We’ve all been there. Someone asks us a question in a meeting or during a presentation, and we feel our brain scrambling for something intelligent to say. We start talking, hoping that by the time we’ve finished our first sentence, our point will magically appear.
It rarely does.
This month’s topic is inspired by Yasir Khan, who shares a brilliantly simple structure for impromptu speaking that works for any topic. He calls it the “sandwich” approach.
The Sandwich Approach
Think of your answer like a sandwich:
- Top slice of bread: State your main point straight away.
- Filling: Support it with reasons, steps, a story, an explanation, or an analogy.
- Bottom slice of bread: Repeat your main point to close.
It’s simple, but it solves two big problems. First, you avoid rambling because you know exactly where you’re going. Second, your audience knows when you’ve finished; no awkward “are they done?” pauses.
How it works in practice
Example question: “What’s your favourite movie?”
Without structure: You drift from one film to another, remembering actors, other roles they played, and before you know it, you’re talking about a Batman film you didn’t even mean to mention.
With the sandwich approach: Top slice: “One of my favourite movies is Inception.” Filling: Give three reasons — the soundtrack, the director, and the cast. Bottom slice: “That’s why Inception is one of my favourite movies.”
Clear, concise and easy to follow, right?
The ‘filling menu’
Once you’ve stated your point, you can fill the middle with:
- Reasons: “There are three reasons why…”
- Steps: “First… then… finally…”
- A Story: “Two weeks ago I had to… and here’s what happened.”
- An Explanation: “What I mean by this is…”
- An Analogy: “It’s a bit like learning to ride a bike…”
You can even combine them. For example: state your point, give a reason, explain it, then tell a short story. Congratulations — you’ve just spoken confidently for several minutes without preparation.
Why this works for presenters
When you’re presenting, you’ll often get unexpected questions. Having a simple structure in your back pocket keeps you calm and makes your answer sound well thought-out, even if you only had seconds to prepare it in your head.
Next time you’re caught off guard, pause, pick your main point, decide on your filling, and close with your point again. I really like this ‘sandwich’ analogy!
