Cancer Didn’t Stop This Ironman

Posted on by Kaitlin Dunlap

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Inspired by “Movember” (November is the month that is associated with raising awareness and funds for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer.) and with the season of giving upon us, we wanted to share a story about Mike Dunlap, president of Dunlap Marketing. The below article, written by freelance writer, Annette Baird, was published in the Houston Chronicle in June 2012. Mike gave his time and energy to raise awareness about prostate cancer. How can you use your talents and skills for the good of others this holiday season?

It’s been about two decades since he saw his first Ironman competition on TV, but west Houston resident Mike Dunlap said the impact of the competitors and their stories stayed with him.

Recently, Dunlap, 51, completed his first Ironman and has his own story, persevering in circumstances that might have stopped the less determined.

Since signing up last June to compete in The Woodlands Ironman, Dunlap went through surgery for a dislocated shoulder, a diagnosis of prostate cancer and subsequent surgery and a bout of kidney stones.

None of these obstacles weakened Dunlap’s resolve, and on May 19 he completed the grueling race, which involved a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run, in 13 hours, 52 minutes and 10 seconds, finishing 76th out of 133 in his age group.

However, it wasn’t his personal accomplishment that Dunlap wanted to bring attention to. Rather, he wanted to raise awareness about prostate cancer and the need for regular check-ups, especially if it runs in the family as did his.

“There’s a ton more information about breast cancer, which is terrific, as compared to prostate cancer, ” he said. “But it’s compounded by the fact that guys don’t want to talk about such a thing.”

Dunlap’s physician Dr. Brian Miles, a urology oncologist, recommended that men age 50 and over should be tested annually for prostate cancer, while men with a family history of the disease or who are African Americans should start at as early as age 40.

“Thirty-two thousand men will die this year from prostate cancer, ” Miles said. “Learn from someone like Mike that this is a real disease that can have an impact.”

Dunlap had set his sights on competing in an Ironman before he turned 40, but life and a passion for tournament waterskiing got in the way. The proximity of The Woodlands competition, however, was too convenient to pass up.

In shape from waterskiing and the Rummel Creek Men’s Boot Camp he helps run, Dunlap threw himself into a rigorous training regimen. But just weeks into training, he dislocated a shoulder and had to have surgery. Undaunted, Dunlap was soon back to cycling and running, holding off on swimming until his rehabilitation was over.

In the meantime, a routine check-up handed Dunlap a not-unexpected diagnosis of early stage prostate cancer. Dunlap’s father had prostate cancer, and two of his four brothers had been diagnosed with the disease just months before.

“I knew I was going to get prostate cancer, ” Dunlap said. “I was prepared to get it, but I was a little angry about the timing.”

Dunlap’s father eventually died of leukemia, while his brothers, ages 47 and 57, are doing well, he said.

Persuaded by his wife Meegan and three daughters to have the surgery sooner rather than later, Dunlap had his prostate removed in January and was lucky enough not to need further treatment.

His training schedule pushed back further, Dunlap admitted to feeling sorry for himself at times, but drew strength and inspiration from family friend 16-year-old Courtney Pette, who had recently overcome lymphoma.

“I thought about how Courtney handled herself against a much scarier challenge, ” Dunlap said.

Dunlap’s friend and fellow boot-camp trainer Lance Mosby never thought the cancer was going to stop Dunlap, despite the looming competition.

“Even after surgery, when it’s very sensitive to ride a bike, he was still going to ride a bike, ” Mosby said.

Ride, run and swim, he did.

Update:

Since Mike’s Ironman in May 2012, he has not slowed down much at all. He has participated in many running events ranging from 5Ks to a 200-mile relay race. His passion for helping others keeps him running on. In June 2014, he did a 50-mile trail race to raise money for Snowdrop Foundation, a non-profit that raises funds for pediatric cancer research.

When Mike isn’t on a training ride or crossing a finish line, he is busy being a husband, father, and business owner. In 1996 he started Dunlap Marketing, a Houston-based telemarketing firm that focuses on lead generation, appointment setting, and survey services.

Thought of the Day – Telemarketing, Appointment Setting and Lead Generation

Posted on by Kaitlin Dunlap

Is there a best time of day to call a prospect when you are doing your own lead generation or appointment setting?

I have this question asked quite often. In the big picture, there probably is a best time to call a prospect; the problem is we usually don’t know what the best time is for each prospect that needs to be called. Because of this, the worst thing to happen is not to call the prospects at all. Commonly, if you wait for the best time, the time may never come. Or, by putting off making a call until the “best time”, you get distracted by something else and the call never gets made.

Rather than trying to time your calls perfectly, just make them, especially when you are trying to develop a new list of prospects where there is no existing relationship. The game of numbers almost always plays to your advantage if you are making your calls. What is guaranteed is you will never connect with a prospect unless you make a call.

As you develop your list of new prospects, call them, and capturing important information, you also learn what certain people’s behaviors are. As you learn, you might be able to time your future calls better.

In my opinion, it’s acceptable to call at 8:00AM Monday morning, and it’s acceptable to call at 5:00PM on a Friday afternoon. Not everyone starts Monday late or leaves early on Friday afternoons. A great time to catch me is a Friday afternoon, late into the day. I find that our office gets quiet and I become very productive.

Pick up the phone and make the prospecting phone calls that need to be made……….NOW. (comments written by Mike Dunlap, miked@dunlapmarketing.com , 281.496.9870 x140)

Telemarketing Services Bring $1.2M in Quick-Push Sales Effort

Posted on by Kaitlin Dunlap

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A long-time customer, who has used Dunlap Marketing’s telemarketing and appointment setting services for 9 years, called with a time sensitive project to promote a special 1-day sale. The project had been labeled as “high priority”. In an effort to compliment a direct mail and email push that the customer had already implemented, Dunlap Marketing called over 9,600 prospects inside of a 3-day period. Their job was to call the prospects and gain agreement to attend an upcoming special sales event.

The database represented up to 3-year-old records of individuals who had expressed interest in services, but had not yet purchased. In many instances, active communications did not exist between the client and prospects.

From all the prospects called, the client reported an immediate $1.2 million in new business sales that were signed on the day of the event. During the telemarketing calls, 287 individuals agreed to attend. Of these attending, 62 purchased and took advantage of great pricing. Because of the success of the telemarketing calls, Dunlap Marketing was asked to implement a follow up appointment setting campaign, calling prospects that initially committed but were unable to attend the sales event. Forty-six face-to-face appointments were set and an additional $354,000 in new business resulted from these appointments.

The customer described his experience with Dunlap Marketing as, “Very successful! I am very impressed with how quickly Dunlap Marketing designed a message and launched a call campaign that created outstanding results and revenue. It is amazing at how they responded to such a large prospect list. We will implement this same strategy again next year.”

Can a telemarketing campaign bring your business more than $1 million in immediate sales? Maybe yes or maybe no. However, if done correctly with a targeted call list, Dunlap Marketing can implement a “quick-push” telemarketing and appointment setting campaign similar to this. Organization, experience, efficiency, and well-trained staff members are all key ingredients to success.