:01 The Hidden Cost of Losing Burners

6:34 Why Griddles Get Underestimated

7:00 What Griddles Actually Do Better

7:43 Consistency and Real Usability

8:18 Buying the Idea vs the Outcome

8:59 Why Manufacturers Are Backing Away

9:51 Why This Debate Is Ending Itself

10:00 Final Takeaways

#grills #griddles #luxurykitchen #cookingappliances #ventilation #applianceindustry #appliancesales #appliancesalestraining #applianceprofessionals #applianceindustrypodcast