Q&A with Maria Gracia Gomez: ADvendio Account Manager for the French & Spanish Markets

Recently we caught up with Maria Gracia, ADvendio’s account manager for France and Spain to learn more about the journey that has brought her to her position in ADvendio as an account manager for our international markets. We learned about her background and how she connects with customers from different cultures.

What did you study in college?

I studied Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Zulia, Venezuela.

What inspired you to learn French?

My mother did her postgraduate studies in pediatric cardiology in Brussels, Belgium where my family and I lived for 3 years when I was a child. I then continued studying French when I returned to my home country and at the age of 18 I taught French for 4 years.

Before starting work with ADvendio, where were you working?

I worked in a completely different area. I used to be a tour guide in the Chilean Patagonia, which definitely helped me to build experience in terms of meeting different cultures, but I would say that my first training experience in sales was in ADvendio as a Sales Operations Executive. Livia Varga, head of ADvendio Chile at the time, gave me the opportunity to start this amazing journey within the media industry and sales.

As you work with both regions, what would you say is your favorite thing about the French and Spanish cultures?

In terms of business, it’s a beautiful challenge to be able to manage 2 completely different markets and my favorite thing is that it keeps me active and alert to industry changes in each market and new trends to keep evolving.

Culture-related I just love how different both cultures are and I enjoy working with them and building great relationships by adapting to totally different approaches with my customers.

What do you find are the main differences between the regions?

I would say that the first thing is language, they are both very different, but being a native Spanish speaker and having experience with French speakers as well has helped me connect with both markets in a really positive way. Secondly, the personality of each market is completely different, almost impossible to compare, so instead of doing so, I am dedicated to enjoying the diversity of both.

How do you think your background helps you connect with your prospects in these regions?

I believe that being a fluent French and Spanish speaker, and being able to listen to the client and understand their needs, which is a skill that is developed in a role like this are very important, especially when working with different cultures. Also, being aware of the best practices in the industry of that country — makes the client automatically feel confident and feel in safe hands.

It was great to chat with Maria about her career journey to date and to learn more about her experiences working in the French and Spanish markets. Maria Gracia is looking forward to growing her clients in France and Spain in 2022 and if you want to get in touch, you can reach out directly on LinkedIn or through our contact form.

Originally published at https://www.advendio.com on November 29, 2021.