You're the cleverest*/sexiest*/most powerful* person on the planet.

*Delete where not applicable.

Fear.

Even seasoned speakers experience presentation nerves.  Particularly when there's a big audience.

The more formal the setting, such as when you're on a raised stage, the more you're likely to have a sense of alienation.

You're in an 'us v. them' situation, only much worse, because there's no 'us', just you up there.  All alone.

Particularly at the start.  There's ice to break and an abyss to cross before you can get going.  It's like going for a jog in the Andes.

So how to bridge the gap and melt the ice?

Why, by the usual method, of course: flattery.

If you think you're immune to flattery, or curl your lip at the very idea of it, it can only be for one of three reasons:

1 - You're a saint.  Far too wise to be charmed by a flatterer.

2 - You've never been flattered.  Poor you.

3 - You've been flattered, perhaps quite often.  But - and this is key - you've been flattered badly.

Let's be clear about this.  Just because you know you're being flattered, doesn't make it bad. After all, the very fact that someone thinks you're worth flattering is in itself flattering.

No.  Bad flattery is when it's so obviously false that it makes you embarrassed for the flatterer.  It's smarmy, unbelievable, undignified and cringe-worthy.

(Funny how we most often notice this when someone else is being flattered.)

So what's good flattery?

Good flattery, you might think, is sincere.  And you'd be half right, because, in order to feel flattered your audience needs to believe you mean what you say.

But how often do you meet people you genuinely admire?  Suppose none of them are in the audience you have to address tomorrow morning?

If the flattery isn't genuine, it has to be faked.  But properly-faked, with something of the care an expert forger would take over his first Leonardo.

How?  You have to make sure the flattery is (a) well-targeted and (b) evidence-based.  Any evidence will do.

Let's say that you've thought about the people you're addressing and you've decided what they really enjoy is feeling important.  

Don't say something silly, like:

"Wow!  It's such a privilege for me to address such an important group of people!" (Simper, simper.)

Anyone can say that, with no thought or effort.  Plus it suggests this is the first time you're addressing important people, which doesn't say much for you.

Instead, how about something well-targeted and evidence-based, like this:

"Last week I looked at the final confirmed list of people attending this conference.  And I have to say I was excited. Because sitting here, in this room, today, are the 300 most important people in the dog-biscuit industry. As you know, we're in a golden age of canine snacking.  And you're the visionaries who've made it happen..."

OK, it may be laying it on with a trowel, but it's evidence you've actually made the effort to research your audience.  This is flattering.  

The '300 most important' figure injects further evidence in the form of measurement.  Fact: there are 300 people in the audience.  You've bothered to count them.  Who's to say if they're the most important people in the industry?  A good handful of biscuit barons is good enough.

If you've read your audience right, and they do indeed aspire to being canine snacking visionaries, they'll happily take the credit for ushering in the golden age.

Good flattery does no harm.  It makes people feel positive about themselves and positive about you.

A good way to break the ice and bridge the gulf.