What's The Pineapple on Your Pizza?
Hot take: pineapple belongs on pizza. There, I said it.
What does this have to do with public speaking? EVERYTHING.
Some people will look at a pizza covered with a nice salty, umami topping offset but sweet juicy pineapple, and go “om nom nom, get that in my belly.” Others will look at the same pizza and go “get that out of my face.”
Some people will look at the politician or the TED talk or the influencer who changed your whole outlook on life, and go “too smarmy.” “not polished enough.” “Too negative.” “Too fluffy.” “Too much nervous energy.” “Boring.” “Obnoxious.” “Annoying.” One person’s idol will be somebody else’s “I can’s stand that guy.”
This is why I never accept when someone says “my audience is everyone.” Not everyone is going to appreciate you. Not everyone is going to like you. And if you try to contort yourself into something that everyone will like, you will be as bland as dry pizza crust.
You know who likes dry pizza crust? Four-year-olds.
When you try to appeal to everybody, you end up appealing to nobody. People want to feel understood. They want to feel seen. They want to exist in a niche of their choosing; to have touchstones in the world that remind them that they’re special. So they’ll gravitate towards the people who speak to the unique way that they see the world and invite them into a specific way of being that they want for themselves.
So your task is not to appeal to everybody. Your task is to identify the people that you want to draw in, figure out what they like about you, and then refine that.
I’m a goofball. I’m also a big believer in tough love. If you come to one of my workshops, you’re going to hear me say “let’s do something silly.” My people are the ones who are willing to let down their armour and take risks and be playful. Because those practices will make you a better communicator. Not everybody’s into that. And for a long time I tried to be everything to everyone, but I’ve realized that the more I lean into what I personally have to offer, the easier it is to find the people who really want and need what I have to offer.
Maybe you’re a really down-to-earth person, and your audience would be turned off by overly polished presentations, so you need to be able to speak off the cuff but do it in a way that’s clear and concise and gets your points across so that you don’t step off stage or turn off the camera and realize you missed something important. Or on the other hand, maybe you’re all about flash and style, and what to make sure you’re bringing that energy to whatever you do — even on the days when you’re not really feeling it. Maybe your strength is in your stories, or your clever pop culture references, or your physicality, and your challenge is simply to learn how to use those to maximum advantage.
The best use of your time and energy is, as they say, to play to your strengths and manage your weaknesses. There’s no point in torturing yourself to be something you’re not, when all that will really accomplish is to drive away the people who love you for who you are.
So nurture and develop your quirky sense of humour. Let your freak flag fly! Build a vocabulary around the way you want to make people feel. Learn how to use your body and your voice and all the tools available to you in a way that will evoke a particular meaning for a particular audience.
That’s your secret sauce. It’s like pineapple on pizza: some will love it, others will hate it. And you know what? Those who hate it can go find their own damn pizza. It’s not like there’s a shortage.
Ready to get deliciously controversial? Contact us for a free consultation, to explore how we can help you make the most of your flavour.