The moment you rise to your feet or walk out ‘on stage’ you can sense that little kick. We all can, however much we say we can’t. For some, the onset of the butterflies is mild, for others very much more unsettling; just occasionally the sensation can be close to terror. We know the line from Jerry Seinfeld, quoting the much vaunted statistic about fear of public speaking versus the – much lower-ranked – fear of death, that at the average funeral the chap standing at the front would rather be in the coffin than delivering the eulogy.

I seek not to emphasise the ‘fear’ here, because we all know, to one degree or another, how that adrenaline/cortisol rush makes us feel and react. If we choose to dwell on a poor reaction it can hole us below the waterline even before things have really got going.

My point is rather that we have a choice. A choice then and there, with a well-trained inner brain, to step out and make a bold assertion that can have a strongly positive effect on the audience and, particularly, on us, the speaker. Delivered with suitable style it can set up the whole speech that follows.

It is not complicated at all, but it requires a bit of planning, rehearsal, smiling (not always easy during those initial opening lines) and timing. You look briefly about the room and say “I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to speaking to you today ..” or “You won’t believe how much it means to be with you this morning ..”. Clearly there’s room for some variety in approach here.

It isn’t even strictly necessary to say this out loud (though my contention is that most audiences will very much approve of hearing it) so long as you say it to yourself. Importantly, you must mean it. The words alone won’t do the same job.

As an audience we are curious about our speakers – we may know them personally but we still seek reassurance, each time we’re addressed, that our investment of time is going to be sufficiently well rewarded. Anything that means we might be entertained, enthused, better informed and given things of practical use to us is the best kind of dividend and we’ll happily reinvest when the opportunity arises.

So step forward, give them your best spreading smile and tell them how glad you are to be there. The floor is yours.