Screen sharing is a vital part of most web meeting tools, as it enables hosts to transmit images, such as Power Point presentations and videos easily to their audience. By using screen sharing, online meeting attendees don’t have to download any slides before the meeting, making the web conference preparations much smoother. In addition, screen sharing allows all participants to see the same images at the same time, so there is no need to wait until all are on the same part of the presentation to continue your speech - this makes for a more refined web conferencing experience.
By following the simple tips outlined below, you can ensure that you have a seamless screen sharing experience in your next net meeting.
- Know your net meeting tool - This is especially true for those who are new to web conferencing. Know how screen sharing works with the tool you have chosen, and be well aware of what portions of your screen will be visible to meeting attendees. Webex for example, will not show private chat messages between the meeting host and a participant, but other tools do expose the entire screen. This means that if you start a private chat with a meeting participant, for example, everyone in the meeting will be able to see the conversation, which could potentially expose confidential or even embarrassing information.
- Close all non-relevant programs before the meeting - Instant messaging tools, e-mail programs and any other software that will not be needed during the meeting should be closed. You never know when a new e-mail or instant message could come in and disrupt the meeting. Also think that incoming communication could have confidential information that should not be exposed to all the web meeting participants. Remember to close any web browser tabs that are not relevant to the meeting - you probably don’t want your colleagues or clients knowing that you access gossip websites on your lunch break, for example.
- Ensure all presenters are ready to share their screens - If you are starting the Internet meeting for someone else, or if your web conference has multiple presenters, it is a good idea to inform them privately that you will be sharing their screen before you do so. This way, you do not start sharing their screens (and potential confidential information) suddenly and without them realizing it. It is also good to practise screen sharing with all presenters prior to the meeting, so that the transition from one screen to the next goes quickly and smoothly.
- Keep your desktop appropriate throughout the meeting - This should go without saying, but even if you are not sharing your screen during the entire meeting, it is always a good idea to not start writing any e-mails or potentially controversial chat messages until your web conference is over. This way, if screen sharing is passed back to you at any moment, you are not at risk of embarrassing yourself. Remember that not every presenter will notify you before screen sharing is passed back to you, and not all online conferencing software will get your approval every time screen sharing is passed back to you.
- Test your presentation - To make sure that your participants will get the best presentation possible, it is a good idea to test it in its entirety before the web conference. This way, you’ll know if your web meeting software will promptly load your presentation in screen sharing mode, or if it can properly handle videos and other multimedia material that you plan in sharing. Some tools, such as GoToMeeting are great for PowerPoints, for example, but can’t properly handle video. Knowing this information can help you optimize your presentation for screen sharing.
By keeping the above guidelines in mind for your next net meeting, you will be able to make the most of your online meeting tool’s screen sharing capabilities. This means that not only will you be able to fully control how your presentation is seen by all your participants, but you will also be able to share content that previously would’ve been downloaded to each attendee’s computer - saving everyone precious time that can be used to discuss more important issues.