Matt Blakeslee
Webster,NY
Summary
Driven Business Development Manager/Leader with 17+ years of experience in business development. Well-educated in lead generation and relationship development with key clients and stakeholders. Recognized for guiding teams to success through coaching, sales technique training and revenue target achievement.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Business Development Leader - Northeast Region
Alera Group
Rochester, NY
01.2024 - Current
- Manage Business Development team in Northeast Region.
- My Northeast team brought in $1.1 million dollars in new revenue in 2025 under my supervision.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to align business goals and strategies.
- Developed strategic partnerships to enhance market presence and customer engagement.
- Interview and hire Business Development Associates for the Northeast Region.
- Formalize BDA onboarding, training, and development in collaboration with the VP of Sales Development and other regional sales leadership.
- Establish weekly/monthly group trainings with Business Development Associates in Northeast Region.
- Conduct weekly 1-1 meetings with each team member for individualized training.
- Continuously review BDA expectations, metrics, quotas, and performance reviews throughout the year.
- Coach, mentor and champion each BDA to enhance their selling skills and meet expectations.
- Ensure accuracy of weekly activity reports and expense reports.
Board Member - Voluntary
National Human Resources Association - Rochester
Rochester, NY
06.2023 - Current
- NHRA Director of Sponsorships and Community Engagement.
- Voluntary Board Member
- Ensure all NHRA events have sponsorship to help pay for expenses and to raise awareness for the Association.
Associate Director of Business Development
Alera Group, Inc.
Fairport, NY
05.2012 - Current
- Recognized Business Development Representative Nationally across Alera for booking meetings
- Manage both my existing sales pipeline and developing new business opportunities
- Discuss opportunities for group medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, compliance and on-line platforms
- Train new business development employees on talk tracks, sales strategies, and salesforce
- Track my performance and report metrics
- Generate new leads, identify and contact decision-makers, screen potential business opportunities, select the deals in line with strategies, and lead and facilitate pitch logistics
- Develop and implement overarching outbound sales and business development strategy
- Take a role in the development of proposals and presentations for new business materials to create and nurture business opportunities and partnerships
- Identify trends and customer needs, building a short/medium/long-term sales pipeline in accordance with targets
- Assist in the coordination and implementation of marketing strategies, and tasks that achieve strategic goals
- Monitor and evaluate industry trends and customer drivers and meet regularly with management to discuss strategy
- Help manage proposal response process, including detailed RFP requirements, content creation, and inputs from various sources
- Support deal structure and pricing with business value analysis; negotiate prices for proactive bids and proposals
- Maintain and share professional knowledge through education, networking, events, and presentations
- Successful track record in B2B sales and negotiation
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Working experience with sales techniques
- Experience with CRM software (i.e., Salesforce)
- Ability to deliver presentations.
Business Development Leader
Alera Group
Rochester, NY
01.2023 - 01.2024
- Manage Business Development teams in the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West & Southeast Regions at Alera.
- Interview and hire Business Development Associates for the Northeast Region.
- Formalize BDA on-boarding, training and development in collaboration with VP Sales Development and other regional sales leadership.
- Establish weekly/monthly group trainings with Business Development Associates in Northeast Region.
- Conduct weekly 1-1 meetings with each team member for individualized training.
- Continuously review BDA expectations, metrics, quotas, and performance reviews throughout the year.
- Coach, mentor and champion each BDA to enhance their selling skills and meet expectations.
- Ensure accuracy of weekly activity reports and expense reports.
Sales Representative
ADPRO Sports
Buffalo, NY
06.2011 - 05.2012
- Developed and executed a documented sales plan for the Rochester, NY & Syracuse, NY Region for both individual businesses and educational institution sales
- Developed $100,000 in new business while protecting and growing the core business to increase gross margin contribution using primarily face to face contact with customers/prospects
- Increased market shares in a designated territory
- Developed strong relationships while maintaining a dynamic pipeline of potential new business
- Identified marketing opportunities for future growth potential
- Responsible for introducing new products, selling value added services and providing feedback to clients and ADPRO management on trends and changes in the market place, product design and client training programs.
Account Manager/New Business Sales
Bond Financial Network (Rochester Top 100)
Rochester, NY
06.2008 - 06.2011
- Provided professional, unparalleled customer service to our clients, carriers, agents and vendors and maintain focus on client satisfaction and retention
- Educated and provided guidance to clients, carriers, agents and vendors on the services provided by Bond Financial Network
- Provide support to Bond Benefit Consultants as well as General Agents working with Bond
- Act as a resource to Healthcare Coordinators and Group Coordinators
- Interact with clients, carriers, agents, and vendors to manage and maintain relationships
- Advocated on behalf of our clients and their employees with carriers, vendors, and within our internal processes
- Expanded depth of knowledge and attention to detail to deliver accurate service and manage expectations appropriately
- Prepared present client benefit renewals and client quotes for group insurance products by analyzing client bills; creating comparisons; conducting financial analysis; and, selecting plan options
- Conducted client enrollment meetings to present benefit options to employees
- Executed and managed internal and external sales and installation processes.
New York Life, Accident and Health Agent/Broker
Paychex, Inc.
Rochester, NY
06.2007 - 01.2008
- Responsible for development of sales leads through networking and prospecting for existing client base and potential customers
- Research the needs of the client and present health insurance products and services
- Collect all paperwork and funds necessary to initiate the plan
- Exceeded sales targets 7 out of first 8 months after training period.
National Sales Support – HR Services
Paychex, Inc.
Rochester, NY
06.2006 - 06.2007
- Responsible to contact the Paychex client base to obtain additional business for all Paychex Human Resource products, and provide the outside sales force with qualified sales leads as well as gather marketing information that will lead to growth in the client base and service revenue
- Promote the Paychex name and communicate the value of all services to our existing and potential clients
- Provide Human Resources Information to clients regarding Retirement, Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Handbooks and the Paychex Premier Service
- Exceeded my sales goals every month after training period and hit 94% of annual sales target in 8 months.
Business Development Leader
Alera Group, Inc.
Rochester, NY
Education
Bachelors Degree - Marketing
State University of New York at Fredonia
05.2003
Associates Degree - Business Administration
State University of New York at Alfred
05.2000
Skills
- Business Development
- Management
- Interviewing
- Onboarding
- Staff Training
- Sales Pipeline Management
- Sales Strategies
- CRM Software - Salesforce/Salesloft
- Lead Generation
- Decision-making
- Outbound Sales Strategy
- Proposal Development
- Presentation Skills
Certification
New York Life, Accident and Health Agent/Broker (LA&H)
Accomplishments
U.S. Patent - Location Driven Social Networking System and Method
Accreditation
S.I.F.E Scholar (Students In Free Enterprise) 2000-2003
Affiliations
- Volunteer on the National Human Resources Association, Board of Directors, Rochester, NY Affiliate
- Actively involved in my daughters sports and school activities
- Sports enthusiast
- Actively involved in my daughters sports and school activities
- Sports enthusiast
Timeline
Business Development Leader - Northeast Region
Alera Group
01.2024 - Current
Board Member - Voluntary
National Human Resources Association - Rochester
06.2023 - Current
Business Development Leader
Alera Group
01.2023 - 01.2024
Associate Director of Business Development
Alera Group, Inc.
05.2012 - Current
Sales Representative
ADPRO Sports
06.2011 - 05.2012
Account Manager/New Business Sales
Bond Financial Network (Rochester Top 100)
06.2008 - 06.2011
New York Life, Accident and Health Agent/Broker
Paychex, Inc.
06.2007 - 01.2008
National Sales Support – HR Services
Paychex, Inc.
06.2006 - 06.2007
Business Development Leader
Alera Group, Inc.
Bachelors Degree - Marketing
State University of New York at Fredonia
Associates Degree - Business Administration
State University of New York at Alfred