We are looking to expand our client base and look for new ways of prospecting - what has worked for you - what hasn't?

We have been fairly successful at teleconferencing and web conferencing they are both fairly easy to set up and you can reach a broad audience. We usually provide them for free and get one or two prospects from them.

Word of mouth referals mostly.

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For consulting, it many times seems that a person or 2 gets together and starts working for a client that they already have/knew from another job. In our case (2 of us), we were in the middle of a contract and our existing company "fell apart", we quickly set up our company and continued to finish the job. We are also working with our existing network to bring in more business. I think it is hard to start a consulting business as you would a product business because it is really a business built on trust. And selling trust is hard to do with a mailer or cold calls or other traditional marketing methods. I also believe you have to build legitimacy through client referrals and and adding value in you industry (pertinent info on your web in your area of expertise, speaking at pertinent meetings/shows, working with partners in your industry and NETWORKING).

Ours is through referrals as well - it is the only proven way to get consistant clients and because they are refering you they believe you can deliver on a project.