☑️ Double check your Zoom settings. Make sure Cloud Recording is ON and Active Speaker is being recorded.

☑️ Disable the notification sound that plays when someone joins. Here are the steps from Zoom.

☑️ Join early. Great speakers are relaxed speakers, give yourself time to "arrive". Reminder: The recording will automatically start, and you can always trim & upload a new recording later (here's how).

☑️ Go into host tools or security to enable waiting room. Then turn it off when you're ready to start (Host tools > Enable waiting room). Sometimes this feature is hidden in Security.

☑️ Spotlight the speakers. Here's how.

☑️ Check your set up. Make sure you can screenshare, and your audio & video work. If a few students join early, let them help you check everything.

☑️ Start on time. Turn off your waiting room to admit all. Dive straight into your content no later than 2 minutes after the start time.

☑️ Be welcoming. Greet everyone with your no-fail/icebreaker question.

Don't (these lead to a poor student experience):

❌ Start late

❌ Make technical Zoom errors like not knowing how to screenshare

❌ Dispense generic advice that doesn't go deep into the "how"

❌ Skip Q&A

❌ Make it a sales webinar for your course (~10% sales works best)
❌ Be shy about mentioning your course