How to Overcome First-Time Stage Fright and Successfully Sell from the Stage

Are you ready to conquer your fear of public speaking and make your mark on the stage? In this episode of My First Stage, I sit down with serial entrepreneur, author, and podcast host Jeremy Shapiro to uncover the real story behind his unforgettable first time in the spotlight. From last-minute cold calls to a wardrobe malfunction just minutes before showtime, Jeremy shares honest, actionable insights on selling from stage, overcoming nerves, and building a memorable personal brand. Whether you’re an aspiring speaker or a seasoned business owner, don’t miss this candid conversation packed with practical advice to help you grow your own stage presence and make every speaking opportunity a success. Key takeaways: A First Stage You’ll Never Forget: Jeremy recounts his first big speaking gig—a nerve-wracking sales presentation, complete with cold calls, last-minute changes, and a catastrophic wardrobe malfunction. Teaching vs. Selling from Stage: The psychological and tactical differences between teaching a small interactive class and commanding a big room with a clear sales goal. The Power of Systems (and Scripts): How following a tried-and-true framework can help conquer your fears and get real results, but why injecting personality and adapting is key. Failing to Sell Live: The painful story of a zero-sales webinar, what went wrong, and how feedback and constant tweaking turned a flop into an eventual success. Building Connection and Confidence: How Jeremy learned to bring personal stories, improv, and interactivity into every presentation. Secrets to Audience Engagement: From hand raises to “trial closes,” real-world tactics for keeping a crowd involved—even when you can’t see them through the blinding stage lights. The Book, the Podcast, and the Trifecta: Why Jeremy believes in having multiple platforms as a thought leader and how he uses each to land more stages and clients. Real Advice for Getting Started: Why embarrassment is part of the journey, why MVPs matter, and how every pedal stroke and every ripped pair of pants get you closer to your dream stage. What to do next: Connect with Jeremy – Check out Jeremy’s book and podcast at yourbusinessgrowthplaybook.com for more tips on growing your business and your confidence. Subscribe & Review – If you loved this episode, subscribe to My First Stage, leave a review, and let’s keep sharing these real behind-the-scenes journeys. Start Speaking, Start Failing – Seriously: pitch yourself for a local workshop or event, host a webinar, just get in the reps. Every “embarrassing” start is an investment in your future success. Timestamped Summaries [00:00-01:02] – I introduce Jeremy Shapiro and set the stage for his first-stage story—about being thrown into a sales presentation he wasn’t expecting (and most definitely wasn’t ready for). [01:04-03:28] – Jeremy describes his absolute reluctance to be on stage, the shock of having to cold call hundreds of prospects, and the blunt reality of a pre-pitch wardrobe disaster. [03:28-04:14] – What do you do when you rip your pants an hour before your first big speaking gig? Learn about Jeremy’s mad dash to a tailor and how the show had to go on. [04:14-06:37] – Breaking down the difference between teaching a workshop and selling from a stage. [06:39-09:21] – Why selling from the stage is a different beast, and how bombing a live webinar taught Jeremy the value of iteration, constructive feedback, and refining your pitch. [09:33-10:40] – How switching from facts to stories, ditching the word-for-word script, and adding trial closes created a dramatic improvement in audience response and sales. [10:45-11:22] – The practical mechanics of trial closes: getting audiences to nod, say yes, and qualify themselves before the final pitch. [12:27-13:18] – In-person vs. online audiences, how body language can tell you everything. [13:37-14:17] – The power (and limits) of techniques like scarcity bonuses, fast-action offers, and social proof to get audiences to actually take action. [14:28-16:00] – How adding relevant, real, and recent stories instantly personalizes a presentation, breaks the fourth wall, and makes your audience lean in. [16:18-18:19] – The cringe-worthy mistake of forgetting to click “start meeting” on a webinar with hundreds of people waiting, and how leading with vulnerability set up a more successful second run. [19:30-20:31] – How Jeremy’s speaking career has evolved. [21:00-22:07] – The differences in interacting with thousands vs. dozens, how to harness audience energy, and why panels and conversations are a sweet spot. [22:27-23:44] – Practical tactics for engaging big audiences you can’t see. [24:26-28:35] – Why the “trifecta” of book, podcast, and stage matters, and how each platform feeds the next. [28:57-30:18] – Jeremy’s biggest advice: just start, embrace embarrassing failures, get the reps, and don’t try to perfect your way out of ever beginning.