Group & Event Business Development Manager

About Overland Chauffeured Services

Overland Chauffeured Services is a premier provider of chauffeured transportation and group transportation services in the Kansas City area and worldwide. Established in 1978, Overland serves corporate clients, meeting and event planners, hotels, universities, sports organizations, wedding professionals, associations, and individuals with transportation ranging from executive sedans and SUVs to executive vans, minibuses, and full size motor coaches.

Our success has been built on long term client relationships, exceptional service, professional chauffeurs, and the ability to execute everything from an individual airport transfer to complex transportation programs involving thousands of passengers.

We are looking for an experienced, motivated professional to help us continue growing our Group & Event business.

Position Summary

The Group & Event Business Development Manager is responsible for developing new business and building long term relationships within the corporate, meetings and events, hospitality, and wedding industries.

This is a business development and outside sales position. It is not primarily an inbound sales or account management role. The successful candidate will be expected to identify prospective clients, create new relationships, generate opportunities, and convert those opportunities into recurring business.

We are looking for someone who enjoys meeting people, networking, prospecting, and developing relationships. The ideal candidate will either have experience within corporate meetings and events, hospitality, weddings, transportation, or a related industry, or have a genuine interest in building a career selling transportation solutions within these markets.

A major focus of this position will be developing new corporate group and event business by building relationships with corporate meeting and event planners, executive assistants, corporate travel professionals, companies, associations, universities, and other organizations that regularly require group transportation.

The position will also focus on expanding Overland's relationships within the hospitality and social event community, including wedding planners, event planners, hotels, venues, destination management companies, and other industry professionals who can become long term clients and referral partners.

Key Responsibilities New Business Development

Actively identify and pursue new business opportunities through outbound calling, email outreach, networking, referrals, in person meetings, industry events, and other prospecting activities.

Develop and maintain a consistent pipeline of qualified prospective clients rather than relying primarily on inbound leads.

Research organizations and identify decision makers who are responsible for corporate meetings, events, travel, group transportation, weddings, and other transportation needs.

Corporate Group & Event Business Development

Develop relationships with corporations and organizations that regularly require transportation for meetings, conferences, conventions, employee events, client entertainment, executive travel, incentive programs, training programs, and other group activities.

Build relationships with corporate meeting and event planners, executive assistants, corporate travel professionals, procurement professionals, human resources departments, administrative professionals, and other decision makers who influence transportation purchasing decisions.

Develop corporate relationships with the objective of creating recurring business rather than simply pursuing individual events.

Meetings, Events & Hospitality

Develop relationships with professional meeting planners, event planners, destination management companies, hotels, convention related organizations, venues, universities, athletic departments, sports organizations, associations, and other organizations responsible for coordinating group transportation.

Position Overland as a trusted transportation resource that planners can rely upon for everything from executive transportation to complex movements involving multiple vehicles and large groups.

Wedding & Social Event Business Development

Proactively develop relationships throughout the wedding industry, particularly with wedding planners, venues, hotels, caterers, bridal professionals, and other vendors who regularly work with couples requiring transportation.

Our objective is not simply to sell transportation for individual weddings. We want to establish Overland as a trusted transportation partner that wedding and event professionals confidently recommend to their clients year after year.

Develop relationships with wedding professionals who can become long term referral partners and generate multiple transportation opportunities annually.

Networking & Community Presence

Represent Overland at networking events, hospitality and tourism functions, corporate events, wedding industry events, trade organizations, venue events, conferences, and other opportunities where meaningful business relationships can be developed.

Actively develop a professional network throughout the Kansas City corporate, hospitality, meetings, events, and wedding communities.

Client Meetings & Presentations

Meet with prospective clients to understand their organizations, transportation needs, and upcoming opportunities.

Conduct sales presentations, facility tours, fleet presentations, and client meetings that demonstrate Overland's capabilities and differentiate our service from competitors.

Develop credibility with clients by understanding their needs and providing transportation solutions rather than simply quoting vehicle rates.

Needs Assessment & Solution Development

Understand each client's transportation requirements and work with our internal Groups & Events and Operations teams to develop transportation solutions appropriate for their organization or event.

For complex groups and events, collaborate with the appropriate members of our team to develop transportation plans that account for passenger counts, schedules, hotels, venues, vehicle requirements, and operational logistics.

Proposal Development & Closing

Assist in preparing proposals, presentations, pricing, and transportation plans.

Follow opportunities throughout the complete sales process and actively work to convert qualified prospects into clients.

Maintain consistent and professional follow up with prospective clients throughout the decision making process.

Account Development

Remain engaged with newly acquired clients after the initial sale to ensure a successful transition to our Groups & Events and Operations teams.

Continue developing relationships with new clients to identify additional transportation opportunities and help convert individual sales into recurring accounts.

Maintain relationships with referral partners and centers of influence so Overland remains top of mind when transportation opportunities arise.

Pipeline & CRM Management

Maintain accurate records of prospects, opportunities, meetings, follow up activities, proposals, and sales progress.

Consistently manage the sales pipeline and provide reliable forecasts of future business.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone who is both a relationship builder and a business developer.

The right person should be comfortable walking into a networking event and introducing themselves to people they have never met, calling a prospective client to ask for a meeting, following up consistently, and developing a relationship that may take months before producing its first piece of business.

At the same time, this person must understand that hospitality and transportation are service businesses. Long term success requires responsiveness, professionalism, attention to detail, reliability, and earning the trust of clients and referral partners.

We are especially interested in candidates who can demonstrate that they have personally generated new business rather than primarily servicing existing accounts or responding to inbound opportunities.

We want someone who is interested in building a long term book of business and developing relationships that can continue generating revenue for years.

Qualifications

Candidates should have at least three years of professional experience, preferably involving B2B sales, business development, corporate meetings and events, hospitality, hotels, weddings, transportation, travel, logistics, or another relationship driven industry.

Direct sales experience within hospitality, corporate meetings and events, or the wedding industry is highly desirable but not required.

An accomplished salesperson from another industry who has a genuine interest in hospitality, corporate events, weddings, and relationship based selling may also be an excellent fit.

Experience working with or developing business from the following types of organizations and professionals is particularly valuable:

• Corporate meeting and event planners
• Executive assistants and administrative professionals
• Corporate travel professionals
• Companies with recurring group transportation needs
• Professional meeting and event planners
• Wedding planners
• Hotels and resorts
• Event and wedding venues
• Destination management companies
• Universities and athletic departments
• Convention and tourism organizations
• Sports organizations
• Associations and nonprofit organizations
• Caterers and other event industry vendors

Candidates should possess strong communication and presentation skills, a professional appearance and demeanor, effective organizational and follow up skills, CRM proficiency, and the ability to independently manage a sales territory and pipeline.

A valid driver's license and reliable transportation are required because this position involves regular travel throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area for meetings, networking events, site visits, and business development activities.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this position will be measured by more than simply being busy. We are looking for measurable business development results.

Performance will be evaluated based on new qualified prospects added to the pipeline, outbound prospecting activity, new client and referral partner meetings, proposals and qualified sales opportunities generated, new accounts acquired, new group and event revenue generated, development of recurring client relationships, development of productive corporate, hospitality, wedding, and event industry relationships, growth of newly acquired accounts, and accurate CRM and pipeline management.

Ultimately, success means creating profitable new relationships that generate recurring revenue for Overland.

Compensation

This position includes a competitive base salary plus commission on new business generated.

Our compensation structure is designed to reward a successful salesperson not simply for making an initial sale, but for developing valuable client relationships that continue generating revenue.

Specific compensation will be discussed based upon the candidate's experience and demonstrated sales history.

Schedule & Work Environment

This is a full time position based in the Kansas City area.

While much of the work will take place during normal business hours, the hospitality and events industry does not operate exclusively Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The position will require attendance at evening networking events, industry functions, corporate events, client events, wedding industry events, or other activities outside traditional business hours.

This position requires someone who enjoys being out in the market developing relationships and meeting prospective clients.

Why Join Overland?

Overland offers an established brand, an extensive and diverse fleet, an experienced operations team, and nearly five decades of transportation experience for a salesperson to build upon.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to sell transportation solutions ranging from executive transportation for a small corporate group to complex programs involving hundreds or thousands of passengers.

This position provides the opportunity to develop relationships with corporate clients, meeting and event professionals, hotels, venues, wedding professionals, universities, sports organizations, and other clients whose transportation needs can grow significantly over time.

A successful person in this role can build a substantial book of recurring business while developing a long term career with our organization.

The Person We Want to Meet

You may be a particularly strong fit for this position if you can answer yes to most of the following questions:

• Have you personally generated new clients rather than relying primarily on inbound leads?
• Are you comfortable prospecting and asking prospective clients for meetings?
• Can you provide specific examples of revenue or accounts you personally generated?
• Do you enjoy networking and developing professional relationships?
• Are you comfortable developing relationships with corporate meeting planners, executive assistants, event planners, hotels, venues, and other business professionals?
• Do you have experience in, or a genuine interest in, hospitality, corporate meetings and events, weddings, or the event planning industry?
• Would you enjoy developing relationships with wedding planners and other wedding industry vendors and becoming a trusted resource for their clients?
• Are you persistent while still understanding that successful relationship selling requires professionalism and patience?
• Do you enjoy helping clients solve complicated problems?
• Do you consistently follow up and keep your commitments?
• Are you comfortable being held accountable for measurable prospecting activity, pipeline development, and revenue results?
• Do you want to build a book of business that becomes more valuable over several years?
• Are you looking for an organization where you can establish yourself and grow for the long term?

Overland Chauffeured Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Pay: $60,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $60,000 - $85,000