Welcome to The Dealer Download, powered by RS&I.

Borrowing is getting cheaper.
But buying is not getting easier.

In 2026, lower borrowing costs alone are not enough to move customers forward. Even as financing becomes more accessible, consumers are more cautious, more deliberate, and far more selective about where they spend their money.

At the same time, attention has become the hardest thing to earn.

Customers are overwhelmed by options, offers, and noise. They tune out faster, research longer, and place a higher premium on trust and clarity than ever before. This is not hesitation driven by fear. It is a shift in how people make decisions.

That shift is redefining the sales process.

In this episode of The Dealer Download, host Michael Shiverdecker breaks down how economic changes and evolving buyer behavior are reshaping sales conversations for Authorized Dealers. From affordability pressures to attention scarcity, this episode focuses on what actually matters when selling wireless, fiber, home automation, and security in 2026.

The takeaway is simple. Confident buyers are not created by lower rates. They are earned through relevance, transparency, and trust.

This episode shows how dealers must adapt their approach to align with how customers actually think today and how those who do will stay ahead while others struggle to break through.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why Lower Borrowing Costs Do Not Automatically Create Confident Buyers
  Understand why improved affordability does not guarantee faster decisions and what truly drives customer confidence in 2026.

   

• How Cautious Consumers Are Redefining the Sales Process
  Learn how deliberate, research-driven buyers are changing timelines, conversations, and expectations.

   

• Why Attention Is the Scarcest Resource in Modern Marketing
  Discover why earning attention matters more than generating leads and how dealers can stand out in a crowded market.

Welcome to The Dealer Download, powered by RS&I.

Connectivity is no longer something customers add on. It is the foundation of everything they expect to work.

In 2026, internet, wireless, smart home, and security are no longer separate conversations. They are one ecosystem. Customers want their Wi-Fi to handle work, streaming, security cameras, smart locks, and mobile devices without thinking about it. When something fails, they do not blame a product. They blame the provider.

That shift is redefining how connectivity is sold.

In this episode of The Dealer Download, host Michael Shiverdecker breaks down the forces reshaping how dealers win in this new environment. From smarter networks and evolving Wi-Fi performance to satellite disruption and new rural opportunities, this conversation focuses on what actually matters in real sales conversations, not industry hype.

The takeaway is simple. Dealers who understand how connectivity now works as a system will outperform those still selling individual products.

This episode shows how to sell solutions, not just services, and how to position your business for growth as customer expectations continue to rise.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why Connectivity Has Become the Product
  Customers no longer buy internet, Wi-Fi, security, and smart home separately. They expect one connected experience, and this episode explains how that changes the sales conversation.

•  

  How Integrated Ecosystems Are Changing Carrier Strategy
  Learn why carriers are bundling wireless, fiber, smart home, and security into unified platforms and how that creates new opportunities for Authorized Dealers.

Welcome to The Dealer Download, powered by RS&I.

Door to door sales has been declared “dead” more times than a soap opera character. Yet here it is, still closing deals, still building trust, and still outperforming many digital only channels when it comes to high intent conversions.

What has changed is not whether door to door works.
It is how it works.

Modern field sales is powered by data, digital tools, smarter territory planning, and tighter alignment with marketing. It is no longer about knocking blindly and hoping for the best. It is about precision, timing, and relevance.

For RS&I Authorized Dealers selling fiber, wireless, and smart home solutions, door to door has become one of the most effective growth channels when it is executed correctly.

In this episode of The Dealer Download powered by RS&I, host Michael Shiverdecker sits down with Levi Williams, Director of Sales for Lumen, T-Mobile, and Vivint at RS&I, to break down how door to door evolved and why it continues to outperform in a digital first world.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How Door to Door Evolved From Cold Knocking to Precision Targeting

  Door to door did not disappear. It got smarter. Today’s top teams use data, lead scoring, and neighborhood level insights to focus on homes that are most likely to convert. Levi explains how modern territory planning dramatically improves efficiency and closes more deals with fewer doors.

• Why Face to Face Still Wins in a Digital World

  Online ads can create awareness. In person conversations create trust. This episode explores why fiber, wireless, and home security are still easier to sell when a real human is standing at the door answering questions and solving problems in real time.

• What Today’s Top Reps Do Differently

  The best reps are not just knocking. They are qualifying, educating, and positioning themselves as consultants. Levi shares what separates high performing field reps from those who burn out and why coaching, scripts, and follow up matter more than ever.

Welcome to The Dealer Download, powered by RS&I.

Fiber broadband is expanding faster than ever. But the most important shift is not how much fiber is being deployed. It is how deployment itself is changing.

Smarter network design, federal funding, workforce challenges, and new technologies are reshaping what fiber looks like on the ground. For RS&I Authorized Dealers, understanding these shifts is no longer optional. It directly impacts how you sell, how you position solutions, and where growth comes from in 2026 and beyond.

In this episode of The Dealer Download powered by RS&I, host Michael Shiverdecker breaks down the six biggest trends transforming fiber deployment and why they matter for dealers selling AT&T Fiber, Brightspeed, and business connectivity solutions.

This is not a technical deep dive. It is a strategic one.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How Smarter Fiber Deployment Is Reducing Cost and Time
  Fiber builds are no longer one size fits all. New design methods, modular construction, and better planning are shortening install timelines and lowering deployment costs. This episode explains why these efficiencies accelerate market expansion and open new sales opportunities.

   

• Why Federal Funding Is Reshaping Fiber Strategy
  Programs like the BEAD Program are changing where and how fiber is built. Michael breaks down why public funding is driving rural and underserved expansion and how dealers benefit when new markets come online faster.

   

• How Fiber and 5G Convergence Expands Dealer Opportunity
  Fiber is no longer a standalone product. It is the foundation for wireless backhaul, redundancy, and hybrid connectivity models. This episode explains how fiber and 5G work together and why dealers who understand that relationship win more complex, higher value deals.

   

• Why Emerging Technologies Are Driving Demand
  AI, edge computing, advanced cloud workloads, and even quantum research all depend on low latency, high capacity networks. Fiber is becoming essential infrastructure, not an upgrade. Dealers who can articulate that value position themselves as long term partners, not commodity sellers.

   

• The Workforce Challenge Behind the Buildout
  Fiber expansion is moving fast, but skilled labor is not keeping pace. This episode explores why workforce shortages matter to timelines, why training initiatives are increasing, and how that impacts expectations with customers.

   

Welcome to The Dealer Download, powered by RS&I.

The copper shutdown clock is officially ticking. And for millions of businesses, the implications are bigger than most realize.

AT&T has confirmed it will retire copper based landline services across its 21 state footprint by the end of 2029. That decision sets a hard deadline on legacy phone infrastructure that many businesses still rely on every day. Elevators, fire alarms, security systems, point of sale terminals, and even fax lines are still running on copper in far more locations than expected.

This is not a distant issue. It is an active transition. And many businesses are unprepared.

That gap is not a problem. It is an opportunity.

In this update episode of The Dealer Download powered by RS&I, host Michael Shiverdecker explains what the copper shutdown really means, why waiting creates risk, and how RS&I Authorized Dealers can lead proactive, trust based migration conversations.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What the Copper Shutdown Actually Means
  This is not just about phone lines going away. Copper networks support critical business systems that require reliability and compliance. This episode breaks down what is being retired and why replacement planning cannot be delayed.

   

• Which Business Systems Are Most at Risk
  Elevators, life safety systems, alarms, access controls, POS terminals, and analog fax lines are often overlooked until they fail. Michael explains why these systems are especially vulnerable and why downtime or noncompliance can be costly.

   

• Why Waiting Increases Cost and Risk
  Businesses that delay migration will not just face higher costs. They risk service interruptions, rushed installations, and regulatory exposure. Planning early gives businesses control over timelines, budgets, and outcomes.

   

• How Authorized Dealers Can Lead the Conversation
  This transition is not about fear based selling. It is about continuity and futureproofing. Dealers who educate first and plan alongside their customers build long term relationships, not one time transactions.

   

• Why This Is a Once in a Generation Opportunity
  The move away from copper opens the door to modern solutions like fiber, wireless redundancy, Internet Air, and digital voice. Dealers who act early can position themselves as trusted advisors during a major infrastructure shift.