How to Boost Firm’s Profitability Through Strategic Cost Reduction With Michael Neil

Description:

Michael Neil is a Strategic Partner at Schooley Mitchell, helping organizations uncover overlooked operational expenses and turn them into measurable profit.
With documented savings exceeding $1B across 30,000+ clients, he brings a grounded, data-driven perspective on cost optimization that consulting firm owners rarely hear.
This conversation is especially relevant to consultants advising CEOs, CFOs, and non-profit leaders who want to create more value without adding complexity.

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Links:

StreamYard (for guest): https://streamyard.com/279dk59fju
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Michael's Bio:

Michael Neil is a Strategic Partner at Schooley Mitchell, the largest independent cost reduction firm in North America. He helps CEOs, CFOs, and non-profit executives reduce essential business expenses, often by 30–70%, using proprietary data, vendor-neutral analysis, and a pay-for-performance model.
With over 3,000 followers and more than a decade of experience in marketing, business strategy, and operational efficiency, he has supported organizations across manufacturing, healthcare, nonprofit, SaaS, and financial services.
His work has contributed to documented savings of over $1B for more than 30,000 clients. Michael also serves as a Strategic Partner at eXitSystems™, advising founders on scalable operations and exit-readiness.

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Show Notes:

Michael specializes in correcting the “information imbalance” most organizations face when dealing with vendors. While business owners only know what they pay, vendors know what everyone pays, and they use that advantage. Michael bridges that gap using Schooley Mitchell’s proprietary data, category-specific analysts, and a performance-based model where savings are found before fees are charged.
His work spans telecom, merchant services, waste management, shipping, SaaS, and utilities, all the “set it and forget it” expenses companies assume are optimized.
On average, clients reduce these essential costs by 28% without changing vendors or disrupting operations. For consultants advising clients on growth, systems, or financial health, Michael’s perspective provides a practical way to unlock profit with minimal additional effort from leadership teams.
Before joining Schooley Mitchell, Michael spent years leading marketing, strategy, operational improvement, and fundraising efforts for organizations across software, industrial distribution, non-profit, and financial services. He brings a calm, analytical approach rooted in measurable outcomes rather than theory.

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Proposed Interview Structure:

1. What originally pulled you into the cost reduction and operational efficiency space? Was there a specific moment when you realized organizations were overspending by this much?

2. You talk about the “information imbalance” between companies and vendors. What core problem are you solving, and why does it matter so much to you?

3. Who are your ideal clients today, and within those organizations, who are the decision-makers that truly feel the pain you solve?

4. How do clients typically find you, and what have you found most effective for generating new business that other consultants can learn from?
Sub Question: A lot of consultants wonder about podcasting. In your view, is podcasting a strong marketing channel for consulting and advisory work, especially in your industry?

5. Consulting often has long sales cycles, and cost reduction can involve procurement, legal, and finance. How do you usually bring a deal across the line?

6. Once a client signs on with you, how do you retain them over time? What does your process look like to keep delivering savings, keep the relationship warm, and make sure they keep coming back to you as a trusted partner?

7. Where do you find yourself most stuck right now as a cost reduction and exit-readiness consultant (if at all)? Is it capacity, positioning, educating the market, or something else?

8. Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunities in cost optimization and operational efficiency over the next few years?