Please read this Interview before your Complimentary Consultation with Mike.

 

 

Mike Saunders, MBA  

 

Mike Saunders holds an MBA in Marketing and helps small business owners increase sales using online marketing.
In addition to coaching and consulting clients in his firm Marketing Huddle LLC,  Mike enjoys teaching Marketing as an Adjunct Marketing Professor at select Colleges and Universities.Mike also is a Marketing Consultant with the Denver Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

 

By visiting www.ThePrismSalvation.com  you can download the 1st chapter of his new book: "The PRISM Salvation-a 3-Step Solution to Social Media Domination for Busy Business Owners". You can also download: "The Social Media Dashboard" for Free which gives 1-click access to simplify your social media marketing.  

Through his coursework for his MBA in Marketing, Mike created the Marketing Huddle which is a marketing coaching firm focusing on helping small business owners use the latest cutting-edge marketing tools and systems in their business to increase new business, sales and referrals. Most businesses owners realize that they need marketing, but they do not know how to get started. The solution is to set up automated systems to keep in touch with prospects until they buy and keep in touch with clients to receive referrals and stay top-of-mind to stimulate repeat sales.

 

Mike has been married for 13 years and has 3 Daughters and a Son and enjoys spending time at their family's cabin in the mountains of Colorado hiking and riding ATV, and enjoys playing acoustic guitar in the College and Career Sunday School class he teaches at church.

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Reflecting back on what brought him to this point in his career:
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I grew up in Virginia and remember the financial struggle my parents dealt with after losing their home in foreclosure because of a bad business deal my Father's boss put him in. We went to live with my Grandparents in their basement apartment, and it was nice enough with a kitchenette, bathroom and 1 bedroom. This was pretty tight quarters with my parents and sister and I…and I kid you not, since there was not enough room, I slept in the workshop. Right next to the lathe and workbench!

I didn't realize it them, but this time in my life really made me realize that I would do everything I could to keep this from ever happening to my family. Looking back, it actually was a motivating experience…because it was something I didn't ever want to have!

Fast forward 10 years: After graduating from college at Liberty University, I made some very poor financial decisions regarding the use of credit cards. Even though my parents taught me the dangers of consumer debt, I still wanted to have all the "stuff" I wanted and in about 4 years ended up with over $35,000 in credit card debt with minimum monthly payments as much as my mortgage payment! I even made an appointment with a Bankruptcy attorney to file Chapter 13, but sitting in the office filling out the info sheet on the clipboard it hit me that I just couldn't do that.

I decided to tough it out and make it work, and I don't have an easy answer or a spectacular story of how "this one little idea turned into hundreds of thousands of dollars"…because in life that type of story is just plain rare!

What I did is become diligent like Proverbs teaches about the success of the diligent, so in my job with my new Wife, I just put my nose to the grindstone and worked hard, then when I was tired of working hard….I kept at it!
We had moved from Virginia to Colorado where my Wife's family is from, and stayed with her parents until our house sold thinking a few weeks in close quarters wouldn't be too bad. But the housing market in 1998 in Virginia wasn't all that great and it turned out to be 8 months and after our 1st baby arrived (still living in her parents extra bedroom) we decided to buy our own place even though we would have 2 mortgage payments. While finances were tight, the job I had, provided opportunities to earn sales commissions and it was during this time that we were able to systematically pay off each and every credit card!

In fact as we wrote the check for each final payment on each card we literally took the statement out to the back yard and burned it signifying that we would never get into that situation again. And we never did! In fact, because of my constant desire to learn sales and marketing and just devouring books and audio programs, I began to see a trend that I slowly started to build on in my marketing. IT turned out that setting up automated marketing systems kept me busy with new prospects and clients. As I kept improving my marketing I achieved many awards and trips and even was the #1 Producer in the entire country 2 years in a row for the major financial institution I worked for.
We were blessed during this time in my career, not only with 3 more children, but also such an dramatic increase in commissions that we systematically paid off our $300,000 mortgage as well.

I was told by many financial advisors who would tell me there was a much better place to put my money, but I just kept telling them the story of living in my Grandfather's workshop and I didn't want to ever have a chance of letting that happen to my family!

When the "Credit Crisis" hit our economy in October 2007, it became clear to me that business would never be the same and I decided to enroll in an MBA in Marketing to expand my potential future. One of the motivating factors in making this decision was my Wife's encouragement, and the other was my Father who at age 60 had just finished his PHD in International Business! So I figured at age 40 I could handle my MBA!

It was through my MBA program that caused me to create the Marketing Huddle and bring together all of the critical marketing tools and strategy that I had tested and tried over the years that had proven to be so successful. Building off of that foundation by adding the cutting-edge technology that we have available to us today truly allows the business owner and sales professional to make great strides in achieving their business goals by finally taking care of their marketing!

 

How did the Marketing Huddle get started?

At the age of 40 with a Wife and 4 small kids I decided to start my MBA in Marketing to better my career. After the initial group of classes (the boring ones!) I got into the Marketing Core and the 1st project was to create a Business and Marketing Plan for any business we wanted. I thought about it, and decided to choose a Marketing Coaching firm because I had noticed over the years so many Small Business Owners and Sales Professionals who just don't market consistently.  As the project progressed and the plan took shape, the company Marketing Huddle just came to life, and actually began to attract clients because some of the coursework required surveying potential clients on their marketing needs. When people I knew found out that I was getting my MBA in Marketing and saw the vision of the Coaching firm that had been created, they naturally began to ask how it could help them.

Who are your clients?

I specialize in Small Business Owners and Sales Professionals, this is a passion of mine because there is so great of a need in this area of marketing for them. Typically this group cannot afford to hire a marketing department or high-priced consultant like "the big-boys". When you think about it, a Sales Professional such as a College Financial Planner or Insurance Sales Rep are small business owners in their mind-set because they must make the same budgeting, sales, planning decisions that the brick-and-mortar business owner must.

Neither group has the luxury of having sales leads and prospects handed to them on a silver platter, and while they run the daily business grind, they must consistently day-in-and-day-out market their products and services or else they lose momentum. For most business owners, it just does not get done and their business either suffers, or is held back because of that lack of marketing focus.

How are you different than other business coaches?

My approach is completely different than the typical business coach because I only work with Small Business Owners and Sales Professionals. Business Coaching is one of the fastest growing industries now but what I see is that every one is focusing on the Macro approach to marketing. In other words, they have you identify your Competitive Advantage, Ideal Client, Core Marketing Message, Branding, Organizational efficiencies, balance sheet, P&L etc.

While these are extremely important areas, for the typical small business owner today …they just need to get more business in the door. They don't really care whether their logo has blue or red in it. What is needed is the ability to generate new prospects who are interested in their products and services. Then since statistics document that only 3% of those people are ready to buy from you now, there needs to be a way to keep in touch with the 80%-90% that will buy sometime in the next 3-6 months. You want them to choose your company. 

Additionally, business owners tend to ignore the people that already have given them cash, their current customer base. By adding just one simple marketing tool, these customers can be alerted of specials and coupons that get them back in the store or buying from you again. Cross-sell a different product that compliments what they bought, up-sell a larger version of the same product, or merely remind them you are still there! Since it costs 5-7 times more money to get a new customer, more emphasis needs to be given to the customers you already have to easily increase bottom line profits.

 

What type of personality do you work best with and what is expected of me?

The Marketing Huddle Coaching Program was designed for small business owners and sales professionals have a strong desire to break out of past patterns and are willing to learn a new way of doing things in order to get the results they desire in their business. Being extremely ambitious myself, I’m known to work best with people who want to go after big goals and make a huge transition in their lives within a single year, I team up with you to support you any way I can in achieving what you most want in your business.
 
You will be expected to take serious, consistent action towards your goals. Entering a coaching engagement is an invitation to do and see things differently, to discover new things about yourself, and to build empowering habits that bring prosperity into your business. The nice part is that with Automated Marketing Tools and Systems, once you do the work to set them up, it takes very little time and effort to keep them working for you.

 

What type of person is the program NOT going to work for?

Please know that I am very selective in whom I work with, choosing to turn away those I feel are not suited for this program and won’t get the results they or I want to achieve. Some people are simply not ready to take responsibility and action in their business, and that is fine, we just want to identify this upfront to save us both time and energy.

The types of persons I will not work with (without exception) are the whiner or chronic skeptic, as well as individuals who consistently make excuses for not getting their actions done or challenging every aspect of the program. If you are one of these people, I gently and respectfully ask you not to call and I hope you understand why. My experience is that we won’t work well together, and I don’t want you to waste your time or money. I think it is fair for you to know this up front rather than to be disappointed in our working together.

What results can I expect? 

Our "Do-it-Yourself" option is "The PRISM Salvation Training System". This is 24 hour access to video training to learn how to implement the tactics taught in my book The PRISM Salvation. This is not just theory and ideas, but actual "look over my shoulder" instruction on how exactly to get the system up and running. Anyone may choose this option as it it a one-time fee with 24 hr access to the product and is up to you to implement. (The Private Coaching option is where you will need to schedule your get acquainted complimentary consultation for me to evaluate if what your business needs and what I offer are a good fit.)
 The 100+ videos are delivered sequentially so that you never feel overwhelmed with content and you can learn and implement in your comfort zone.

 For those that realize that they need a bit more accountability in order to implement the system you may want to consider our Private Coaching option where I will personally meet with you by phone each week for 90 days to coach and train you in getting the tools and systems implemented. You will learn strategic marketing initiatives around the tools as well as action plans and assignments each week for you to complete so that we're ready for the next step to implement your marketing plan. 

 

Does This Really Work, and How Can I Get the Results I Need?

In a word, Yes! But let's be honest…even the most productive diet in the world will not help you shed the pounds if you don't follow the program! So whether you choose the PRISM Salvation Training System, or look into the Private Coaching, the same thing applies, you must have the desire to improve your business and marketing results and then take action!

Do all of your assignments. Show up for each coaching call on time and totally focused. Understand that this is not a "quick fix," it’s not magic and it takes time to create lasting change. All of my clients who have diligently applied themselves to implementing these tools in their business have experienced the success they needed in much less time than they would have on their own.

How will we work together and what does the program entail?

The PRISM Salvation Training System is self-directed with 24 hr. access to your member area for the training, plus unlimited e-mail support from me. The Private Coaching option, if accepted into the program, you will receive total support from me via 1 hour telephone sessions and unlimited, personal email. You will receive tools and resources as well as the support to integrate them into your business. We work together to allow you to make a solid MBA-Level Marketing Plan and strategies that will achieve your goals. I will focus on keeping you on track, accountable and motivated, as well as balanced so that you can reach your goals faster than you ever would on your own.

 

Why over the phone?

Conducting our sessions over the phone eliminates any physical or social protocols that can distract and take up time. Working this way allows you to be in your own comfort zone and supports a focused conversation. I’m simply a voice in your ear, and the expert behind the email!  In fact many large Corporations have found that remote training performs best all the way around. Additionally this allows me to work with clients all over the Country, so, geography is no obstacle to getting the support you need.

Also, there are a few times that I will want to show you something specific and will set up a Virtual Meeting where you can simply click the link I email you and then watch me demonstrate the process for you while you watch and listen live and in real-time.

 

How long is the program? 

Of course the PRISM Salvation Training System is  self-directed so it's up to you! Complete control. But you need to motivate yourself to implement the system, only you know if this suits your personality and time constraints. The Private Coaching ranges from 3-5 months for initial set up of the system with some clients choosing to continue with an ongoing relationship where we go to Advanced Marketing Strategy and Strategic Performance systems. But typically, it takes at the very least 3 months for complete setup.