Business Development Strategy
How to find and win new clients. In hotel tech consulting, referrals dominate — but there are 6 channels to build a predictable pipeline.
General Contractor Partnerships
GCs building hotels need a tech consultant on every project. Become their default recommendation.
- Target: 2-3 GCs who regularly do hotel construction in your region
- Approach: Offer a free initial tech scope review on their next hotel project
- Value prop: "I save your project from change orders caused by missed IT infrastructure"
- Goal: One strong GC relationship can fill your pipeline for years
Architect Relationships
Architects need low-voltage and infrastructure plans early in the design phase. Be their go-to tech resource.
- Target: Architecture firms with hospitality practice (JCJ, HKS, Gensler, etc.)
- Approach: Offer free consultations on IT space requirements during schematic design
- Value prop: "I prevent the MDF room that's too small and the conduit runs that don't exist"
- Timing: Get involved at schematic design — before construction documents are finalized
Hotel Management Company Targets
~50% of branded hotels are third-party managed. Management companies influence all technology decisions across their portfolio.
- Top targets: Aimbridge, Highgate, Hotel Equities, Commonwealth, Pyramid Global
- Approach: LinkedIn outreach to VP of IT / VP of Development
- Value prop: Portfolio-level consistency, vendor leverage, brand compliance expertise
- Win one = win many: Portfolio clients bring repeat projects
Industry Event Networking
HITEC is where the industry gathers. Be there, be visible, follow up.
- HITEC 2026: San Antonio — must attend
- ALIS: Meet developers before projects go public
- Strategy: Set 10 meetings before arriving. Follow up within 48 hours.
- Speaking: Submit panel proposals to HITEC — instant credibility
LinkedIn Presence
LinkedIn is where hotel executives research consultants after a referral. Your profile IS your resume.
- Personal profile: Michelle — headline, experience, recommendations
- Company page: HotelTechCon — services, projects, updates
- Content: Post 2-3x/week about hotel tech trends, project insights
- Connect: Every hotel GM, VP IT, developer you've ever met
Referral Programs
Referrals are the #1 channel in hotel tech consulting. Formalize it.
- Vendor referrals: Technology vendors need consultants who specify their products
- Past client referrals: Ask every happy client for 2 introductions
- Low-voltage contractor referrals: They install what you design — natural partners
- Real estate broker referrals: Hotel-focused brokers know when deals close
📊 BD Tracker Template
Use this structure to track every lead from first contact to close. Can be a spreadsheet, CRM (HubSpot free tier), or AI-managed database.
Pipeline Tracker Fields
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Lead Name | Property or project name | Hartford Holiday Inn Express |
| Company | Developer / owner / management co. | DVR Ventures |
| Contact | Primary contact name + title | John Smith, VP Development |
| Source | How we found them | GC referral / HITEC / News |
| Stage | Pipeline stage | Prospect → Contacted → Proposal → Negotiation → Won/Lost |
| Project Type | New build / renovation / conversion | Brand conversion (IHG) |
| Rooms | Property size | 105 rooms |
| Est. Fee | Estimated project fee | $35,000 |
| Timeline | When construction starts | Q2 2026 |
| Next Action | What to do next + when | Send proposal by Feb 28 |
| Last Contact | Date of last touchpoint | Feb 21, 2026 |
| Notes | Context, relationship notes | Met at HITEC, referred by... |
🤖 AI Advantage: Pipeline Intelligence
AI agents can monitor the hotel construction pipeline (Lodging Econometrics data, news, planning approvals) and automatically surface new leads. The 6 leads already on the Lead Pipeline page were found this way. Set up automated monitoring for your target markets — know about projects before competitors do.