Screen Sharing Tips for Better Remote Collaboration
Remote collaboration has become more mainstream as more people are starting to work from home. As such, teleconferencing and screen sharing are becoming more essential to the day-to-day function of businesses.
Why Screen Sharing Is Essential for Businesses Working Remotely
While emails, online chats, and conference calls can be quite convenient, there are times when more detailed communication is called for. This is especially true when you’re trying to demonstrate or explain complex information.
Screen sharing, or the sharing one’s desktop to others, may be helpful as a substitute for face-to-face meetings, especially when you’re working remotely.
Screen sharing is essential for business functions such as the following:
- Customer demo — Showing how a certain product works (e.g., software products)
- Sales pitches — Presenting sales decks to remote or overseas clients
- Marketing reports — Explaining and elaborating data to clients
- Webinars — Educating customers or remote teams about new products or processes
- Troubleshooting/customer support — Helping clients during onboarding sessions or employees when they’re having trouble with software tools
- Project updates — Providing real-time updates on project status, deliverables, roadblocks, etc.
However, the fact remains that not all employees or clients are adept in screen sharing and teleconferencing.
Whether you’re an agency or an individual collaborating with remote employees or clients, here are a few tips on how to make screen sharing work for you:
Before Screen Sharing
1. Familiarize yourself with the software
Skype, Zoom, Cisco Webex, and TeamViewer are among the many software available that offer screen-sharing tools. If you’re new to these, it’s best to familiarize yourself with the interface and test out the screen-sharing feature with a co-worker or friend.
2. Prepare your materials ahead of time
Have everything that you need for your presentation open already: software, documents, slides, sheets, etc. It’s also best to prepare your talking points written in an actual physical notepad so that it’s easier to look when you’re sharing your screen.
3. Be sure to have a presentable and clean screen
Remove all clutter from your desktop, such as desktop folders and unnecessary apps open. Close all extra tabs in your browser as well.
4. Turn off desktop notifications
Don’t distract your audience. Be sure to turn off desktop notifications, at least just between the hours of your scheduled meeting. Here’s how:
During Screen Sharing
1. Choose a single window when sharing your screen
Most screen-sharing software allows you to configure your screen-sharing settings. Choose a single window when sharing your screen to avoid embarrassing mishaps or revealing private information shown in another window or even on your desktop.
2. Make sure that guests can see your screen
A common mistake, but it’s always best to check first with your guests whether they can actually see your screen after enabling screen sharing before you start the discussion.
3. Pause screen sharing whenever necessary
In cases where you need to pull up a file at the last minute, pause your screen sharing while you look for the file to keep things professional. You may also ask another presenter to begin his/her talk if sorting out takes more time.
4. Assign someone else to take notes
While you’re sharing your screen, it’s best to focus solely on your presentation and delegate the note-taking to someone else. This avoids distracting your guests.
After Screen Sharing
1. Don’t forget to stop sharing your screen
Another common mistake: forgetting to exit your screen share. Be sure that you stop sharing your screen when you’re done presenting.
Wrapping It Up
Screen sharing is but one of the many tools you can use for remote work. A key element to effective collaboration, however, lies not entirely on technology but on your personal relationship with your team and your clients.
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