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Execute Your Strategy with Purpose and Precision | The Knowland Group

Part four in a five-part series �Business Development Defined.�


 
 
By Michael McKean, The Knowland Group, September 27, 2010

After developing the perfect strategy for going after customized leads, it all comes down to execution. Proactive business development means picking up the phone and building relationships. Every call should mean another step forward. By stringing together a lot of little yeses, sales manages can often avoid the hard no. 

To do this, mangers need to be able to organize all their leads and contact information for quick and easy access, keep an accurate and up-to-date record of where they are with each client, and know what they need to do next. They must have the ability to set up event specifications and create and send intricate proposals and contracts. Most importantly, they need a way to do all of this and more with a tool that is organized and engaging. 

True sales force automation (SFA) tools like Target Net let hotel sales teams quickly and efficiently get down to business. After an account has been assigned to a sales manager, he or she can track communications, schedule site visits, record opportunities, and improve client relationships. Once these leads have turned into meeting opportunities, managers can input room block information, diagram functions, and generate proposals, contracts, BEOs, and more. 

With all the work that proactive sales entails, sometimes important tasks can fall by the wayside. Instead of losing out on all the new group business that can be reached, often it works well to augment a hotel sales team with outside professionals trained in hospitality cold calling. Consider outsourcing your cold calling efforts to a professional business development team such as Knowland�s Event Booking Center, who can focus entirely on tracking down event planners, setting up appointments and site visits, and booking new group business. This way no new business opportunities have to be pushed aside.   

Look for the final piece in this five-part series on business development, �Step Four: Evaluate and Adjust.� In the meantime, learn more by contacting the Knowland Group at 410.860.2270, online at www.KnowlandGroup.com, or on Twitter @KnowlandGroup.

About The Knowland Group 
The Knowland Group is a proven innovator, developing intuitive marketing products and services that streamline and support event and group sales in the hospitality industry. The company, headquartered in McLean, VA, serves over 2,000 hotel clients and 17,000 users globally. Recently featured on the Inc. Fast 500 List, The Knowland Group is the second fastest growing company in the travel industry. For more information, visit www.KnowlandGroup.com, call 410-860-2270 or follow us on Twitter @KnowlandGroup. 

About the Author 
Michael K. McKean is the CEO and Director of New Product Development for The Knowland Group. He is a hotel business development and group sales expert and regular columnist for Hotel Business Review and Hotel News Now. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter @MikeAtKnowland.
 

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Contact: 

Megan Tate
Communications Manager
The Knowland Group
(703) 286-0852
[email protected]
 

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Also See: Develop Your Strategy| The Knowland Group; Part three in a five-part series - Business Development Defined - / August 2010
Determine Your Universe of Potential Business | The Knowland Group; Part two in a five-part series - Business Development Defined - / July 2010
Boost Your Group Sales with Professional Business Development | The Knowland Group / Part one in a five-part series - Business Development Defined - / July 2010
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