Meet Daniel Alejandro Rojas, who joined Gartner fresh out of college as an Account manager for our Midsize Enterprise Sales team (MSE). The next five years brought Daniel some fantastic opportunities to grow with Gartner, explore different countries, and experience new practices. Daniel’s drive to own his development and chart his growth path helped him find his calling as a Sales Learning and Development (SL&D) Manager. As part of the SL&D team, Daniel gets the opportunity to create an impact on the lives of new and experienced associates. Learn more about Daniel’s journey below.
Tracing The Journey
Daniel started his sales journey strong and displayed fantastic performance in Account Manager and Account Executive roles by qualifying for Club 300 and Winners Circle, an annual celebration of the achievements of our highest performer. A big proponent of being transparent about ambitions, Daniel expressed his interest in exploring the industry in Latin America and Europe. When the opportunity presented itself, the leadership team opened the doors to a Sales Manager role for Daniel in Spain.
Daniel helped build the End User Business Unit in Spain by managing one of the first teams in the Barcelona office. This team was critical to establishing Gartner’s presence in the region and secured the highest retention rates within the division. Based on his success in this role, Daniel was offered the opportunity to lead the Southern Europe business development team. Despite the plummeting economic conditions triggered by the pandemic, the team secured 161% YOY growth in 2020.
In his pursuit to continue growing with Gartner and passion for coaching, Daniel began a new role in Sales Learning and Development.
Do What You Love, Love What You Do
Daniel believes that the SL&D role is perfectly suited to his strengths and interests.
“I like to call SL&D the MBA of Gartner! One day we can be coaching somebody in the human resources practice, while the very next day we can be working with someone from the Supply Chain practice. It is the only place where a sales executive or a business leader gets to learn and impact every sales business unit within Gartner,” shares Daniel.
Below, Daniel highlights why he loves his role in SL&D:
- Find Your calling: SL&D helps you impact the lives of sales associates, while also learning from their experience. You get the priceless opportunity of creating a positive first experience for a new trainee and helping them get a fast start in their journey at Gartner.
- Experience “Aha” Moments: It’s rewarding to witness the “Aha” moments for sales trainees when they understand the rationale behind Gartner sales techniques and apply them to boost their performance.
- Work With The Best: "If you are seeking an opportunity where you're learning from the best and teaching the best, there's no better place than SL&D,” said Daniel.
- Finesse Your People Skills: The SL&D role helps you cultivate important skills on how to engage and retain the attention of associates over virtual sessions. You understand the nuances of building trust, developing lasting relationships, and adding value without creating an information overload.
- Design Learning Journeys: SL&D managers design learning journeys which focus not only on securing deals but also coaching associates to develop transferable skills crucial for their roles at Gartner.
Daniel believes that his successful career journey is a result of collaboration and the connections he built with the sales community over the years, as well as the support of his managers and leaders.
“What makes Gartner an incredible organization is its people. Nobody is too busy to support, answer questions, or mentor you. I've had a few friends who left Gartner and came back. The reason why they've come back is because everyone wants you to succeed at Gartner, no matter what,” said Daniel.