Matthew Thiel
Plover,WI
Summary
Strategic Director of Business Development with over 17 years of travel industry sales and management experience known for high productivity and efficient task completion with forward-thinking and creative approaches to developing revenue channels, capitalizing on market conditions and enhancing sales funnels. Possess key skills in market analysis, strategic partnership development, and revenue growth strategies. Excel in negotiation, leadership, and problem-solving to drive business opportunities and forge strong relationships with stakeholders.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director, Sales Enablement & Owner
WORLD TRAVEL, INC.
Exton, PA
03.2022 - 01.2025
- Developed and executed comprehensive sales enablement strategies, including lead generation, RFP process, content management, service and pricing proposals, cost savings analysis, presentation creation, and new hire onboarding
- Led a team of sales enablement professionals, providing coaching, mentorship, and performance evaluations to drive continuous improvement and professional development
- Responsible for the final review of all proposals (RFPs, Pricing), fee calculation, and approval before submission
- Oversaw 176 RFPs, 367 Pricing Proposals, 188 Presentations, and 88 other proposal submissions
- Implemented and enhanced sales enablement technologies and tools, including Responsive (RFPIO), Seismic, HubSpot, and SharePoint, to streamline sales processes and boost team collaboration
- Accomplished 230% of the 2022 team sales goal and 142% of the 2023 team sales goal, achieving more than $230M in new business development - 85% from winning proposals
- Implemented sales content management strategy through collaboration with sales, marketing, and product teams to ensure consistent messaging accessibility of sales materials across the organization, including templates, playbooks, sales scripts, process flows, task ownership, and alignment of sales initiatives with corporate objectives and customer needs
- Conducted regular weekly BD Team training sessions and workshops to equip sales with the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to achieve sales targets effectively
- Analyzed sales performance metrics and data to identify trends, opportunities, and areas for improvement, providing actionable insights to senior leadership
- Managed World Travel’s One Global sales pipeline and monthly global partner strategy calls
- Mentor for World Travel’s Mentorship Program
Inside Sales & Customer Service Manager
GAMBER-JOHNSON, LLC
Stevens Point, WI
03.2021 - 02.2022
- Led a team of 8 inside sales representatives across Wisconsin and California, providing daily operational support to over 20 Regional Sales Managers, Global Sales Managers, and National Account Managers
- Held authority over order prioritization, item reallocation, rush requests, exception handling, and customer issue resolution
- Played a pivotal role in improving customer satisfaction metrics, executing pricing updates, optimizing territory alignments, and developing custom sales performance reports
- Additional responsibilities encompassed POS reporting, conducting sales training on new ERP systems, refining sales procedures and guidelines, managing annual reseller contracts, and conducting quarterly employee performance reviews
- Revamped the sales strategy framework within Salesforce CRM, enhancing focus, service quality, team collaboration, and engagement, and Increased the team’s monthly Salesforce tasks & activities by 1,659%
- Achieved order entry accuracy of 99.5% with new ERP implementation
- Re-branded Extended Service Plan and restructured plan pricing
- Developed incentive plan and upselling strategy, resulting in a 150% increase in the plan’s sales volume over 6 months
- Acted as the primary liaison for the company’s largest distributor
Sales Director
FOX WORLD TRAVEL
Oshkosh, WI
02.2020 - 03.2021
- Orchestrated sales & strategic marketing initiatives focusing on personalizing meetings and incentive programs for prospective clients and existing accounts
- Provided consultation for managing and creating successful groups, corporate meetings, and incentive programs
- A key resource for establishing new Virtual & Hybrid meeting offerings and marketing collateral
- Left the company due to uncertainty caused by the pandemic
- Cvent Venue Sourcing Certification
- Cvent Virtual Events Certification
Business Development Executive
STAR CLIPPERS AMERICAS
Miami, FL
01.2017 - 11.2019
- Developed new relationships and increased sales and brand recognition across a 13-state territory
- Met prospects to discuss and generate interest and strategy and provided product training, presentations, and marketing solutions in person and via webinars
- Coached sales techniques, group sales, and charter solicitation
- Attended regional travel industry trade shows and created unique, personalized events for specific geographical areas and partners
- Doubled territory sales (passengers) between 2017 and 2018
- Achieved 75% repeat business YOY on niche products
Regional Business Development Manager
TRAVEL GUARD (AIG)
Stevens Point, WI
01.2014 - 01.2017
- Achieved projected annual sales of $1.5M in new business
- Focused on new business acquisition and growth, consultative selling, relationship building, state licensing and compliance, technology and product training, and profitability in midwestern and western region sales territories for 26 states
- Pursued more than 10K prospects, including active and inactive partnerships
- Visited prospective accounts for sales blitzes, travel industry trade shows and events, competitive comparisons, proposal presentations, and individual appointments
- Established relationships and completed technology set-up and training before handing them to account development managers
- Signed 345 new agency partners with 87% (299) of first sales achieved
- Top performing BDM for agreements received, first starts, and sales volume
Business Development Manager
TRAVEL GUARD (AIG)
Stevens Point, WI
04.2008 - 01.2014
- Responsible for the company’s largest sales territory; created new partnerships and managed existing partners, including relationships with travel consortiums
- Handled inquiries and complaints, developed promotional materials, and wrote weekly sales and activities reports
- Adapted to constantly changing team structure, budget goals, and insurance regulations
- Transformed under-producing accounts with organic growth
- Achieved 71% growth in $20M+ territory, 2009-2013
- Closed 1,632 new business sales agreements
- Awarded 2012 Most Improved Team with Pacific West Team
- Named Q3/Q4 2009 Top Business Development Manager for Net Premium Growth
- Promoted to a newly created position to drive new business across multiple regions and territories
Education
Bachelor of Science (BS) - Communication –Public Relations & Business Administration
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Stevens Point, WI08-2007
Skills
- Sales Team Leadership
- Lead Generation
- Financial Analysis
- Product & Proposal Development
- Talent Acquisition
- Problem-solving
- Change management
- Market analysis
- Content development
- Business development
- Team building
- Time management
- Contract and vendor management
- Coaching and mentoring
- Partnerships and alliances
- Process improvement
- Decision-making
- Contract negotiation
- Stakeholder engagement
- Strategies and goals
Affiliations
- GBTA LADDERS Mentee, 11/2022-Present
- GBTA WISCONSIN Membership Chair & Ambassador, 09/01/22-Present
Certification
- Sales Management: HubSpot Academy - Issued May 2023 - Present
- Sales Enablement: HubSpot Academy - Issued July 2022 - Present
References
References available upon request.
Work Preference
Work Type
Full TimeWork Location
HybridRemoteImportant To Me
Work-life balanceCompany CulturePersonal development programsPaid time offHealthcare benefits401k matchCareer advancementSimilar Profiles
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