You’ve been asked to moderate a panel discussion at a conference or event—now what? You’ve got the public speaking skills and are knowledgeable on the content, so it should be a breeze, right? This is where most moderators miss the mark by not taking these extra steps to set themselves up for success!  

A good moderator will show up on the day of the event and ask questions, but a great moderator will take the time to prepare and act as a leader for the panel or event. Below are five key steps that will establish you as a great moderator of any event or panel. 

1. Organize the prep call: Proactively coordinating a prep call with your panelists is a quick way to establish yourself as a leader and instantly let the speakers know that you’ve got it covered. Prep calls are important for gathering content for the upcoming discussion and getting panelists comfortable with each other (and you!). Come to the prep call with ideas and pay attention to your speakers. With so many moving pieces, people are happy to look to you to be in charge!

2. Know what not to share: After a successful prep call, expect to have a lot of content to sort through. From here, it’s up to you to use discernment in what’s included in the live discussion. While there might be some tempting pieces of information available, a great moderator knows what to include and what not to include. Something that might be interesting to you will not always be interesting to the audience, and vice versa. Know who your audience is and what they care about. 

3. Practice good organization and management skills: Staying organized might seem like an obvious step, but one might be surprised how often this isn’t the case. Every speaker will appreciate a moderator who stays on top of information and deadlines, and communicates expectations and details to the panel in a timely manner. This solidifies confidence in you and allows the speakers on the panel to focus solely on their own preparations. 

4. Manage the flow of conversation:  During the live panel discussion, it’s important to manage the flow of conversation, pay attention, and balance speaker time. The goal is to give every panelist close to equal stage time and encourage healthy discussion. The mark of a great moderator is one who can walk the line between steering the direction of the conversation but not stealing the show, and allowing the panelists to shine. 

5. Spare time for questions for audience Q&A: You’ve seen it a million times before: at the conclusion of a presentation when it’s asked, “Are there any questions?” and the response is crickets. Now, if you’ve followed the steps above and have curated content the audience is interested in, this will rarely be the case. However, a great moderator is always prepared and will have questions to ask the panelists at the ready to avoid any lulls or abrupt endings of the discussion. 

Lastly, and most importantly- enjoy yourself! As a moderator, you get the best of both worlds—acting as both a participant and a spectator. Prepare, make an honest effort, and trust your skills. You got this!