As a business owner who runs an ad agency, pitching to clients and growing businesses is what I do for a living. However, moving to a new country where I didn't have a pre-existing network of friends and family posed a challenge as I had never had to sell myself before. Despite this, I knew I could do it again and again with consistent, persistent work and a strong belief in my skillsets and the universe.
And No I am not yet in London. I am still working on moving to London. I will be there soon. But from the moment I decided to move to London, I started building my network in the new country, new city.
It took me two months to find a strategy that worked for me in finding meaningful connections with entrepreneurs who were passionate about their craft. I didn't want to pitch myself as just any other agency, so I took my time figuring out my positioning and how I wanted to present myself. Instead of using discounted plans or hard-selling, I focused on creating content that would resonate with people in the new city and understanding their struggles. This was a slow, patience-driven process that required a lot of effort and dedication.
I found my first client on Instagram, even though I had placed my bets on LinkedIn. I started sharing my work on my new Instagram page and worked on passion projects to showcase the varied style of my work and attract similar projects. Meanwhile, I built my portfolio as a brand strategist and showcased my experience and work on my new website to build credibility.
Simultaneously, I was also figuring out potential accounts on Instagram using relevant hashtags and keywords. I engaged with these brands and profiles by liking, following, and dropping a few messages where I saw opportunities to contribute. This is how I ended up connecting with a wonderful aesthetician who was renovating her salon and needed some support on social media to re-launch her brand and generate leads.
Before we began working on the project, I had to patiently chase her for three weeks due to personal reasons, but we had to keep in touch until we finally had our first google meet. After that, we were both comfortable with our style and instantly connected. So, that's how I found my first client after working hard for 2.5 months.
I hope my experience can inspire and encourage anyone else who is also starting from scratch in a new place or industry. Consistent and persistent effort, coupled with patience, is key. To many more such stories, experiences and encounters in the new city, new country - living my dream life in London.
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