How to use Screen Share with Customers for Sales Calls & Customer Support

/ by

Screen sharing has become an essential tool for businesses to communicate effectively with their customers.

It doesn’t matter if it’s for sales calls, customer support, or onboarding sessions, screen sharing helps you showcase your products or services and explain complex concepts with ease over a phone call.

But before you start a screen sharing session, there are some things that you should consider to make the remote meeting with your client more successful.

Learn the best practice tips on how to prepare for a screen sharing call, get ideas on what you can share with your clients and the different use cases for sharing different parts of your screen.

Shortcuts:

What to do before starting a screen-sharing session

Before you start sharing your screen, you should start with a clean slate so you don’t share anything by accident.

Close All Non-Relevant Windows

It’s essential to close all windows that are not related to the screen you want to show. This will prevent you from accidentally showing an unrelated window or application that could be embarrassing or compromising.

If you are sharing your full screen but only want to show a single window at time, make sure to close all other windows on your desktop that are irrelevant. By doing so, you eliminate the risk of exposing any sensitive information that could be detrimental to your business.

Close and Quit All Chat Apps

It’s best to avoid any distractions from non-work-related chat apps during a screen sharing session.

Close and quit all non-work-related chat apps to avoid notifications that could disrupt the flow of the conversation. Make sure to quit the apps completely to prevent any accidental pop-ups during the screen sharing session.

This way, you can maintain focus and keep the conversation on track, ultimately leading to a more productive session.

Apart from non-work-related chat apps, it’s also important to mute work chat apps during screen sharing to avoid interruptions.

Muting work apps not only keeps the meeting distraction-free but also makes sure that you won’t share any sensitive work-related information.

Hide Your Personal Details

If you are sharing a browser window, make sure to hide your personal details such as bookmarks and search history.

This will prevent any sensitive information from being exposed during the session. You can right-click on your bookmarks bar and choose “hide” to prevent any unwanted bookmarks from being displayed. By taking this precaution, you eliminate the risk of revealing any personal information that could jeopardize your business’s reputation.

Prepare your Desktop

Clean up your desktop before you start a screen sharing session. Don’t keep it overflowing with shortcuts or downloaded files.

Here’s an exception to the rule of hiding personal details: place a personal photo as the background image on your desktop.

For salespeople, adding personal detail is a great step in building trust with your prospects. It helps them connect to the person at the other end of the conversation. Have a family photo, something related to your hobby or a photo of your pet.

A personal photo is also a great fodder for small talk.

What to Share During Screen Sharing Sessions

It’s important to share content that is relevant and engaging to your audience.

Here are some items that you may want to share and tips on how to expand on each one.

Slide decks

If you have a prepared presentation, share it with your audience to provide a clear structure and guide the conversation.

Use compelling and visually appealing slides to convey your message effectively. Make sure to practice your delivery to avoid any awkward pauses or mistakes during the presentation.

Demos or product walkthroughs

If you are selling a product or service, consider doing a live demo or walkthrough to give your audience a better understanding of its features and benefits

Highlight the key points and use clear and simple language to avoid confusion. Be prepared to answer any questions that your audience may have.

Documents or reports

If you have important documents or reports to discuss, share them with your audience to provide context and support your arguments. Summarize the key points and highlight the most relevant information. Additionally, be prepared to discuss any implications or recommendations based on the document or report.

Websites or online tools

If you are discussing a website or an online tool, share your screen to provide a visual representation of your discussion. Navigate through the website or tool in a clear and organized manner to avoid confusion. Highlight the most important features and provide examples of how they can be used.

Training materials or tutorials

If you are conducting a training session or tutorial, share your screen to provide step-by-step instructions and guidance. Make sure to use clear and simple language and provide examples and demonstrations to reinforce the learning points. Additionally, be prepared to answer any questions or provide additional resources if needed.

Visual aids or graphics

If you have visual aids or graphics to support your discussion, share them with your client to provide a clear and engaging presentation. Use high-quality images and graphics that are relevant to your discussion. Be prepared to explain any complex concepts or data presented in the visuals.

There are various items that you can share during screen sharing sessions to make them productive and engaging. By preparing and presenting relevant and engaging content, you can ensure that your audience understands and retains the information you provide.

Remember to practice and prepare thoroughly to make the most out of your screen sharing sessions.

Choosing the Right Screen Sharing Method

Screen sharing can be done in a number of ways, but the most commonly used methods are sharing the entire desktop, sharing a program window, sharing a browser tab and select a specific area of your screen by cropping and selecting the area you want to share.

Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, and it is important to choose the method that works best for the material you want to show.

Full Desktop

Sharing the entire desktop is the most flexible method of screen sharing, as it allows you to show anything that is open on your computer screen. This method is useful if you need to switch between different programs or windows during your presentation, as you can easily navigate between them without having to stop sharing and start again.

Sharing the entire desktop can be risky if you have sensitive information on your screen that you do not want to share with others. Make sure that you have closed all non-relevant windows and programs and that you have hidden any personal details that could be seen during the presentation.

A Program Window

Sharing a program window is a more controlled method of screen sharing, as it allows you to share only the content that is visible within a specific window. This method is useful if you want to focus the viewer’s attention on a specific program or document, without the distractions of other windows or programs.

To prepare for sharing a program window, it is important to make sure that the program is open and that the document or content you want to show is visible within the window. You may also want to resize the window to make sure that all the content is visible and easy to read.

A Specific Browser Tab

Sharing a browser tab is useful if you want to show a specific webpage or web application to your viewers. This method is often used for product demos, training sessions, or webinars.

To prepare for sharing a browser tab, it is important to make sure that the webpage or web application is open and that you have tested it to make sure that it works properly. You may also want to adjust the size of the browser window to make sure that all the content is visible and easy to read.

Choose and Crop Area to Share

When you just want to share a specific area of you desktop - such as a form on your website, you can use the choose and crop feature that allows you to select the area you want to share.

Choose and crop also comes in handy when you want to draw attention to a specific area of your presentation.

You can always go back and forth between screen sharing methods. You can start by sharing a program window, then share full screen and then finally crop around the area you want to focus your conversation on.

Preparing Your Flow for Different Materials

If you have different materials that you want to show during your screen sharing session, it is important to plan your flow in advance.

If you want to show a document and then switch to a webpage, it is important to make sure that you have both the document and the webpage open before you start sharing your screen. TIt will prevent any delays or technical issues that could disrupt the flow of your presentation.

It is also important to practice your flow before the actual presentation so you can anticipate any issues that may arise and be prepared to troubleshoot them. This will help you to deliver a smooth and professional presentation, without any interruptions or distractions.

Choosing the right screen sharing method and preparing your flow in advance is essential for a successful presentation.

Whether you choose to share the entire desktop, a program window, or a browser tab, make sure that you have prepared your materials in advance and that you have tested them to make sure that they work properly.

Conclusion

Remember to close all non-relevant windows, close and quit all non-work chat apps, mute work chat apps, set your notification schedule to midnight, and hide your personal details. By implementing these tips, you’ll be able to conduct seamless and effective screen sharing sessions with your customers, ultimately leading to better business outcomes.