Francis Zentz is usually an introvert, but not anymore when it comes to speaking to a great audience. He loves it! As an engineer, Francis, finally knew what was missing in his life when he found out about the art of giving a speech.

As a professional trainer and a speaker, he delivers great insights on the art of speaking and loves to help people improve their relational and communication skills.Developing trust and believing in yourself are the key elements to succeed in life. That is why his speeches and trainings revolve around the art of speaking and the elevator pitch.

The Inspiring-Speaker Team interviewed this inspiring speaker. Discover the portrait of Francis Zentz through our interview:

• When I hear >Inspiration< I think… Inspiration is the oxygen we need every day in order to make the best out of our life! Listening to motivation speakers is on my daily To Do List! Life is hard, sometime it makes you think in a negative way. Listening to motivational speakers who inspire you is necessary to living a better life. I always keep in mind the key message of Wm Mitchell “It’s not what happens to you that matters, it’s what you do with it.”

• When did you know becoming a speaker was your calling? In January 1995, I was down, feeling uncomfortable in my job and in my life. I decided to follow a training in communication skill. I was shy and introverted, and when I saw the speaker talking with confidence I said to myself “I want to be like him! I want to inspire people.” The calling was so strong that a few weeks later I quit my job without having any financial security. I spend all my savings during one year to get trained and become a speaker. That calling was so strong that I made a twist from the engineering world to the speaker world. Today I can notice how my first experience in engineering is a gift to better understand my clients.

• You made a change of career going from the engineering world to the world of speakers, what was challenging about that? To me, it was not about getting in that new business and building a new professional network. The challenge was to master all the knowledge and skills in order to be a great speaker. If you want to teach others, you need to be an example and walk the talk! Therefore you need to work on yourself every day. Listening to other motivational speakers, following masterclass, and meeting your pairs.

• You have written two books: “In the heart of conflicts” and “Give Luck a chance”. What is your insight on solving conflicts at work? Life is made of conflicts, you cannot avoid them. The question is: how are you solving them? Three insights to solve conflicts: A) Our communication can be violent to others even if our intention is positive. That’s the basic principle of NVC (Non Violent Communication) created by Marshall Rosenberg. B) Therefore 80 % of the conflicts are mainly due to a lack of communication. C) In order to reduce or minimize conflicts: “LISTEN FIRST” but listen with the intention to put yourself in that person’s shoes!

• What is your greatest motivation in life? I like to share what I learn, as the Asian saying say “What you want to learn, teach it.” Once I found my calling I immediately wanted to write a book, like most inspiring speakers do. Before my first book came out, I have probably started to write twenty books. It took me ten years to get my first book published. My second book was like a personal journey for me: “Give luck a chance”. Since its release in June 2014, I have started at least three books. The motivation behind is to share what I learned and to inspire people. The challenge is to find and structure that knowledge!

• Do you have a personal motto? I have two mottos!

The first one is from Somerset Maugham “If you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.”

The second is from the universe. It’s T.T.U: Trust The Universe. T.T.U means that, if you wake up every morning with a positive attitude and if you face life with “love” instead of “fear” you will be able to seize the opportunities and better overcome adversity.

 

Wednesday Coffee Break with Francis

More about Francis Zentz

Marjolaine TIPAKA

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