Radius Embeds Sales Personnel To Gain Global Accounts

Travel management company network Radius in June began deploying embedded salespeople to some agency members as part of a strategy designed to provide the agencies that drive the most multinational business with the resources to pursue larger global accounts.

This month, Radius member Travel and Transport named former Hertz global and strategic account manager Brian Butler as Travel and Transport's director of global sales, becoming the first U.S. TMC to implement the embedded personnel. According to Radius vice president of global sales and service Kieran Hartwell, Radius plans to embed global sales personnel at Milwaukee-based Adelman Travel Group and New York-based Ovation Travel Group by year-end and at up to 10 agencies by the end of 2010.

United Kingdom-based Portman Travel was the first member to implement the embedded program when it added a former HRG sales executive to lead its global sales efforts.

Hartwell said there also are plans to implement embedded account managers and other operational resources to support global growth.

In the last year, Radius has doubled its overall sales force and implemented centralized global and regional teams. Previously, no more than two salespeople were in each region.

Hartwell said Radius also doubled the size of its account management, data management and operations teams to 35 as it pursues more global business and increases its membership network. Notably, Radius has invested in new data analysis technology and implemented a new quality control process to ensure data accuracy before clients receive reports. The network also has deployed new sales and automated request-for-proposal tools to standardize the sales process centrally and within its members.

Radius now has 75 international and 14 U.S.-based members, after adding Travelocity Business late last year and Birmingham, Ala.-based Adtrav Travel Management on July 1. TBiz was the first Internet travel management company to join an agency network. Hartwell described the growth of the TBiz relationship as "explosive," as the two companies have integrated their sales planning and have developed a joint potential sales pipeline of $600 million to $900 million.