1. First you need a a website which showcases the benefits you deliver to your customers. It is the first place prospects will go to check you out.

2. Decide what types of organisation are your best targets.

3. Then you find directories of these prospect companies using the Net, business directories etc.

4. Prioritise the prospects - start with the best ones.

5. Next you make contact with these prospects, obtain the name of the person with the appropriate job title. Try to speak to them.

6. If you can get through, state in a few short sentences what you do and ask if they are the right person to be talking to. Then ask, can I send you some information?

7. Write or email your sales pitch and say in it that, 'I will call in a couple of days to get your comments'.

8. Log details of the contact, the company and any points raised in conversation. A database or contact manager is best for this, but you can use a simple card file initially.

9. Make at least 6 fresh contacts each day, 10 would be better. A valid contact is where you have spoken to the decision-maker; if you only reach reception, it doesn't count.

10. Each day check to see if you need to make call-backs.

11. If appropriate for your product value, set an appointment to visit.

12. Visit and discuss the prospect's requirements, depending on the product / service you may have an opportunity to close the business on this first call - otherwise . . .

13. Draw up a proposal, revisit and present the proposal. (You may then need to revise the proposal and resubmit.)

14. Now you negotiate the price and close the sale.

15. Keep this process going - either be prospecting or seeing customers. Once you start to get sales, you can reduce the amount of prospecting, but do not stop it entirely or you will lapse into a feast-or-famine roller coaster.

16. Make contact with all prospects and customers at least 3 times a year.
     

Very few of your competitors will be doing anything like this - you will have a big advantage.

Once business starts to flow, from time to time you will get jobs coming in unsolicited. That's a nice bonus for all the hard work which you've put in.