Virtual Training Producer Playbook

Run the technology, the chat and the clock in live online training, so the facilitator can teach and every participant can take part.

Who it is for

• A coordinator, office manager or shift lead who has been asked to "help run the online training"

• A trainer or HR generalist who produces sessions for other facilitators

• A small-business owner who teaches online sessions alone and needs a simpler way to manage the screen

• A training team that wants one standard way to produce every virtual session

• A supervisor who runs online safety refreshers or onboarding for staff in the field

The problem it solves

In a live online session, one person is usually asked to teach and run a busy screen at the same time. Polls get typed during the session, breakout rooms open late or not at all, questions sit unread in chat, and a dropped connection stops everything. This playbook explains the producer role (the person who runs everything on the screen except the teaching) and gives you a step-by-step process, a run sheet and a backup plan, so sessions start on time, activities work and problems get fixed without stopping the class.

What is inside

Playbook (PDF, 31 pages)

• How to use this playbook and contents (page 1)

• Part 1. The producer role: what a producer does, how the role differs from the facilitator, a who-does-what table, when you need one, and how to work alone (pages 2 to 4)

• Part 2. Before the session: a countdown from two weeks out, platform features to confirm, the rehearsal agenda, a participant message example, and a checklist (pages 5 to 7)

• Part 3. Designing the run sheet: its parts, how to build it, writing cues that work, timing and buffers, and a retail example (pages 8 to 9)

• Part 4. During the session: opening the room, chat management, polls, breakout rooms, private signals with the facilitator, and a checklist (pages 10 to 13)

• Part 5. Handling technology failures: three rules, a 13-problem playbook, what to say, and a worked example (pages 14 to 15)

• Part 6. Accessibility: before, during and after, with a checklist (pages 16 to 17)

• Part 7. Working with a co-facilitator: splitting the work, handoffs, and correcting mistakes privately (pages 17 to 18)

• Part 8. After the session: follow-up timeline, a thank-you message example, the debrief, and a checklist (pages 18 to 19)

• Part 9. Templates, each followed by a filled-in example: producer run sheet (pages 20 to 25), backup plan card (page 26), co-facilitator agreement (page 27), session debrief form (page 28), producer pre-session checklist and quick reference (page 29)

• Part 10. How to roll this out: a 30-day plan, three business examples, and FAQ (pages 30 to 31)

Producer Templates (Word, 9 pages, editable)

• Producer run sheet, backup plan card, co-facilitator agreement, session debrief form and pre-session checklist, each with a filled-in example

Examples come from a dental clinic group, a home services company, a food bank, a retail store, a cleaning services company, an accounting firm, a salon group and a software support center.

How to use it

1. Read Part 1 to agree on the producer's role with your facilitator.

2. Follow Parts 2 to 8 for your next session, using the checklist at the end of each part.

3. Copy the Word run sheet, fill it in, and review it with the facilitator in a 30-minute rehearsal.

4. Keep the backup plan card beside the run sheet during the session.

5. Debrief within two days and update the run sheet for next time.

Formats and file types

• PDF playbook, 31 pages, US Letter, prints well in color or black and white

• Microsoft Word file (.docx), 9 pages, fully editable; also opens in Google Docs and other word processors

• Platform-neutral: works with any video meeting or webinar platform that has chat

Frequently asked questions