Present Your Screen in a Meeting Like a Pro
Sharing your screen is simple. Sharing it well takes five minutes of preparation. Here is how to avoid the usual embarrassments and keep your audience with you.
A shared screen can make a meeting brilliant or painful. Done well, everyone sees exactly what you mean and decisions come quickly. Done badly, you show your inbox to a client, fumble for a window while ten people wait, or read a slide aloud at a size nobody can see. The difference is about five minutes of preparation and a few habits. Here is how to present your screen like a professional.
Before the meeting
- Close what you do not need. Private tabs, email, chat windows and anything you would not want a client to see.
- Turn off notifications. A message preview from a friend on a shared screen is a classic embarrassment. Use "do not disturb".
- Open what you will show, in the order you will show it. Have the slides, documents and websites ready in separate windows.
- Check your desktop. A tidy desktop, a neutral background and no stray files make a good impression.
- Increase the size of text in documents and the browser. People often watch on small screens.
Choosing what to share
Sharing options usually let you pick the whole screen or a single window. A single window is safer, because only that window is visible, and nothing private can slip in. The whole screen is better when you move between several programs and do not want to swap each time. In PeerFlow screen sharing you choose what to share, and you can stop at any time.
Starting the share
- Say what you are about to show. "I will share my screen with the draft plan."
- Start the share, and ask: "Can everyone see it?"
- Tell people where to look. Use the pointer, or draw on the screen to circle the part that matters.
While you present
- Move slowly. Scrolling quickly makes people dizzy and costs bandwidth.
- Narrate what you do. "I am opening the budget tab."
- Pause for questions at natural breaks. A shared screen invites interruptions, which is good.
- Use the pointer and drawing instead of saying "the thing on the left".
- Keep your eyes on the audience from time to time, not only on the screen.
Sound and video
If your presentation includes a video or audio, check beforehand that it plays. On Windows, PeerFlow screen sharing can include your computer's sound, which means people can hear the video you play. On other devices, the picture is shared and the sound may not be. If sound matters, test it with a colleague first.
After you share
When you finish, press stop so people see faces again. A meeting that stays on a static slide for twenty minutes loses its energy. If you want the audience to discuss, stop sharing and talk.
Bandwidth and quality
Screen sharing is most demanding when the content moves: scrolling pages, video and animations. A still slide uses very little. If the picture looks blurry, close other uses of the internet, reduce the size of the shared window, and avoid constant movement. See video call bandwidth.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | How to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Showing private tabs | Close them first, share a single window |
| Notification pop-ups | Turn on do not disturb |
| Tiny text | Zoom in before sharing |
| Searching for the file | Open everything in advance |
| Reading slides aloud | Talk about the point instead |
| Forgetting to stop sharing | Stop when you finish |
Letting others present
Ask a participant to share their screen when you want to see their work: a student's exercise, a colleague's draft, a client's problem. Give them a moment to set up, and thank them. For a one-to-one with control of their screen, use remote desktop instead.
Drawing and highlighting
A circle drawn on a screen is clearer than five seconds of description. Use it sparingly, and clear it when you move on. Our article on sharing your screen and drawing on it has more ideas.
Practise once
Share your screen in a meeting with yourself on another device, and watch what others will see. It takes two minutes and removes most surprises. Then run your real meeting, with advice from how to run a good online meeting. Install the Android and Windows apps for the full screen-sharing features.
Frequently asked questions
Should I share my whole screen or one window?
Share one window when you can. It keeps private items and notifications out of view and keeps the audience focused.
Will people hear my computer’s sound?
On Windows, PeerFlow screen sharing can include your computer’s sound, which is useful for videos. Other devices share the picture only.
Can I draw on the screen while presenting?
Yes. You can draw and point on the shared screen to highlight what matters.
How do I stop sharing?
Press the stop button in the meeting. The audience goes back to seeing faces.