How do I give a talk online and manage the tech and audience at the same time?

Focusing on delivering a high energy, engaging talk to a camera instead of to human beings is difficult. As speakers, we really don’t want to also have to worry about audience management at the same time.

And so: If you are doing a talk via a webinar format, I highly recommend designating someone to serve as your webinar manager. This person can be the virtual moderator and technology wrangler all in one.

The moderator can process the audience input in real time while the speaker focuses on delivering a compelling talk. The moderator can then send guidance to the speaker via a private chat. With a little practice, this can work very well.