India, Jan. 25 -- You were hired for your technology and business expertise, not your ability to serve as a talk show host. Yet your job now requires you to lead panels at conferences, seminars and assorted other events.

For many IT pros, overcoming panel moderation anxiety can be as formidable a challenge as learning a complex new technology. Fortunately, much like coming to grips with a new product or system, planning and preparation are key to becoming a successful - and even sought after - moderator.

To ensure that your first panel moderation appearance runs as smoothly as a fine-tuned network, consider these six points:

Plan a meeting beforehand with all the panelists, in person or via a conference call. "Review their online prese...