Managing Central Sales Leads

Creating Central Leads

You can create and manage leads for group and event business from a central sales property and add notes and other details to the lead as needed. Once a central lead is created, you can generate property leads. The receiving properties available for selection is based on the Cloud Services and OPERA Controls active at the property and whether the lead is for rooms only, events only, or rooms and events.

For Sales and Event Management Standard Edition or Sales and Event Management Premium Edition subscribers with the Activity Traces OPERA Control active, a CSL (central sales lead) sales lead activity is generated, and notifies the sales owner selected in the Property Lead Block Owner OPERA Control of the lead received.

For Sales and Event Management Premium Edition subscribers with the Opportunities OPERA Control active, the property lead is created as an Opportunity. For all other properties the property lead is created as a block with the inquiry or non-deduct inventory block Status selected in the Property Lead New Block Status OPERA Control.

Central Sales Lead	Property Lead
	Foundation (PMS)		SEM Essentials SEM Standard SEM Premium	SEM Essentials SEM Standard SEM Premium	SEM Standard SEM Premium	SEM Premium	SEM Premium	SEM Premium
	Business Block	Business Block + Simple Events	Business Blocks	Business Blocks + Catering Events	Business Blocks + Catering Events + Activity Traces	Business Blocks + Opportunities	Business Blocks + Opportunities + Catering Events	Business Blocks + Opportunities + Catering Events + Activity Traces
Rooms Only	Block	Block	Block	Block	Block + CSL Activity	Opportunity	Opportunity	Opportunity + Activity
Events Only		Block		Block	Block + CSL Activity		Opportunity	Opportunity + Activity
Rooms and Events		Block		Block	Block + CSL Activity		Opportunity	Opportunity + Activity

To create a lead in the Central Sales pseudo-property:

From the OPERA Cloud menu, select Bookings, select Blocks, and then select Manage Blocks.
Click Create Central Lead.
1. Block Definition Panel
2. Property: Defaults to Central Sales property.
3. Account: Select a sales account (company, travel agent, or source) to link to the Central Lead.
  1. The Account magnifier opens Quick Profile Search where you can search for a Company, Travel Agent, and related Contact Profiles to associate with the Block. Or, you can select I Want To . . . and create a new profile. See Creating a Sales Account Profile.
  2. Search results display account profiles and account contacts. After selecting an account, click Select Account Only or click Select Account and Contact to select both the Sales Account and the contact.
  3. While on Quick Profile Search you can add a contact to an account by clicking the Account vertical ellipsis Actions menu and selecting Create Linked Contact.
    1. Click Save and Select on Create Linked Profile to auto populate the selected account and the newly created contact in the relevant fields to Create Opportunity.
4. Start Date: Enter or select the start date for the Block; this may vary from reservation arrival date if Events occur on the day prior. Field is blank when the Blank Business Block Start Date OPERA Control is active.
5. Nights: Enter the number of nights for the block. The Maximum Number of Block Days OPERA Control determines the maximum value that can be entered.
6. End Date: If you enter a number of nights in the Nights field, OPERA Cloud automatically updates the End Date.
7. Block Name: Enter a block name. The field auto fills from your Account field selection.
8. Block Code: Enter a Block Code. The Block code must be unique when the Unique Block Code OPERA Control is active. Block code format is determined by the Block Code Generation Pattern OPERA Control. Click Get Default Block Code to generate a block code.
9. Market: Select a market from the list; used for statistical purposes. (Defaults to Default Market Code for Opportunity OPERA Control). Enable this field using page composer (link: c_getting_started_page_composer.htm).
10. Source: Select a source code from the list; used for statistical purposes. (Defaults to Default Source Code for Opportunity OPERA Control). Enable this field using page composer (link: c_getting_started_page_composer.htm.
11. Reservation Type: Select the Reservation Type from the list.
12. Decision Date: Enter or select a date when the group organizer must make a decision to proceed with the booking.
13. Follow-up Date: Enter or select a follow-up date for this block. This date could be used to confirm room requirements or confirm the opportunity.
14. (Activity) Trace Code: Defaults to CSL (central sales lead).
15. Catering Only: Select the check box if the Opportunity is for Events only (no guest room allotment is required).
  1. When the Catering Only OPERA Control is active and this check box is selected the Room Details section is hidden on the Create Block screen and the Save and Go To Grid button is disabled. The check box is used in reports to identify events-only blocks.
  2. When the Catering Only OPERA Control is inactive and the check box is checked the Room Detailspanel and Save and Go To Grid button remain available.
16. Room Details Panel.
17. Rate Code: Select a rate code from the list
18. Room Pool: Select a room pool from the list.
19. When the Occupancy Split OPERA Control is active:
  1. Occupancy 1. Enter number of single occupancy rooms.
  2. Rate 1. Enter a nightly rate amount.
  3. Occupancy 2. Enter number of double occupancy rooms.
  4. Rate 2. Enter a nightly rate amount.
  5. Occupancy 3. Enter number of triple occupancy rooms.
  6. Rate 3. Enter a nightly rate amount.
  7. Occupancy 4. Enter number of quadruple occupancy rooms.
  8. Rate 4. Enter a nightly rate amount.
20. Number of Rooms: Enter the number of rooms required.
21. Rate: Enter a nightly rate amount
22. Catering Details Panel
23. Attendees: Enter the expected number of attendees. Enter 0 for a room-only opportunity.
24. Click Add Rows to add additional events.
25. Event Type: Select an event type from the list.
26. Day: Enter comma separated values to indicate the day or days the event should be created on. For example, entering 1,2,3 for an Opportunity with a start date of March 8 will create the events on March 8, March 9, and March 10.
27. Quantity: Enter the number of events to create.
28. Start Time: If the selected event type has a default start time it will populate automatically. If there is no default value a start time must be entered.
29. End Time: If the selected event type has a default end time, it populates automatically. If there is no default value, you must enter an end time.
30. Event Notes: Click the vertical ellipsis Actions menu and select Add Note.
31. To delete an event, click the vertical ellipsis Actions menu and select Delete.
  1. Click Delete to confirm.
Click Save or click Save and Manage Block to open Block Presentation and add more details to the lead.

Updating Central Leads

Note: Updating a central lead does not update property leads already created.

From the OPERA Cloud menu, select Bookings, select Blocks, and then select Manage Block.
Select the Opportunity check box, enter additional search criteria, and click Search.
Select the central lead in the search result and then click I Want To . . . and select Block or open the block by clicking the Block ID or Block Code.
Edit any changes you need to make.
Click Save.

Shifting Central Lead Dates

To change the dates of a central lead, you can select Shift Block Dates.

Note:

Shifting dates of a central lead does not update the property leads already created.

From the OPERA Cloud menu, select Blocks, and select Manage Block.
Select the Opportunity check box, enter search criteria and click Search.
Select a central lead in the search results, click I Want To . . . and select Shift Block Date.
Enter or select a new start date for the central lead.
Click Save.

Canceling Central Leads

To update the status of a lead to lost based on the Release Opportunity Status OPERA Control, use the following steps:

Note:

Updating a central lead does not update the property leads already created.

From the OPERA Cloud menu, select Bookings, select Blocks, and then select Manage Block.
Select the Opportunity check box, enter additional search criteria, and click Search.
Select the opportunity block in the search result, click I Want To . . . and select Release Opportunity.
1. Complete the following Cancellation Details:
2. Block Cancel/Lost Reason: Select a cancellation/ lost reason from the list.
3. Destination: Select a destination from the list if the opportunity is booked elsewhere.
4. Property: Enter the property name if the opportunity is booked elsewhere.
5. Description: Enter a description.
6. Cancel PM Resv: Click to cancel any pseudo room reservations created for the block.
Note: The cancellation number is recorded in the Changes Log.
Click Save.

Creating (Sending) Property Leads

Use the following to send a lead to one or more properties. Creating property leads creates a Block or Opportunity (when the Opportunities OPERA Control is active) in the receiving property.

Note:

In order for property leads to be created from a Central Sales property with a different currency, ensure exchange rates for the Posting exchange type are set up for the Central Sales Property currency. See Managing Currency Exchange Rates.

From the OPERA Cloud menu, select Bookings, select Blocks, and then select Manage Block.
Select the Opportunity check box, enter additional search criteria, and click Search.
Select the Opportunity block in the search result and then click I Want To . . . menu and select Block or open the block by clicking the Block ID or Block Code.
Click the I Want To . . . menu and then select Create Property Leads.
Select one or more properties from the list.
Click Save.

Viewing Property Leads

From the OPERA Cloud menu, select Bookings, select Blocks, and then select Manage Block.
Select the Opportunity check box, enter additional search criteria, and click Search.
You can either collapse the central lead selected and a Property Leads link displays or you can select the central lead and then click I Want To . . . menu and select Block or open the block by clicking the Block ID or Block Code.
When you are on the Block Overview, you can click the Property Leads tab:
1. All property leads are listed, and you can view their room status, catering status, room nights booked, and room nights picked up information.
2. Click each property lead to open Block Overview for the property lead selected.

Note:

From Manage Block you can expand the central lead and click the Property Leads link to view your property leads created.