How to get your first 10 members

When you start a membership it's tempting to aim for hundreds of members straight away. Don't. Aim for ten.

Ten members is enough to prove people will pay. It's enough to learn what they actually want from you. And it's small enough that you can look after every single one of them properly, which is exactly what turns ten members into fifty.

Here's how to find them.

1. Start with people who already know you

Your first members won't come from strangers. They'll come from people who already trust you: past clients, customers, people on your email list, people who comment on your posts, people in your local community.

Write a list of everyone you can think of who has bought from you, asked you a question or said "I love what you do". That list is where your first ten members are hiding.

2. Tell them personally

A post on social media is easy to miss. A personal message is not.

Send a short, friendly note to the people on your list. Something like:

> "I'm starting a small membership for people who want help with [the thing you help with]. Before I open it up, I'm inviting a handful of people I'd love to have in there first. Would you like the details?"

Asking "would you like the details?" is much gentler than sending a sales page. People who say yes are already halfway in.

3. Make your first offer simple

You don't need a huge library of content to start. Your first members are joining for you, not for a hundred videos.

A simple first offer could be:

• one live call a month
• one new piece of content a month
• a place to ask questions and chat

That's plenty. You can add more as you learn what your members love.

4. Give your founding members a reason to join now

Founding members are taking a chance on you, so thank them for it. A lower founding price, a bonus session or a small welcome gift all work well. Tell them the founding offer is only open for a short time, and mean it.

5. Look after them brilliantly

Once someone joins, the most important job is making them glad they did. Welcome them by name. Point them to the one thing to do first. Check in after a week or two.

Happy founding members tell their friends, and that's where members eleven to fifty come from.

The short version

Don't wait until everything is perfect. Make a simple offer, invite the people who already know you, and look after the ones who say yes. Ten members is a brilliant start.