Good question Bob.. I've actually gone back and forth on this. I personally feel there is a different level of impact when you see someone while they present software.

When you walk into a customer meeting, you don't hide behind a curtain when you show the demo. Why do the same thing in a customer presentation?

Does it take away from the focus? Potentially. Does it showcase the human element of a presentation? Yes.

Thanks for bringing this up.  In Great Demo! we've been publicly recommending this approach since December 12, 2018, when I introduced these specific ideas in a webinar hosted by Zoom (where I was the presenter).

In the Presales Collective webinar of April 22, Paul Pearce's specifically discussed the mechanics of this again:

Webcam...

ON for intros

OFF for demo/preso

ON for summaries

and

ON for the final summary.

This is a well-documented and time-tested best practice!

Excellent points. Here's what our analysis has shown. The human element is delivered at the opening "Tell" of a demo topic. In that opening the pre-sales pro sets the context for what's about to be shown. During the opening tell, the person should be in full view unless they have a supporting slide in which case the webcam image and slide share the stakeholder's screen. When the demo begins, go full screen and drop the webcam. This avoids a division of attention. During an in-person demo of a topic, the audience isn't watching the presenter during the actual demo...they are looking at the screen. For a virtual demo, the screen is often smaller than a projected screen so go full screen on the software and don't divide attention. Once the "show" portion is complete, go back on camera to deliver the benefit. Thoughts?