Some appliance brands have the product, margin, and support to win, yet they still struggle to gain traction. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon are joined by Stuart Stone, Chief Commercial Officer of Royal Green Appliance Companies, to unpack why being “almost there” is often harder than starting from scratch.

The conversation pulls back the curtain on what actually holds brands back once the fundamentals are in place. Stuart shares real world perspective from the C-suite and the showroom floor, breaking down why price pressure, brand baggage, overinvestment in digital features, and weak sales positioning can quietly stall momentum. The group also dives into brands that have lost ground, brands on the cusp of a comeback, and categories that deserve far more attention than they currently get at retail.

This episode offers rare insight for appliance professionals who want to understand how manufacturers think, why sales teams hesitate to embrace certain brands, and what actually moves the needle when a product is close but not closing. If you sell, train, or lead in the appliance industry, this conversation will sharpen how you evaluate brands, features, and long-term positioning.

Who This Episode Is For

Appliance sales professionals, showroom managers, manufacturer reps, and industry leaders who want deeper insight into brand strategy, sales training, and why some products stall despite strong fundamentals.

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

Timestamps

• 00:00 Introducing Stuart Stone and why this perspective matters
• 01:00 Why some brands look perfect on paper but stall in reality
• 02:30 Is price pressure the final hurdle or just part of the problem
• 05:00 Brands that are close and what is still holding them back
• 10:45 Viking’s brand baggage and the challenge of regaining trust
• 13:30 How sales teams decide which brands are “worth the effort”
• 18:30 Features manufacturers invest in that customers do not value
• 22:30 When digital features become a distraction instead of a benefit
• 28:00 Categories that should sell better but consistently underperform
• 32:30 Training salespeople to stop being financial advisors
• 38:30 What manufacturers and retailers should actually fix next
• 45:00 Final takeaways on brand momentum and positioning

#applianceindustry #appliancesales #appliancesalestraining #productpositioning

#applianceretail #applianceprofessionals #applianceindustrypodcast

#appliancebrands #brandstrategy #manufacturers

#appliancesalesfloor #salestraining #luxuryappliances

Customers say “they don’t make them like they used to” because they feel burned, and they want you to admit it. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down how to handle the longevity objection without getting defensive, overpromising, or losing the customer’s trust.

The conversation explains why this objection is actually a credibility test. Customers are not asking for a technical explanation, they are asking whether you will be honest. Anthony and Jon walk through how to commiserate without agreeing that everything is garbage, how to explain why appliances have changed, and how to shift the conversation from frustration into realistic expectations and better decision making.

This episode gives appliance sales professionals a clean, repeatable way to respond to one of the most common objections on the floor. If you sell appliances and regularly hear “my old one lasted 20 years,” this conversation will sharpen how you acknowledge the truth, keep control of the sale, and protect trust early in the experience.

Who This Episode Is For

Appliance sales professionals, showroom managers, and anyone responsible for handling customer objections and setting expectations in appliance retail.

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

Timestamps

• 00:00 Why this is one of the stickiest objections in appliance sales
• 00:30 Why the objection is really a commiseration moment
• 03:35 The consumer pushback every salesperson should expect
• 06:55 The “does that appliance even exist anymore” question
• 07:12 The money conversation and perceived long-term value
• 10:54 The short version that works in under a minute
• 14:02 Why this objection is an early trust-building opportunity

#applianceindustry #appliancesales #appliancesalestraining #productpositioning#applianceretail #applianceprofessionals #applianceindustrypodcast#applianceobjections #customerobjections #salespsychology#appliancelongevity #appliancerepair #appliancereliability#sellingappliances #appliancesalesfloor #closingthesale#customerservice #appliancesalesbestpractices

Auto cook features look impressive when the buttons light up, but most customers quietly decide they will never use them. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down why auto cook often feels like a demo feature instead of a daily benefit, and how to position it so it actually adds value.

The conversation explores why no one becomes a better cook just by pressing a button, and why overselling auto cook as “hands-off cooking” immediately creates skepticism. Instead, Anthony and Jon explain how the best auto cook systems work as guided assistance, helping with rack placement, cookware choice, and process, rather than pretending to replace skill or experience.

This episode helps appliance professionals reframe auto cook as instructional support instead of automation hype. If you sell ovens, ranges, or smart cooking features and struggle to make auto cook feel useful instead of gimmicky, this conversation will change how you present it on the sales floor.

Who This Episode Is For

Appliance sales professionals, showroom managers, manufacturer reps, and anyone selling ovens or ranges with auto cook or preprogrammed cooking features.

Follow the Show

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

Timestamps

• 00:00 Why auto cook looks better than it feels
• 00:30 Why customers rarely believe auto cook will help them
• 01:15 Why pressing buttons does not make better cooks
• 02:05 How auto cook is often oversold as automation
• 03:10 Reframing auto cook as guided assistance
• 04:15 Why instruction beats full automation
• 05:10 How proper positioning restores credibility

Whirlpool’s 2-in-1 removable agitator washer sounds like the best of both worlds. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down why that promise can quietly fall apart if the feature is not framed with clear expectations.

The conversation explains why agitators still matter for cleaning performance and why assuming customers will regularly remove and reinstall the agitator is unrealistic. While removing the agitator does create space for oversized loads like comforters, it also comes with a clear tradeoff in wash performance that must be explained upfront.

This episode helps appliance professionals position Whirlpool’s removable agitator honestly, without undermining the product or surprising the customer later. If you sell top load laundry and struggle to balance flexibility with performance conversations, this episode will sharpen how you talk about removable agitators on the sales floor.

Who This Episode Is For

Appliance sales professionals, showroom managers, manufacturer reps, and anyone selling top load washers or laundry appliances with configurable wash systems.

Follow the Show

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

Timestamps

• 00:00 Why the removable agitator sounds like a perfect solution
• 00:30 The assumption sales teams make about user behavior
• 01:15 Why agitators still matter for cleaning performance
• 02:00 What actually happens when the agitator is removed
• 02:40 Why customers need clear expectations upfront
• 03:15 Framing flexibility without overselling performance
• 03:45 How to protect the sale with honest positioning

Thermador is a powerhouse in cooking, but its refrigeration often gets treated as an afterthought in the sales conversation. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon unpack why Thermador refrigeration tends to ride along on promotions and packages instead of standing on its own merits.

The discussion explores what is commonly missed when Thermador refrigerators are presented, which features and innovations deserve more attention, and why the brand remains dominant in the category even when refrigeration is not leading the story. Anthony and Jon also explore what Thermador could inject into its refrigeration lineup to move from suite driven success to true category leadership.

This episode helps appliance professionals rethink how they position Thermador refrigeration without relying solely on promotions or bundled value. If you sell luxury appliance suites and feel like refrigeration is the weakest part of the Thermador conversation, this episode will sharpen how you approach it on the sales floor.

Who This Episode Is For

Appliance sales professionals, showroom managers, manufacturer reps, and anyone selling luxury appliance suites or built-in refrigeration.

Follow the Show

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

Timestamps

• 00:00 Why Thermador refrigeration is often glossed over
• 00:30 How cooking dominates the Thermador sales story
• 01:20 What sales teams are missing in refrigeration
• 02:10 Features that should lead the Thermador conversation
• 03:10 Why Thermador wins the category for non technical reasons
• 04:05 What Thermador could add to elevate refrigeration
• 05:00 Moving beyond promotions and packages

Steam closets are some of the most visually impressive appliances in the showroom, yet they remain one of the hardest to explain. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down why steam closets often stall out as a novelty instead of becoming a meaningful part of the laundry conversation.

The discussion focuses on why steam closets fail when they are positioned as a dry cleaner, iron replacement, washer, or storage solution all at once. Instead, their real value lives in the space between clean and dirty. For clothing that is too worn to hang back up but does not need a full wash, the steam closet becomes the missing step that refreshes, deodorizes, relaxes wrinkles, and extends time between washes.

This episode helps appliance professionals reposition steam closets as a front end solution in the laundry conversation rather than a last minute add on. If you sell laundry appliances or struggle to explain what a steam closet actually replaces, this conversation will change how you talk about them on the sales floor.

Who This Episode Is For

Appliance sales professionals, showroom managers, manufacturer reps, and anyone selling premium laundry solutions or garment care appliances.

Follow the Show

New episodes of The Steel CodCast drop every day of the week, including weekends. Follow the show so you never miss an episode.

Timestamps

• 00:00 Why steam closets create curiosity but not clarity
• 00:30 What steam closets are incorrectly compared to
• 01:15 Why unclear positioning kills momentum
• 01:55 Moving steam closets to the front of the laundry conversation
• 02:40 What steam closets actually replace and improve
• 03:35 Solving the “too clean, too dirty” clothing problem
• 04:25 How steam closets extend time between washes
• 05:15 Why this is the value customers immediately feel

Samsung’s AI powered wall ovens promise smarter cooking through cameras and automated recommendations, but not every smart feature makes customers feel more confident. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon unpack why leading with AI can actually push customers away instead of pulling them in.

The conversation explains why most cooking failures are not caused by a lack of intelligence in the oven, but by fundamentals like preheating, pan crowding, and timing. When AI skips past those basics and positions itself as the solution, customers quickly decide the feature is unnecessary and disengage from the entire product. The discussion also highlights why the built in oven camera is genuinely useful on its own, even if the AI layer feels premature.

This episode helps appliance professionals understand when to lean into innovation and when to protect the sale by reframing or downplaying features customers are not ready to accept. If you sell smart cooking appliances or struggle with features that sound impressive but feel unnecessary, this conversation will change how you talk about Samsung AI cooking on the sales floor.

Who This Episode Is For

Appliance sales professionals, showroom managers, manufacturer reps, and anyone selling wall ovens or connected cooking appliances.

Follow the Show

New episodes of The Steel CodCast drop every day of the week, including weekends. Follow the show so you never miss an episode.

Timestamps

• 00:00 Why AI cooking triggers immediate skepticism
• 00:30 When smart features feel unnecessary
• 01:20 Why cooking failures are usually not technical
• 02:05 What the oven camera actually solves
• 02:45 How AI skips past cooking fundamentals
• 03:25 When customers mentally opt out of features
• 03:55 Protecting the sale by reframing innovation
• 04:20 When skipping a feature is the right move

“Free delivery” is one of the toughest objections independent appliance retailers face because it involves real dollars, not philosophy. In this episode of The Steel CodCast, Anthony and Jon break down why this objection shows up so late in the sales process and how it can derail otherwise strong deals.

The conversation explores how big box delivery promises are framed, why customers mentally price out their purchase before sitting down at the desk, and how charging for delivery feels different when it is introduced at the end instead of explained throughout the experience. Anthony and Jon also discuss how proper qualification, rapport, and expectation setting turn delivery from a price objection into a credibility moment.

This episode helps appliance professionals understand why losing a sale over delivery often points to a breakdown earlier in the process and how to confidently explain the real value of professional delivery without sounding defensive. If you sell appliances in an independent retail environment and regularly hear “but they offer free delivery,” this episode will sharpen how you handle one of the most common objections on the floor.

Who This Episode Is For

Independent appliance retailers, appliance sales professionals, showroom managers, and anyone responsible for closing appliance sales where delivery is part of the conversation.

Follow the Show

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

Timestamps

• 00:00 Why free delivery is a uniquely difficult objection
• 00:35 Why delivery objections feel different than product objections
• 01:20 How big box delivery promises shape expectations
• 02:10 Why customers price the sale before sitting down
• 03:05 Introducing delivery value earlier in the experience
• 04:15 Explaining paid delivery without sounding defensive
• 05:25 Why explanation solves most delivery objections
• 06:45 When losing on delivery signals a bigger issue
• 08:30 Using rapport and qualification to close the gap
• 10:10 Why free delivery is never actually free