Burger Before Bun: The Secret to a Juicier Message

Last week in Public Speaking Fundamentals, I shared a simple analogy that sparked a lot of a-ha! moments, and I wanted to share it with you, too.

I told the group: “You’ve gotta cook the burger before you put it on the bun.”

It got some laughs at first, but then you could see the lightbulbs go off.

Here’s what I mean…

When it comes to public speaking, a lot of people start by trying to write the perfect intro or conclusion first. But if you don’t know what your actual message is yet, what are you really introducing? What are you wrapping up?

That’s bun before burger.

When you think about your speech like a burger (veggie burgers totally count), the “meat” is your content: your core message, key points and overall takeaway. You’ve got to fully cook that burger by developing your ideas and getting clear on what you want to say. Then you season and top it with stories, examples, testimonials, quotes and/or stats that make it more flavorful, relatable and easy to understand.

If you skip that step, you risk serving up something bland, undercooked or feeding a plant-based patty to a table full of carnivores. And nobody wants that.

Once your burger is cooked and seasoned, then you can craft the bun.

The secret to a juicier message? Burger before bun.

Your top bun (the intro) is your hook. It draws your audience in, answers their silent question “What’s in it for me?” and gives them a preview of what’s to come. But you can’t hook your audience or ‘tell them what you’re going to tell them’ if you haven’t figured out what you’re actually saying.

Your bottom bun (the conclusion) holds it all together and gives your audience something to walk away with. It’s where you reiterate your key points, wrap it up and put a bow on top. It’s also where you share your call to action, which should be a natural next step that flows directly from the message you’ve delivered. But again, if you don’t know what your message is, you can’t possibly ‘tell them what you told them.’

Think about the most delicious burger you’ve ever had. The meat was cooked just right, the seasonings made it sing, the toppings added texture and flavor, and the bun brought it all together without overpowering the star of the show. The same is true with your talk. You may even choose a different bun depending on the flavor of your message. (Pretzel bun on a turkey burger, anyone? 🤤)

When your audience gets served a juicy, satisfying burger, they’ll want dessert. That’s your call to action. They’ll want to connect, learn more, share your message, or come back for another “meal.” But if the burger's bland, not even a hot fudge sundae will save your call to action!

So before you stress about your first or final line, ask yourself: Do I know what I’m really trying to say? Have I cooked the burger?

This one shift helps your message come together with more clarity, confidence and flavor. You wouldn’t eat a raw burger, so why serve an undercooked talk?

Now I’m curious…. Have you ever found yourself putting the bun before the burger? Sound off in the comments below. 👇 Let us know what your go-to “recipe” is when it comes to delivering your message!

Speak Success,

Shannon Malkin Daniels

Founder, SPEAC Success

Public Speaking & Authenticity Coach