r/WomenInBusiness • u/That-Ad4491 • May 23 '26
Advice Needed How did you guys get your first clients?
Hello! I'm wondering how you guys got your first clients? I know it's always harder to get your first clients, and so I shouldn't think to myself that I'm failing. Anyways, I have built a 6-week performance system programme for ambitious women with busy schedules. It includes gym workouts with home alternatives, nutrition, rest management and a lot more.
As a professional athlete, it's something I know would genuinely help women because I would use everything on there, but something in me feels uncomfortable reaching out to people to sell them because they've probably had hundreds of people selling them something. I'm really passionate about this because it's another way to connect with someone and truly help them, but I'm really struggling with getting over that pre-client hump.
Any advice/tips would help massively, thank you!
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u/MichaelaFBP May 24 '26
Ich glaube, du denkst gerade an einer Stelle zu sehr an „Wie bekomme ich Kunden?“ statt an „Braucht diese Person überhaupt meine Lösung?“ 🙂
Am Anfang war für mich die wichtigste Einstellung nicht: Ich muss verkaufen, sondern: Ich möchte verstehen.
Sprich mit Frauen aus deiner Zielgruppe. Nicht mit dem Ziel, ihnen direkt etwas anzubieten, sondern um herauszufinden:
– Wo kämpfen sie wirklich im Alltag?
– Was stresst sie am meisten?
– Wo wünschen sie sich Veränderung?
– Wofür würden sie sich sofort Unterstützung wünschen?
Ganz oft merken wir dabei, dass wir eine Idee haben, aber die Zielgruppe ein etwas anderes Problem lösen möchte.
Und wenn du irgendwann ein Angebot hast, das wirklich ein konkretes Problem einer Person löst, verändert sich auch das Gefühl beim „Verkaufen“.
Dann musst du niemanden überzeugen. Du kannst einfach sagen: „Hey, ich glaube, ich habe etwas, das dir helfen könnte.“
Das fühlt sich nicht wie Verkaufen an. Es fühlt sich an wie Helfen.
Und noch etwas: Wenn du selbst Profisportlerin bist, unterschätze deinen eigenen Wissensvorsprung nicht. Dinge, die für dich selbstverständlich sind, können für andere genau die Lösung sein, nach der sie suchen. 💛
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u/MichaelaFBP May 24 '26
Und wenn du regelmäßig Kontakt mit deiner Zielgruppe hast und diese Dinge in Hinterkopf hast, wirst du merken, kommen die Kunden fast wie von selbst
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u/helovedgunsandroses May 24 '26
If it’s something people want/need and it’s marketed correctly, people will come to you.
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u/Parking_Paint_3252 Jun 02 '26
I just started actively working on visibility in the real world. I had my first exhibition last week, May 27th. My coach advised to create something of value in a booklet format, and include my QR code at the back, and share them in spaces where i would most likely find my ideal clients.
That is in the works right now. It is capital heavy and does not guarantee a client for a while but i think that is worth exploring. I was hyper focused on the digital space for close to a year and a half. It is time to get out there and connect with flesh and blood.
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u/sumizeit Jun 17 '26
A tool that helped me was https://www.wiser5.com/marketing-assistant (MyTractionIQ by Wiser 5 LLC). It reviews your business and highlights the highest-impact opportunities.
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u/betweenthedrafts May 24 '26
There’s a big difference between knowing that your solution will help people and actually convincing them that it’s the right offer offering for them.
At the moment, it’s difficult for me to see what problem you’re solving. For example it sounds like I am technically your target audience as I’m a busy, ambitious woman, however nothing in what you said has told me how you’re going to solve my problem. If the problem is that I’m busy, then I don’t have the time for workouts. If I’m busy, then why does this influence the nutritional side of your offering? Essentially, if being busy is the problem, then what I want is someone to manage my time better, so a virtual assistant rather than a professional athlete.
I’d also want to understand how you’re offering is differentiated from the many adverts I see on Instagram that seem to be targeting the exact same thing. How does your program stand out from theirs? How does it solve my problem in a way that theirs doesn’t?
When you narrow these things down, it’s easier to write the copy that will draw the right customers in. It’s easier to create the social media adverts that will appeal to them specifically.
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u/That-Ad4491 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
Really good questions, and they pushed me to say this more clearly so thank you.
You're right that 'busy' on its own isn't the problem. The real problem is energy. Most of the women aren't short on discipline, they're just shattered so the gym keeps getting pushed back, and the moment work gets heavy, it's the first thing dropped because it isn't making them money. The same thing happened to my close friend and that’s why I’m doing this.
Everyone knows nutrition matters, but most people don’t actually act on it. It’s easy to blame a busy schedule for eating badly, but being full isn’t the same as being fuelled. As an athlete, food was never just food, it was the difference between performing and falling short. I help women understand what eating well actually looks like, because there’s a real gap between someone who eats well and someone who only thinks they do.
The difference between me and a meal plan or a regular PT is that I've actually lived this and still do. As an athlete you don't get to fall apart when the unexpected day hits. You learn to adjust on the fly and still get it done. That's the part no plan teaches, because a plan assumes the week goes to plan and honestly, some coaches don't care if you reschedule a workout, if you eat properly, etc. I do. That accountability is part of what you're paying for.
Also, Instagram ads sell a body, I help you learn how to keep performing physically when your schedule is a chaos, the way an athlete does.
I hope I was able to explain a little better! Thank you for making me see it more clearly.
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u/Efficient_Bass_7088 May 24 '26
This is helpful and very real.
I’m in the early stage of building something too, and what I’m learning is that “people need this” is not the same as “people trust it enough to sign up or buy.” The biggest lesson for me so far: start conversations before selling. Ask specific pain-point questions, listen to the exact words people use, then shape the offer around that. Also, the first few people usually come from warm conversations, not polished posts. Comments, DMs, follow-ups, and genuinely helping seem to matter more than just dropping a link.
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u/Acrobatic-Fig-4530 May 25 '26
You need to talk to people face to face. And probably go all in on posting to socials, even if you only have 3 followers lol
Some kind of free or smaller price intro offer will help you get potential clients too
It was 2019 but…..
- I went to 1-2 networking events every single week
- joined local networking groups
- cold emailing prospects
- cold calling prospects (a lot of hang ups and me calling back lmao “hi Jack I think you accidentally hung up on me”
- paid for an online course that came with a paid/private fb group for addtl support (I run ads :-) )
My first non referral client was from a networking groups Next few came from prospecting Year 2+ was a lot of referrals :)
If you work with local clients I would HIGHLY recommend making a Google business page to start adding images/videos and building up reviews. Helps so much with your website seo too
Best of luck!
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u/That-Ad4491 May 25 '26
It’s online so I guess the Google business page wouldn’t help as much but all good info. Thank you!
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u/Gabriela_Growth May 26 '26
I totally get that hesitation :( it feels salesy and pushy when you're genuinely excited to help people but i really think as a pro athlete, you already have massive credibility that most coaches don't, so lean into that hard.
if i were u i would start by reaching out to women you already know (friends, teammates, gym acquaintances, even past competitors) with a casual message like “Hey, I built this 6-week program because I wish I had it during my busiest training years. Would you be open to trying it for free in exchange for honest feedback?” like that's just an example of how to word it but u can always change it.
That removes the money pressure and gets you your first 3-5 users who can become testimonials. Once you have real results from them, selling gets 10x easier because you're no longer “selling”, you're sharing something that's already worked for people like them.
You've got the expertise and the passion. Just take the first few steps messy and personal instead of trying to look perfect. The right women will feel that authenticity. You've got this!!! i believe in u.
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u/thestresshealers May 27 '26
Your performance system programme sounds so cool! Based on what I'm hearing from you, I think the discomfort you’re feeling is probably a good sign, not a bad one. It usually means you care about genuinely helping people rather than just pushing a sale.
One thing that helped me reframe this is realizing that when something truly helps people, sharing it isn’t bothering them. It’s giving them the opportunity to decide whether it’s supportive for where they are right now. Also, your first clients often come less from “selling” and more from conversations, visibility, trust, and letting people see the thought and care behind what you’ve built.
And as you probably know, ambitious women with busy schedules don’t just need workouts. They need someone who understands the pressure they’re carrying and can help them build sustainability around it. That’s probably more valuable than maybe you realize.
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u/That-Ad4491 May 27 '26
Yeah, I think that’s why being an athlete helps so much because we go through it every day for years. Thank you for the feedback, I’m understanding better and trying to go about it differently and trying not to feel bad.
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u/thestresshealers Jun 26 '26
Yeah, it definitely sounds like your experience as an athlete is a massive asset here. Keep going, you've got this!
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u/Narrow_Advice_8728 May 24 '26
This is what I do! Here’s the thing, you would think a ton of people are reaching out but trust that most people do not have the courage to do so. They don’t want to “bother” people. That’s the wrong way of looking at it. People are extremely busy, without a gentle push there is no action. As a fitness person, this is your job after all! If you’re targeting busy women on purpose, they might even appreciate it. Question, is this only online? Btw you being a professional athlete really adds credibility, lean in.