I am an enthusiastic public speaker, executive trainer, and consultant with experience and expertise in luxury marketing and sales, international business, services marketing, and innovation.
1. Tell us more about what you do and what led you to speak on this platform.
I am a marketing consultant, I do executive training and I am a public speaker at corporate events and business conferences. I have specialized in luxury marketing and in the business of excellence.
I feel that my mission is to inspire and empower the teams I work with so that not only improve their performance but also put beauty, detail, and excellence in everything they do.
Inspiring young professionals is what leads me to speak on this and other platforms.
2. How do you choose and prepare for a talk?
Before the pandemic, on average I would go on stage and speak in 3 conferences every month. I get hired to speak in brand events, corporate meetings, and business conferences.
I always ask for a briefing from the company and then talk to the organizers to understand their goals. My talks are tailor-made for each event. Then, before the date of the event, I deliver the talk at home at least 3 times to train and prepare. I obsess with detail.
3. How can one become a public speaker?
I did not plan to be a public speaker. It just happened by chance. Many years ago, I was invited by a friend to deliver a short talk at the local university. I had never spoken in public back then.
I was nervous but I have accepted it because I like challenges. Challenges push you forward, make your plan and prepare, enable you to learn, and eventually open new opportunities.
After the talk, everyone told me that I am a good communicator and have this natural gift for talking and engaging audiences. I had never thought of that.
So, I started thinking about the possibility of becoming a public speaker, I joined Toastmaster’s Club in my town for 2 years to learn and train.
I started promoting myself on social networks as a public speaker and created a YouTube channel. And then, companies started hiring me to speak in their events in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
4. Can motivational speaking become a full-time career?
Well, I am not exactly a typical motivational speaker. I am a consultant with expertise in marketing, strategy, innovation, and international business.
In my talks, I address business and management topics and I share a lot of my 30-year experience as well as tips on how to improve performance. People feel inspired and motivated to do things differently.
Although I am not a full-time speaker since I also consult and train executives, it surely is possible to build a full-time career in motivational speaking, and there are many professionals out there in the market proving it is possible to do so.
Like everything else in life, you need to find and reach the balance between your hard and soft skills in order to excel in whatever you do. And find your differentiation niche, to stand out and be successful.
5. Which is your favorite talk ever and how did it change your life?
Well, I have seen so many live talks in conferences around the world and watched so many video talks that it is difficult to say which one is my favorite ever.
Certainly, one of the talks I enjoyed the most and truly had a big impact on my life was this talk by Marcus Buckingham at the World Business Forum in Milan, a few years ago.
I had read Marcus’ book “First, Break All The Rules” about the importance of differentiation and not following the mainstream. The talk in Milan conveyed the message that in order to be successful you need to “stand out” from the crowd, get noticed and deliver differentiated value.
That moment in the talk was really enlightening to me and eventually changed the way I do things ever since.
After the talk, I went backstage, discussed a few ideas with Marcus Buckingham, and asked him to autograph my copy of the book.
His autograph reads: ‘Dear Antonio, Stand Out! Marcus’
6. What are the best public speaking tips that have worked for you?
Open the talk with a story, use your voice with energy and in different tones, share valuable content to the audience, adapt locally if you are talking abroad, and close with an inspiring quote or a summary of the main message in the talk.
Benjamin Franklin’s quote: “Falling to plan is planning to fail” is also an important reminder for me, so I plan, prepare and train a lot before going on stage.
That is crucial for the success of the talk and to have the audience fully engaged.
7. What impact do you want to make in the world?
I have always been fascinated by beauty, excellence, and perfection. I am obsessive with detail. In the 80’s I have read ‘A Passion for Excellence’ by Tom Peters and Nancy Austin, and this book had a big impact on my way of doing things ever since.
So, again as I said earlier, the impact I wish to make in the world is to inspire professionals - especially the younger ones who are joining the marketplace and starting a career - to always strive for perfection and put beauty in everything they do. Beauty is magnetic and sells.
Develop your sense of beauty. Educate your taste. And then, use it in whatever you do. You will stand out and you will make a difference.
8. Which is your favorite book and why?"
I have read so many books in different phases of my life that it is hard to pick one.
But I would probably say that one of the books I enjoyed reading the most and I’ve read it twice in 2005 and 2008 is ‘Blue Ocean Strategy’ by Professors Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne.
This book clearly taught me how to think out-of-the-box and see things from unexpected perspectives which do eventually uncover new opportunities.
I’ve attended school in London, Porto, and Madrid. Lived in Germany, too. Strong background as Sales Director in the international market for 19 years. I speak 5 languages and have traveled the world, developing business relationships in more than 45 countries, across the 5 continents.
I’ve spoken in Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Latin America in conferences for Procter & Gamble, Deloitte, L'Oreal, Porsche, Armani, Sheraton, BNP Paribas, LOEWE, Philips, Pandora, and many other leading brands. I collaborate with the World Business Forum and write articles for magazines and blogs.
True passion in servicing and delighting customers, Relationship Builder and non-mainstream thinker, yet with plenty of common sense, Very detail-oriented and passionate about the world’s cultural diversity
Marketing Consultant, Innovation. Speaker. Consulting & Talks. TEDx Speaker
Interviewed By - Syrine Landolsi
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