Knowland Publishes Top 10 Proactive Group Selling Trailblazers List - Select Sales Professionals Lead The Way In Selling Directly To Planners

ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Knowland, the leader in group data and analytics for hotels, convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs), conference centers and other meeting venues and the driver behind adopting a Proactive Group Sales Strategy, published their Top 10 Proactive Group Selling Trailblazers list. This list comprises some of the top proactive sellers of group business in the hospitality industry today and highlights leaders in the revolution to directly sell to event planners, bypassing costly third-party channels.

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Knowland defines a Proactive Group Selling Trailblazer as a hospitality group sales professional who proactively hunts for the best-fitting group business for their property and sells directly to the planner. As Trailblazers, these sales professionals are leading the way in driving group revenue and profitability for their properties.

In November 2019, Knowland invited group sales professionals to submit their success stories from proactively sourcing and booking new group business for their properties. Knowland identified the top winners based on the contestants' use of the Knowland platform, demonstration of Hunter-style sales skills, the revenue sourced for their property, whether or not the group turned into repeat business, and the time it took to source that business.

The top three Proactive Group Selling Trailblazers include Melissa Menas, Associate Director of Sales at The Lodge at Torrey Pines; Allen Oakley, National Sales Manager at The Golden Nugget Las Vegas; and Angela Tormey, Sales Manager at The Drake Oak Brook.

Melissa Menas generated Knowland reports for her competitor and discovered an account that held an annual advisory board meeting for the past six years. She reached out to them and developed a relationship by keeping in touch and inviting them to client events. When the account gave The Lodge a chance with a smaller meeting, The Lodge wow-ed them. Menas solicited a future opportunity for the advisory board, and she now has a full-house buyout contract in hand for their 2022 event.

Allen Oakley prospected for group business and discovered in Knowland a former account who booked at The Golden Nugget in 2014. The group's booking pattern indicated that they alternated between Florida and Nevada for their annual meetings; and furthermore, Oakley could see exactly what their typical spending budget and requirements were for these meetings. Oakley harnessed the Knowland data to proactively reach out to the account. He easily booked it for 2021 and again in 2023.

The Drake had a critical need period to fill over the 2019 holidays, so Angela Tormey ran a Knowland holiday report for past meetings both within and outside of The Drake's traditional comp set. She prospected using SmartSearch for specific groups that matched the needs of her hotel, particularly large groups with over 200 attendees. Once she set her sights on a group she wanted, Tormey went above and beyond to secure their business - she set up a site tour and invited them to an afternoon of tea and a polo match.

The other top ranking Trailblazers can be found here.

Media Contact/Inquiries: Lisa Bonanno, 202-312-5880, [email protected]

SOURCE Knowland

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