演讲紧张？我有良方!

    如何成为一名成功的演讲者？关于这一话题的书层出不穷，但最优秀的还数《演讲言之有物深入人心的秘密》（As We Speak: How to Make Your Point and Have It Stick）。这本书通俗易懂，直言如何对待人们普遍存在的怯场问题。

    本书的两位作者彼得•梅耶斯与山恩•尼克斯写道：“本书不去讨论如何放松”（这是他们所强调的重点）。他们借用喜剧演员杰里•刘易斯的话：“如果你完全不紧张，那你要么是在撒谎，要么就是个傻瓜，不过起码有一点，你肯定不够专业。”

    梅耶斯与尼克斯指出，奥运会运动员、百老汇明星以及其它行当的表演者，他们在上台之前的那一刻都非常紧张，他们进而补充说：“在重大场合，没有人能够做到完全放松，也不应该放松。”

    听到这些话，是不是顿感压力顿减？

    梅耶斯在硅谷拥有一家名为Stand & Deliver的咨询公司，在25年的培训生涯中，他的客户包括《财富》500强（Fortune 500）公司的CEO、政治候选人，还有其他一些声名显赫的大人物。关于如何将内心的恐惧转变成积极的能量，他很有一套。（提示：别忘了呼吸。）

    不过，如果在人前发言时依然会害怕，下面有一些实用的小贴士，可以帮你掩饰以下这些表现：

    手部颤抖。抓住遥控器、钢笔、书本或笔记本来稳定自己的双手。千万不要拿激光教鞭（那个红点四处乱窜，会让你的紧张显露无疑）。在演讲时参考笔记是可行的，但不要使用松软的纸张，因为它们会“像船帆一样来回摆动。”

    双腿战栗。作者在书中写道：“要穿宽松的裤子。这真的有用！”紧身的裤子或裙子会暴露出演讲者在颤抖。站立不动也是如此：四处走动能促进演讲者的血液循环，帮助消除紧张。

    汗流浃背。穿上外套，并随身携带一条棉质手绢。作者写道：“没有人希望看到你一直等到额头上的汗自己慢慢滴下来。”所以，擦擦脸没有关系。

    嘴唇发干。这一点非常简单。保证手边有一杯水就可以了，“如果觉得有必要，停下来喝一小口，不必感到难为情。”

    声音颤抖或出现破音。屏住呼吸或者呼吸急促是人们对恐惧的自然反应，但演讲者的声音会因此变得干涩。深呼吸可以使稳定的气流通过声带，进而解决这一问题，同时缓解演讲者的紧张情绪。

    面红耳赤。作者注意到，“有些人在平时的脸色非常正常，但一上台就会变的通红，”对此，他们认为不必担心。即使你感觉自己的脸色像驯鹿鲁道夫的红鼻子一样又红又亮，“也没有关系，深吸一口气，然后继续演讲。只要演讲者自己不会觉得难受，听众也不会在意。”

    这条建议倒是挺适合我自己的！

    （翻译 刘进龙）

    There are lots of books out there about how to be a more effective speaker, but few can match As We Speak: How to Make Your Point and Have It Stick for sheer down-to-earth candor about dealing with the all too common problem of stage fright.

    Co-authors Peter Meyers and Shann Nix write, "This book is not about learning to relax" (emphasis is theirs). Quoting comedian Jerry Lewis, they declare, "If you're not nervous, you're either a liar or a fool, but you're not a professional."

    Noting that Olympic athletes, Broadway stars, and other performers are anything but laid-back in the moments before they go on, Meyers and Nix add, "You're never going to be relaxed in a high-stakes situation -- nor should you be."

    Whew. Takes some of the pressure off, doesn't it?

    Meyers, who has spent the past 25 years coaching Fortune 500 CEOs, political candidates, and other high-powered types through his Silicon Valley-based consulting firm Stand & Deliver, has a few favorite techniques for turning raw panic into positive energy. (Hint: Don't forget to breathe.)

    If, however, you're still visibly terrified at having to address an audience, here are some practical tips on how to hide the symptoms:

    Shaking hands. Steady your hands by holding a clicker, pen, book, or notebook. Avoid laser pointers (that red dot moving all over the place will give you away) and while it's okay to speak from notes, don't use loose paper, which "will flap like a sail."

    Trembling legs. "Wear baggy trousers. Really!" the authors write. Tight pants or a skirt will just showcase the tremors. So will standing still: Moving around will get your circulation going and help you burn off the jitters.

    Sweating. Keep your jacket on, and have a cotton handkerchief handy: "No one wants to watch you wait for that drop of sweat to fall off your forehead," the authors note, so just wipe your face.

    Dry mouth. This one is simple. Make sure you have a glass of water within reach, and "don't feel self-conscious about pausing for a sip when needed."

    Wavering or cracking voice. It's natural to hold your breath or breathe shallowly as a response to fear, but this will make your voice sound strained. Taking deep breaths will fix that by creating a steady volume of air flow over your vocal cords, and help calm your nerves too.

    Turning bright red. Observing that "there are people, generally with fair coloring, who consistently go bright red onstage," the authors advise that you don't worry about it. Even though you may feel you're glowing like Rudolph's nose, "just breathe and carry on. If you don't suffer over it, the audience won't either."

    Nice to know.