Everything from selecting a topic and researching information to outlining your presentation is a prerequisite to the big moment: actually delivering your speech. In this section, we’ll take a fresh look at a point that we’ve emphasized throughout this book: how you say something is as important as what you say. That is, audiences receive information not only from the actual words that you speak but also through two channels of nonverbal communication: the vocal and the visual. These channels directly impact your ability to connect with your audience whether you are presenting to a small group, a large audience, or even in an online environment.