Business and Sales Keynote Speaker Victor Antonio
I reached out to international keynote speaker Victor Antonio because I heard good things about him from other people and loved some of his YouTube videos. We had a chance to connect over the phone and I wanted to share some of his insights with you.
Good to Great
“What’s the key to going from good to great?” I asked Victor.
“The key is to find your unique spin,” Victor said. “Good is taking what’s out there and saying it again in a compelling way. Great is taking what’s out there, studying it, and then putting your own unique spin on it. The listener will think, wow, I’ve never heard of or thought of it that way before.
“It’s important to become an expert,” Victor continued. “If you want to be an expert in overcoming adversity, then find as many great stories as you can about overcoming adversity. If you want to be an expert in leadership, then read every book there is on leadership. Find that one word you are the expert in and read every book you can get your hands on about that topic. For me, it’s sales.”
Always Make it About Helping Others
Victor is all about providing value and helping others: he is successful for a reason.
“Always make it 100% about the audience,” Victor said. “Make sure to provide them with valuable content they can use in their lives.”
“What about balancing different passions?” I asked.
“We all have lots of things we’re good at,” Victor said, “but ultimately people are always asking ‘how can it help me?’ If the product, service, or content you are offering is not directly helping the audience member, you are going to lose their interest. Narrow your focus and get really good at one area of expertise so that you can really help a particular audience in that area.”
Build a Database of Knowledge
“Building off what we were talking about earlier,” I said, “what are some ways you make sure you put your unique spin on a particular topic?”
“It’s about having a database to go to,” Victor said. “I could literally do a 8-hour seminar on sales right now, this instant, because of the database of knowledge I have from reading, research, and experience. I really emphasize the importance of reading lots of books.
“It might take me 30 books to get to that one epic, incredibly meaningful story. People hear that one life-changing story and are like, wow, where did you get that? The reality is that it took an enormous amount of reading and research to find that story and then integrate it into the keynote speech. You have to do the work upfront.
“If you are really dedicated to your craft, you can go from good to great. But you have to put in the time to build that database of expertise.”
Victor is saying to pay the price for greatness. It’s not easy and it takes time, but if you really dedicate yourself to your area of interest, the field in which you can genuinely help others, you can make an impact and get paid for doing it.
Get Different Perspectives
“Do you get most of your business through inbound or outbound marketing?” I asked Victor.
“I get most of my business through inbound marketing,” Victor said. “I get lots of referrals because I’m the expert in sales and provide the audience with lots of value and help. When I was starting out, it was a lot of outbound marketing through postcards and mailing DVDs. One thing that has been a huge part of my inbound marketing strategy is my YouTube presence. I have hundreds of videos on the many different aspects and intricacies of sales. This has driven traffic to my website and further established me as the expert.”
“That’s fantastic,” I said. “I have a YouTube channel as well that I’m growing and it’s a great avenue for increased exposure.”
What I love about Victor is that he’s not only authentic and genuine, but also down-to-earth. He reminded me to continue talking to others.
“You got my opinion,” Victor said, “Now get 10 other opinions and take what I’m saying within the greater tapestry of feedback.”
When you are getting feedback from others, it’s important to mix, match, and do what works for you. Different kinds of tactics and techniques work for different people, so it’s always valuable to get multiple opinions and perspectives on your unique situation.
If you are anything like me, you have countless interests and passions. That’s a good thing, not a bad thing, and give yourself permission to hold onto those passions. With that said, when you’re establishing yourself as the expert in a given field, make sure to focus in on that area. Put out a body of work through blog posts, YouTube videos, books, infographics, and other methods to establish yourself as the expert. This is what will eventually land you that $5,000 or $10,000 check for services rendered.
From a leadership perspective, one of the most important qualities is credibility. To have credibility, you must have integrity. And to have integrity, you have to practice what you preach and know that what you’re sharing with others works. That’s why being the expert is so important – because you need to share with others practical strategies that really work.
Victor Antonio is the real deal. Check out the best motivational speech ever and beware of the dream killers!
See you at The Mountaintop.
Jeff Davis is an author, blogger, and leadership expert. To stay tuned for updates on his next book, follow him on Twitter.
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