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Voice. To make sure your speaking voice is effective in a mediated presentation, there are several guidelines to remember. When you are presenting to a camera, a good general rule is to speak at about the same volume as you would when addressing a group seated in a conference room. If you are prerecording, consider doing a quick “voice check”—recording yourself saying the beginning of your introduction, and playing back to ensure appropriate volume. Maintaining an effective rate of delivery can be a challenge. There is a natural tendency to speed up your presentation if no audience is present, and the absence of an audience means you will not receive feedback if you speak too fast. To keep your rate under control, be sure to pause at natural stopping points in your speech.²² For example, you might pause before you transition to the next main point, after you display a visual aid, or after you present evidence. Recall that speaking to a camera rather than a roomful of people can make it seem as though you are communicating with a vast empty space, which can cause you to lose energy. Imagine that you are speaking to a live audience, and make a conscious effort to maintain an energetic delivery. Include some reminders on your extemporaneous notes, such as “Energy!” or “Enthusiasm!”

If your audience is watching you from different locations (say, for an online class), consider asking them to use high-quality ear buds. This will help them hear you clearly and will be more comfortable for them.

Eye Contact. This is a challenge in mediated presentations because you obviously cannot look your audience members directly in the eye. (Even in real-time presentations, both the speaker and the audience are looking at each other on a screen.) Nevertheless, your audience will notice where your eyes are looking. Therefore, you should always look toward the camera (or a visual, like a small stuffed animal taped to the top) while presenting; you do not want it to appear that you are gazing off into space.²³ While speaking, imagine your audience in front of you. Make extended eye contact in several directions, just as you would with real people in a live audience.

Movement and Gestures. These elements of nonverbal delivery are also impacted in a mediated presentation. On a screen, your gestures will appear more prominent because you are being displayed in a smaller area. Expansive gestures may also move out of the frame of your video. (Even if you have a skilled cameraperson, he or she would not be able to anticipate your natural, conversational gestures.) It is important to gesture when you are recording a speech, but be careful not to gesture too expansively.²⁴

Controlled movement can also be problematic. Ensure that all movement remains within the range of the camera so that you do not move in and out of the screen. You may even need to speak from a fixed location—for example, if your camera cannot move because you are recording your own speech or if you are speaking at a fixed microphone. If you cannot use nonverbal cues, such as moving to indicate a transition or to point out an item on a visual aid, be sure to assist audience understanding with clear verbal cues.